The second post from the second person
If you've just finished the first draft of your first book (be it a 500 word picture book, or 500,000 word tome) then WELL DONE! That's amazing. Treat yourself to a glass of champagne, or a new something-or-other.
Now put that book away. Right this second. Don't you dare read it. And don't you dare just pop it straight in the post to the first few agents/publishers you've shortlisted from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook.
Because what you need is distance. And in this mathematical equation: Distance = Time.
After you've gained a bit of distance, you can read your book again, pen in hand, hand on heart, hand stabbing pen into heart as you act as your own critic. Without even seeing your work, I know that there will certainlydefinitelypositively be something in there that should be changed.
In my next post I'll try and give you some pointers for how to tackle the tricky task of the self-edit.
Now put that book away. Right this second. Don't you dare read it. And don't you dare just pop it straight in the post to the first few agents/publishers you've shortlisted from the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook.
Because what you need is distance. And in this mathematical equation: Distance = Time.
After you've gained a bit of distance, you can read your book again, pen in hand, hand on heart, hand stabbing pen into heart as you act as your own critic. Without even seeing your work, I know that there will certainlydefinitelypositively be something in there that should be changed.
In my next post I'll try and give you some pointers for how to tackle the tricky task of the self-edit.
posted by Non @ 18:44
2 Comments:
At 11 August 2009 at 13:57 ,
Cat Clarke said...
How much time would you recommend? And should you let anyone else read it in the meantime?
At 11 August 2009 at 17:15 ,
Non said...
I think the amount of time you leave it depends on so many things that it's hard to give an absolute answer! Although a couple of months would probably work in most cases...
As to letting people read it? I think yeah! Let 'em! (If that's what YOU want.) After all, part of the pleasure of writing is sharing it with others. But be frugal, choose wisely and try not to let them tell you what they think until you decide to start work on it again. You need distance for that too.
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