Oh, the agony and ecstasy of writing. The end of December I completed the third draft of my novel, currently titled, Against the Wall. My critique group had been through three re-writes with me. (Yes, it took me a long time to write the book.) In January I found two beta (test) readers for it, and asked them to give me honest feedback. More changes to the book were required. After completing those, I downloaded a program called NaturalReader. I loaded my novel into it and it read my novel aloud. That was surprisingly beneficial as I listened for the flow and ease of diction. I found a few more corrections. Does it ever end? The changes, I mean. Probably not.

The next step in the revision process is to subject my book to a professional developmental/copy editor. I mailed my manuscript to her the first week of July. Now, it’s pins and needles time while I wait the next two months for her suggestions. She did let me know she had skimmed the first page and thought I had a good beginning. Yay! We writers are dependent on even a little bit of encouragement. It’s an emotional roller coaster at times.

True to the craft of writing, I’m sure my editor will suggest more changes. She has edited some of my work in the past, and I know she won’t berate me. She’ll make constructive comments intended to improve what I’ve already written. Whew! In the meantime, I’m thinking about the theme of my next novel. It’s mainly that dreaded blank page, but little by little ideas are emerging.