Write, write, write. That’s the goal of NaNoWriMo, to just get the story out of your head. It doesn’t have to be perfect (what book is on the first draft?), just get it written. So, that’s what I did and there my book was in its most raw form. I thought it was a good story, but it needed so much work, which is probably why it took me so long to really dig into it. Editing takes a commitment that I guess I wasn’t quite ready for then. So the book sat on the back burner for a long time.
Not forgotten, just for later.
But I loved my little story. Claire and Drew. Best friends since childhood, only Drew isn’t who he appears to be. The journey Claire goes on through the story, finding out who Drew really is, and learning so much more about her family and friends and God along the way, is special. I’m sure every author loves their own book, but I really feel it’s something that God can use, even if it only touches one person’s heart in even the tiniest way.
Last summer/fall (2013), I finally knew I was ready to get serious about it. I had put it off for a long time, making excuses, filling my time with other things. But I finally said, “I’m gonna do it. 2014 is the year I’m gonna publish my novel.”
It took about 8 months to get the book ready to publish. I read through the chapters over and over, correcting punctuation and grammatical errors, making sure it flowed well, etc. Then, once I thought I’d found everything that needed changed, I read through it backwards, from the last chapter to the first, and found more things to change. Then I read through it again, front to back. Same thing. More changes.
When I got my first proof copy of the book, I made even more changes. I actually think editing a physical copy was much better than editing on a computer screen. There’s just something about having the actual book in your hands. I checked over each page and made notes all over. There was no page left unmarked. Then I read the book aloud to my daughter, Chloe, and made all sorts of changes to the dialogue, per her suggestions.
“Mom, a teenage girl would never say it that way.” Thanks, Chloe! 😉
When the second proof copy arrived, I asked my husband, Jake, who is a writer himself, to read it over. He came out of our room, fighting back tears, gave me a kiss, and told me, “It’s perfect.” I respect his opinion so much because he’s been an avid reader since childhood and if he doesn’t like a book, he will be honest about it. We sat together and went over a few small changes he thought needed to be made. He talked about how he felt the emotion of the book was the perfect balance and the story was so much more filled out than when he read the first draft. I made the changes he suggested and it was ready!
So, 4 years, 5 months and 16 days after writing the first draft, I hit the “approve” button and my book was out there for the world!
Editing a book is hard work. It’s tedious and time consuming. But, I really hope that all the hours I spent on it will show. I hope it will be enjoyed and, like I said, if it just touches one person’s heart, it will have been worth it all.