Spring is starting to make its magic in my neck of the woods.
I can tell by the buds on the trees, the scent of stinky pear blossoms (why does something so pretty have to smell so foul?), and the squeals of children playing outside after dinner on our street.
That, and the itch I get to tackle some house upkeep projects.
Somewhere, after taking down the holiday decorations and putting them all away, I get a little lazy with my house upkeep. Add in the pneumonia that won’t quit this winter and let’s just say I hope you don’t mind cat hair tumbleweeds if you pop by unannounced.
Whatever the reason, I tend to go blind to some of the normal house upkeep during the winter. Spring causes me to see the dirt and mess in a different way. Suddenly I want those baseboards cleaned, the scuff marks off the wall, the garage straightened.
In the same way we miss that dried on spill in the back of the fridge despite opening the appliance several times a day, we can go blind to the mess in our manuscripts, too.
We edit and revise and polish, reading the same scenes and chapters over and over and over. Eventually, we lose perspective on our stories. It’s hard to identify what’s working and what isn’t.
Plus, we carry all the iterations of our stories in our heads. We inherently understand why our protagonist made that choice because we wrote it…we just forget that maybe we cut out the set-up for that decision two revision passes ago and now it falls flat.
A manuscript evaluation, when you’ve reached the point of intellectual saturation in your writing process, is the perfect solution to help you see the mess in a new way.
I want to pause on this word mess for a second.
Your manuscript may be an all out mess. It happens. But it’s not likely.
If it’s been through several rounds of your own revision, I imagine it’s less a mess worthy of Hoarders and more like my house where on the surface, everything looks okay. You could pop in next week for a cup of coffee and when I apologize for the mess you might think I am being humble. Until you look under the bed or behind the closed bedroom door (please, don’t look there right now. I promise I’ll get to the pile(s) soon).
A third party reader with fresh eyes who hasn’t been as close to your story as you is the perfect person to find plot holes, identify structure problems, pick up on character inconsistencies, and more. Just like the threat of guests or the warm air of spring can help you see the clutter you have been ignoring in your pantry.
Take the opportunity this spring to clean your manuscripts.
Whether you need a deep clean (full manuscript evaluation) before you start querying or a spot clean (50-page evaluation) on a certain problem area as you make your way through a revision, now is the time to roll up your sleeves and make it better.
I can help.
I will provide a thorough read through of your manuscript, or section of it, compile an editorial letter, offer in-document comments, and suggested next steps for addressing any issues I find. We’ll also have an hour-long coaching call to discuss my findings, brainstorm solutions, discuss those next steps, and answer any questions you have about the manuscript and your vision for it.
I am offering several slots for full evaluations as well as partial evaluations (something I don’t typically offer!) this spring.
Let’s make those manuscripts sparkle!
And I promise, it will be way more fun than that garage clean-out.