Making Love to Your Manuscript

I admit it, I haven’t blogged for awhile. I’ve been unfaithful to the blogging world, cheating on it with my novel. Like with any new relationship, the novel consumed me, taunted me, teased me even.  There was a little awkwardness at the beginning, as we got to know each other. Once we got better acquainted, I found myself eager to spend every available moment with it. We were hot and heavy for months, more often than not keeping each other company until the wee hours of the morning.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Once we reached the climax, we knew soon we would have to part ways.

I wasn’t ready to say good-bye.  As good as things had been between us, I knew they could be better. We needed a breather. Time apart. I won’t lie, it was hard. I even dallied with a couple short stories. I know, shameless of me. I couldn’t help myself, I needed to fill the empty hours until we could be together again.

The moment finally arrived. I was nervous. For the relationship to work between us, things would have to change. We couldn’t afford any excess baggage. It was time to begin the editing process.

The first round was tough. Change is never easy. By the second and third pass, the editing got easier. I knew my novel so much better now. I took my time, learning when and how to hit the delete button to make it sing. I realized editing didn’t have to be painful process. Once the excess bloat of filler words made my novel leaner, I started to think of editing as making love to my manuscript. Where the keyboard needed to stroke it, which areas not to touch.

Editing may be the most tedious part of the novel process, but it is a part of our love affair with writing.  Putting a positive spin on it can help remind us of the passion we felt at the beginning when our work was still fresh and new.