This past week was spring break for my youngest who is away at college. I had fond thoughts of shopping, going to the Panera to eat, and cozy chats.
Hah!
She had fond thoughts of spending the time with her boyfriend, eating fast food, and cozying up with him.
Sigh.
It's hard to let go, isn't it, of our children as they grow and mature? I had particular problems with letting go of this one because she was my baby (perish the thought, she thinks) and I knew that things were forever changed, even if she didn't.
Our writing is also our baby, and there comes the time when we must let go of our works and put them into the trusting hands of query letters, of the synopsis, and publishers, trusting that our writing will grow and mature as time passes.
Perhaps our publishers don't cozy up to our writing the way we do, but heck! they're not the ones who labored and pored over every word, agonizing about plot, and creating living, breathing characters.
Once you let go of that writing piece, it can thrive in the hands of great editors and publishing houses. But, if you want to kiss the manuscript before you send it, I'll certainly understand, and so will all others who get to that point in their writing careers.
What about you? Has it been easy to let go of your baby, to send it out with a wing and a prayer, hoping it will find a home away from home?
My baby "Guardian," can be purchased through 4RV Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local bookseller.
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7 comments:
I'll gladly let 'er go, knowing she will return with grandkids (money).
My only son is 17 and will be graduating high school next year. Still not sure what path he will take after that, but I'm sure I'll have a hard time letting go.
Good analogy. Saying “I’m done,” and letting go of a manuscript is one of the hardest parts of writing for me. It seems like I could reread it a million times and still find some little detail to change.
Amazingly enough, no matter how many times we edit, we'll keep finding things to change. There does come a point when you have to send it out there and let the people read what you wrote.
When you send the baby to college, it comes back "your friend" so, step up and send your work out there.
I can always find something to change and make my manuscript better. It's very hard to decide when to let it stand on its own.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
Ah, yes, those nasty publishers and editors who want that "baby" to grow into a full-blown book, ready to step out into the world. However, the final product that results from the team work between authors and editors is often glorious.
Katie, I have to laugh -- love your analogy! I do find I drag my feet on sending some of my stuff out but I've always attributed it to laziness on my part, as I find this part of writing much less interesting than the others. Still, there may very well be a trace {grin} of reluctance to let go there too. Thanks for the interesting and amusing article.
Peggy
http://www.margaretfieland.com/
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