August 17th, 2004
There was an author quoted in the RWR who said that when she sent her mss in to her editor, there was not one word that she would change. (I’ll look it up in the morning, I promise!) *UPDATE* I found it. Barbara Delinsky, who said, “By the time I’m done with a book there’s not one word I would change.“
I don’t see how that’s possible. 
I always think my work can be better. And better. I will admit there are the moments, far too fleeting and rare, when I’ll get the scene down just perfect. But a whole ms?
One can hope.
But I won’t hold my breath.
Self-restraint? I think I’m still working on that one! :blush:
on August 19th, 2004 at 11:30 pm
They say distance from your work is a good thing. I’ve just come back to a ms. to clean it up and streamline it a bit and I’m AMAZED at all the little boo-boos no one (including me) caught that I’m finding now. :blush:
Silly stuff like forgetting to close a quote :doze:
on August 19th, 2004 at 8:07 am
Tweaking is the curse of the writer (and software developer).. taken to excess it can ruin the work and overrun deadlines. Mind you, it takes a great deal of self-restraint not to do it.. as I’m starting to find out !
on August 19th, 2004 at 5:01 am
A very good point, Cece. I fear my problem may be on the opposite end of the spectrum. I wonder if perhaps I should polish more. But then again, I have two cp’s now. I’m hoping they’ll catch things I’m missing and help me save time.
on August 18th, 2004 at 4:13 pm
I think there comes a time whe you have to "push your chair back from the table." Otherwise, you’d tweak the life right out of your work.
I write, edit, sub to cp’s, edit again, and then do a final read through. Different things work for different people…as long as your editing ins’t a stall tactic :O
on August 18th, 2004 at 4:08 pm