Deep into Edits

I got it! My editor, Sascha Illyvich at Sizzler Editions, sent me edited manuscript for Streetwalker.

My turn now to work on it again. It feels so real now that this is happening. Which is not to say it's easy.

I knew there were two scenes that could cause me trouble. Turns out there were three.

One scene is a retelling of sexual abuse over years of an underage character. That one might fly, since it's a retelling, but the editors will have the final word on it. I consider it critical to defining who the character is and why she did what she did. Can I salvage the intent and lose the explicit descriptions? I don't know. I am still pondering how I'd do it. The horror needs to show through.

Another scene, bestiality, I knew would get bounced. I'm okay with that. I was prepared for it, so I am re-writing it with an auto-eroticism scene featuring Ben Wa balls, two-entry dildo, butt plug, and Sybian saddle. That should do it, plus it is always more fun (for me) to create than to edit.

The third scene was a surprise no-go. Or rather, it needs modification. Who knew rape and torture were no-no's in erotic romance? Sigh. That one can be fixed with an earlier entry (so to speak!) from the hero onto the scene. I think it will lose it's punch, but, hey! Editor, I will do whatever you want!

I did the easy stuff first, word/sentence-level changes. So off to work some more magic so you will have a chance to read Streetwalker sooner rather than later.

Come back for the cover reveal and an excerpt from Streetwalker to get you interested in Carrie and Harlan's story.

Waiting

The life of a writer is filled with episodes of waiting in between periods of frantic composing and revising. No one ever mentioned that in any job description I read.

Write, write, write. Send off to critique group members. Wait, wait, wait.

Revise, write, revise, write. Send off to beta readers. Wait, wait, wait.

Revise, write, revise, write. Send queries to agents and/or editors. Wait, wait, wait.

Write something new. Write, write, write. Still waiting on query responses.

Send something new to critique groups. Still waiting on query responses. Waiting for critique group feedback.

Joy, joy, joy. Send full ms. to agent or editor. Wait, wait, wait.

Let me fast forward here to the signed contract. First draft is being edited. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

This time the wait is different. You’re under contract. It’s going to happen. This time, though, the wait means someone else is deciding what works and doesn’t work, what should be cut, where you need to add material. This time it’s not a critique group or beta reader. This is for real.

I am in the waiting game with editors for two manuscripts. I can’t help myself. I check hourly (for weeks now, mind you!) to see if the manuscript is back on my turf ready for me to take another whack at it.

I am terrified. What if what I am asked to do is beyond my scope? What if I can’t add more dramatic tension or tie subplot lines into the main plot? What if . . .?

So I wait. Not knowing. Worried.