I’ve submitted the manuscript The Trouble with Sauce. It sat ready for a few days, I’ve taken it as far as it can go without outside feedback, but something was holding me back, I’ve been really nervous about sending this one off. There are three possible reasons for this.
1) It’s just not good enough
Part of me thinks it doesn’t work, but I couldn’t actually say why. I can’t pinpoint anything and say that’s wrong. The plot is fun and the characters are engaging. When I go through it, each chapter works, it’s not too long, it progresses the story, develops the characters, entertains and usually ends with a reason to start the next chapter and yet, I’m unsure.
2) It’s my baby
When I send the email with the text to the ABC, it’s also the point where it stops being my baby and becomes a product to be packaged, altered, stuffed in boxes and put out on shelves. It becomes a thing that has to sell, rather than the progeny of my imagination.
3) It means I have to start on ‘the big one’
When this book goes off that means it’s time for me to start on the next adult one, the one where I actually try to be a good writer instead of mildly entertaining one. That’s pretty scary. I know the time is coming, paragraphs, chapters and ideas pop into my head. Like a kettle about to boil, things are rising with increasing speed to the surface. Time to pour soon. That in itself is challenging and reason enough not to send off Trouble.
So which is it? Much as I would like to be about clinging onto babies, it’s down to options 1 and 3 with option 1 being the strongest.
My editor said he would try to get back to me the next day. I thought that was ambitious. It’s now a week later and I’m fearing the worst. If the email response starts with a line about what he ‘did’ enjoy about the book, I know I’m doomed to paragraphs of what didn’t work. If on the other hand he kicks of with ‘there’s still some work to do,’ or ‘there’s a few bits need tidying up’ I know I’m OK, and the inevitable ‘but’ will be a positive one.
3 comments:
I'm sure it will be fine, and am sending lots of positive vibes!
I guess I always think in terms of your number one, even with magazine / newspaper articles, part of me always worries when I hit 'send' whether I could have somehow done it better, even when, as you say, everything is checked and triple-checked. I wonder if this feeling ever goes away, and part of me thinks perhaps it shouldn't somehow...
It might help with 1) to read this blog post...although it's a review of Woyzeck, it starts off musing on what is a masterpiece...
http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com/2009/02/review-woyzeck.html
Bruno gives good Blog.
-Graffiti on White House wall.
(just under "Bush is Baaaaaaaaad!").
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