Relit Spark

Last weekend I talked about getting notes back from my editor and that combination of both rational and irrational fear of wanting to read all her notes on what how we can make the core of the story of my manuscript better. Why I say both rational and irrational is because it's understandable to fear what someone is going to think of something that you have spent more ours working on then most people do on a project. Many people compare their manuscripts to babies. In a sense that's true. And no one likes to hear bad things about their babies.

Then why is that same fear irrational? Because me, as a writer, needs exactly what this editor and all editors offer us, constructive criticisms on how to make your manuscript the best it can be. Thus the excitement of having fresh eyes to help refresh that spark inside you that made you love the story to begin with. That spark is intoxicating and the reason why authors love writing new story ideas which can create the black hole of new stories without finishing a book. Anyways, I digress, editor notes are exciting.

It took me a all day to get the courage finally open up the file that in reality proved why my original fear of having my manuscript be torn apart as 100% irrational. Everything said I found my self nodding in agreement with. Ok there were a few things that at first I didn't agree with but after talking it over realized what was really being said only to find myself doing the "doh, okay you're totally right." Everything that was said was perfectly verbalized what I couldn't have say myself.

I'd personally hit that wall where i didn't know how to fix it. I knew something was wrong with the manuscript. I just couldn't see the specifics. My editor found that. No need for my fears, there was no ripping my manuscript apart. No telling me that I shouldn't be writing. Nope only good critics on what wasn't working and possible ways on how to make it better. I didn't know how I'd feel about what would be said. Guess what? I can't stop smiling. Who knew?

So many things need to be redone and fixed. You know what? I'm not terrified. You'd think that with that first irrational/rational fear that I might still be scared, but I'm not. I'm super excited. There's a lot that needs to be fixed. Things that will take a lot of time. Still that doesn't scare me.

Let's do it! Let's take that once upon a time fear and keep that spark going riding it to the end. There are still going to be downs. There's always going to be more downs. It's about finding that spark again no matter how much it might seem like it's hiding. Let's do this! Let's dive into these revisions like there is no tomorrow.