Let's Catch Up

Who is ready for the big revision?

There are times in a writer’s life where you produce; that’s when I’m writing a thousand words or more per day to get a readable draft. Then there is the revision phase. Revision is funny because after you have a solid draft you’re pretty much always revising. But there are times within the process of writing a book when you have to do the BIG REVISION.

This means that your editor has read your work and has returned it back to you with an editorial letter with all sorts of insights and suggestions. I look forward to my editor’s notes because (other than my incredible agent who always gives me GREAT feedback) it’s the first time someone is going “under the hood” and looking to see what tweaks will make for a smooth ride.

An example of the type of feedback I received: My editor pointed out that sometimes in the middle of the action of a scene, I kill the momentum by injecting a graph of back story. She pointed out a few places where the back story could either be cut or moved to a spot where it’s more useful to the reader. Boom! How awesome is that?

One of the more challenging pieces of feedback was taking a very close look at the father figure in the book — and trying to massage and coax his character a little more. All of my other characters in the novel are fully formed, my editor said, but the father is essential to the story and still a little hazy.

So that’s where my focus is right now. In my revision. Fixing it up! We also received the new cover of the book. Oh my word. I tell you: I love all of my covers but this one may actually be the best one yet. I cannot wait until I can share it with you!

Life, Etc.

What I’ve been doing: We visited the awe-inspiring elephant exhibit “The Great Elephant Migration” in downtown Manhattan. There are about 100 life-sized elephant sculptures shaped out of an invasive root, and they’ve been installed all over the Meatpacking District. So cool! After landing a coveted reservation at the Taiwanese famous dumpling spot, Din Tai Fung, which opened in Times Square, we headed to see the elephants. Such a great day!

What I’ve been watching: “My Brilliant Friend” (MY FAVORITE show of all time); “Emily in Paris” (Rome!) and the new season of “Dancing With the Stars” just started. My little girl and I are obsessed with the show! Yesterday in the basement we tried to cha-cha together and kept tripping over each other. LOL.

What I’ve been listening to: I’m going through a solid John Mayer phase and I’ve had a Spotify mix of his songs playing in the background for weeks. He’s chill and insightful and those guitar riffs make me want to light a pumpkin candle.

What I’m reading: I bought Mary Beth Keane’s The Half Moon when it came out last year (or was it the year before that) and I just haven’t been in the mood. I picked it up over the weekend and it got its hooks right into me. If you’re looking for a tightly-written emotional relationship drama, it’s the book for you. Her second novel, Ask Again, Yes, is one of my favorite books of the last five years.

Looking Ahead

I may be writing a tiny bit less in the next few weeks because this revision is due soon, but (BUT!) we have some exciting Author Confessions coming up. Stay tuned!

As always, if you enjoy reading this newsletter, please let me know by hitting the “heart” button. Happy first week of autumn!