Last night I finished my first draft for IT’S ONLY MAKE
BELIEVE, Kit Wilding and June Wingate’s story. I might have to step back from
it a day or two before I get into the edits and add to the word count which I
am short on. So maybe it’s time to take a breath and readjust my perspective.
I have a strong urge to start writing on my next story. I
already have the synopsis (what I use as an outline) for it. I yearn to jump
right into the next project all fresh and new, but I know I will just get all
jumbled up and get too far away from Kit’s story. I need to iron out a few
things, flesh out June and Kit a bit more. I need to REALLY care about them. It
still needs something—maybe a dog.
So, anyway, as much as I would love to move on into
another story, I’m just not ready yet. Once I get into these edits I think I’ll
get deeper into my characters and their dilemma until it will be hard to leave
them behind. When I have a hard time saying goodbye to my characters, then I’ll
know I have a story readers might truly enjoy.
Do you have the same feelings after you finish a rough
draft? Do you have to leave it alone for a while before you dig into the edits?
Do you already have another story in progress? Have you ever found a huge hiccup
in the story line after you’ve finished? Is it hard to go back and fix a
problem after the fact?
Anyhow, I’m taking the weekend off and mull over in my
mind what needs tweaking before I get to work mending and fixing things. It’s
warm and sunny out today and I hear the deck calling me, “Come and sit a while
in the sunshine.” So, off I go…
