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Row80 Check In 1/4/12


Unfortunately I have zero progress to report on the Row80 front, but I’m excited to say that today is the first day I felt somewhat human. Apparently having a combination of erysipelas and folliculitis is pretty exhausting, but for the first time in eight days, I actually feel like doing something. So I’m celebrating:)

I intend to work on both books in the next few days. My goal is to have written 1500 words on The Prophet by Sunday’s check in. Because of the general malaise I’ve been dealing with, I’m putting off Thriller Thursday until next week.

As for Dark, I’m getting ready to submit to a few more places, but I would love to hear from you guys as to WHEN to stop editing. Every time I read the book, I find a place I could have done differently, beefed up the wording, gone deeper into the character’s pov. But at some point, enough has to be enough. But when? At what point do you just let it go?

How is your first week of 2012 going?

24 comments on… “Row80 Check In 1/4/12”

  1. So glad to hear you are feeling BETTER and getting back into your routine!! Wow – rough number of days Stacy! I can’t believe it. But take it easy as you dive back into life. You don’t want to set yourself back. Take care of you.
    As for editing, I wish I had some experience to share with you. LOL! But you are right, at some point you have to call in quits. In my professional capacity, I’ve often had to STOP and just send stuff off to the printers because lord knows I could tweak it till the cows came home. And then I tell people, “if you see a mistake, keep it to yourself…” LOL!!
    Here’s to a healthier weekend and getting back to you!

    • Thanks. It feels like months, lol. That’s kind of how I’m feeling with the book, and the thing is, every new reader is going to have suggestions, so at some point you have to say, “I’m done.”

      Thanks again!

  2. I am so happy to hear you are getting better! Too busy here to even set the ROW80 goals yet, but your post reminded me to put it on my list for the weekend.

    Editing – I am no expert, but I feel like if you read it and something isn’t screaming at you (after several run throughs) then let it be. There will ALWAYS be something you can change. I don’t think anyone ever reads through and thinks “this is perfect!” Those that do are probably delusional. (I kid. Sort of. 😉 )

    • Thanks:) I’ve had enough illness to last me a few years.

      That’s kind of how I’m feeing about it. I haven’t read Dark in a few weeks, so I think I’m going to commit to doing that over the next week and if nothing major jumps out, then I’ll let it be.

  3. Oh, Stacy, wow – you’ve been through the wringer, girl! I think in terms of editing, when you get to the point when you’re going over and over the same material with edits, it’s time to step back and not even look at it for a couple of months. Then you’ll have some perspective when you review it again.

    Good luck!

    • Thanks so much for the advice. That’s about where I’m at. It’s been edited enough I’m not sure what I could do on my own:)


  4. beverlydiehl


    I’ve got my latest with some beta readers now – after I get their feedback, and do a couple technical/research tweaks I know I need to make, I am *done.*

    Could I write a better book two years, even two months from now? Probably. But I think it gets to be like hanging with some of your relatives – I love ’em, but we are gonna kill each other if we have to sit in the same room together for even five more minutes.

    • See, my crit partner has been over it twice, along with a couple of others, and I’ve edited twice. I’m sure there are changes others would offer but your relative analogy is spot on. Kind of sick of it, lol.

  5. Stacy, glad you’re feeling better. I stop revising when I feel like I’m not really changing anything. I think it’s just something you know in your guy. You’re finished. It’s a feeling I get.

  6. A science thesis isn’t quite the same thing as creative writing, but I put my foot down when my adviser started changing things around to the way I had them in the first place.

    • I can’t even imagine writing a thesis. Good for you for standing up for your writing. And sorry for the delayed response. Somehow this got put in my spam folder.

  7. Glad to hear you’re feeling better!

    As for the editing, as far as I know, it’s different from writer to writer. One writer says he can’t get it right without at least ten revisions, the other one says that his work would lose all of it’s life with so many revisions, that over-editing kills the text; and they’re both successful. Personally, I stop editing when it starts feeling like a burden; I fear that, if I kept editing after that point, I’d do more harm than good.

    • Thank you. That’s very true – it does vary from writer to writer, and I completely understand about it feeling like a burden. That’s something I’ve noticed lately.

  8. I am an editing freak! A perfectionist. OCD about the writing. My hubby used to roll his eyes because I tensed up when turning in a research paper in grad school. He would say, “Aren’t you glad it’s turned in?” And I’d say, “No, now I can’t improve it anymore!” So basically, don’t ask me. :p

    Best wishes on your ROW80 progress this week!

    • LOL. Good to know. I’ve gotten more that way, but I still miss little things that make me crazy. I’ve spent the last two days going over it, deepening the MC’s character, and I feel really good with where it’s at. Unless (Until!) an editor gets their hands it, it’s done.

      Thanks!

  9. First week is going up and down…feel very disjointed this week. Hope it evens out more on the UP phase! Good luck on your ROW80 progress.

    • I’m sorry to hear that, but I do understand. It’s rough to transition back to normal after the holidays. Good luck, and thanks!

  10. OMG, Stacy…I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I went hunting for you cause I hadn’t seen you in a little while and had to find out what you were up to. (No good!! <– sorry, couldn't resist. 🙂 )

    I clicked on the links and read those symptoms and they sound just dreadful… {hugs}

    • Thank you … so sweet of you to come looking for me. Yes, it was very rough and my skin still has some discoloration, but today is the first day I can say I feel good. Have been working on writing stuff all day and made lots of progress.

      Thanks again:)

  11. I’m so glad you’re feeling better! I can’t imagine dealing with what you had. Yikes! It’s tough to know when to stop editing. I try and find fresh beta readers and if they still bring up big issues – I know I’m not done!

    • Thanks so much, Laura. I’m so happy to be feeling better and to be done with the book. I’m excited to move on to the next:)

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