How to Write a Novel in 37 Easy Steps- Part 4

 I once said that it's amazing what fresh eyes will see in a manuscript. The next phase of editing is that concept in a nutshell. 

I've also written about how incredibly fortunate I am to have a talented team of folks backing me up. I could never, ever, say thank you enough. My team is a number of folks I know who have several similar characteristics. A- they're all readers. They like books. Maybe different kinds of books/genres, but they have a sense of what works in writing. B- they're smart! More on this in a bit, but each of them brings knowledge of the world to help me. It may be very specific to a topic, it may be broad, but they bring it. C- they are willing to tell me the truth, no matter how much that may hurt me. This is the true sign of their dedication! I want to get better and I trust that their insight will do that...if they're willing to not filter themselves. If you go back in my archives to "Latest Luck," you can read more about them.

After I've fixed what my tired eyes can see, I share my work with my team. Some ask for a printed copy, some want it electronically. Whatever, I'll give it to them in whatever format they want. Whatever makes them the most comfortable. And I give them a deadline, usually 6-8 weeks.

So, now I have 6-8 weeks of free time. The reality is, I can't do much work on that book while the team is reviewing it. So what's a boy to do? Start a new one! I'm working on a multi-book series and I have ideas enough to last me for years. So I start back at step one with this book. Take in mind, it may well be a year since I started drafting the book they have. But it's how the big, professional authors work, so I think I'm on the right track. 

Flash forward to the due date for my reading team. Some e-mail me their stuff and I follow up as needed. Others hand me a binder and we drink a cup of coffee and discuss. Again, whatever works best for them.

I'll confess, this is terrifying. Other people are now being asked to judge and critique my work. Much as I love and trust them...TERRIFYING! 

I start with those I know will be focused on the gritty, technical details of sailing. My protagonists live on board a sailboat and are sailing around the world. My tech people will graciously baby-step me through the details, some of which will impact the story at large.

Once I'm through those, I work my way, page-by-page, through the others. Some parts are easy. They found a typo or the wrong word- that's easy to fix. Other times they just don't like what I wrote- that's harder. I have to give it some thought and I may have to talk with them to get more insight. 

One unique challenge is that they see things so differently from one another. Reader A- "Too much of the cat!" Reader B- "Not enough of the cat!" I take their opinions and realize that there's an issue I need to look at. In the end, it's my book and I'll have as much cat in it as I want, but they can (and often do) have conflicting insight.

Perhaps the most important thing I know, is that if two or more of them don't think something works, they're right. They can't tell me how, but they can tell me that I need to fix it. Some write on the pages, others on post-it notes, and others via e-mail. God bless 'em, they bring a fascinating breadth of perspectives. One may comment on insensitive language, another on how a counselor may see something, and another may have some random bit of knowledge...they're amazing.