So, in case you’re following along at home:
KEHERA — I’m about 3/4 finished with this first main revision. Any other revisions will be smaller; this one involves lots of cutting near the front of the book, reordering chapters, actual worldbuilding, giving certain characters more important roles toward the end in order to justify their existence, etc. I’m not sure this is the most extensive revision I’ve ever done; in fact I don’t think it is. But it’s fairly big, for me.
It’s moving well, though, and I’m happy with how it’s shaping up, EXCEPT I must admit I am not sure certain aspects of the worldbuilding are clear enough yet. I should probably change and clarify some terminology and do a final pass through the whole book to integrate those clarifications.
But I don’t think I will have time to do that instantly because
KERI — Caitlin just sent me four pages of editorial notes about this. She likes it, though! She thinks my editor will love it! That’s the main thing. She’s suggesting some fairly minor changes, mainly to the tone of some scenes and the emotional development of the characters. She is also suggesting some bigger changes near the end.
This sets up an immediate dilemma: finish the KEHERA revision before switching to KERI? Or switch to the manuscript that’s actually under a deadline before finishing the one she wants to send out to a particular editor, but which isn’t under deadline pressure as such?
My compromise: It is just too painful to think of switching back and forth. Instead, I’m going to try to finish the first pass through KEHERA by the 27th if possible, or at least by the 31st. I will then send it back to Caitlin without necessarily polishing up that one clarity issue because hey, maybe it does work at this point, I’m not the best judge of such things.
Then I will whip through the KERI revision in no more than a week. That will let me send it back to Caitlin with time (barely) to make the mid-September deadline for my editor.
Whew! I will SO be ready for a break during the back half of September.
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