Knowing when to let go

Thinking about Thursday

Everyone shelves their first novel, right? That is what I hear from most of writer friends. "Oh, my first novel? It's under my bed (in a file cabinet, locked in my mother's attic, a pile of ashes that were washed down the kitchen sink). Never to see the light of day."
That is what I am thinking about today. The manuscript I have been working on (and working on and working on) is far from my first novel. I have been writing most of my life, so I have completed several others. You want to talk about "never meant to see the light of day"? These would make your heart ache and not in a good way. But, they were all steps in the process.

I suppose this one is, too. I have never put so much work into a manuscript before. I have never had such great beta readers and critique partners before. (Shout out to the terrific Teri Anne Stanley and my NTRWA chaptermate, Genevieve Wilson.) Of course, I have never been this educated about the publishing process before.

Despite all of the crits, all the revisions, all the heart, soul and tears. I think it is time to put this one the shelf. Sadly, not the one in the bookstore I have dreamed of seeing it grace.

I had high hopes of querying it this summer, but it's not ready. I know that and right now, I am too close to it to get it any closer to being ready. We need a break. Some time apart. Maybe I will come back with fresh eyes and all the parts I can't seem to work out will magically fall into place.

So, what do you think? Where is your first novel? How do you know when it is time to just let it go?

Off the Deep End

Tell Me Your Story Tuesday

 My "baby" turned eight yesterday. That's not her in the picture. I included it because she also jumped of a diving board for the first time yesterday, well, she sorta jumped of a diving board yesterday.

More like she squatted down on the end of it and tried to convince the sweet, teenage girl in the water ready to catch her that it was too scary.  Which was an improvement from last week when she just stood at the end of the diving board and cried.

Thankfully, no one involved in these swimming lessons belongs to the "sink-or-swim" school of thought. The reason I didn't include the actual picture of her "jumping" off is because it included her coach, who is a very nice guy, but not exactly Roni Loren's Boyfriend of the Week, if you know what I mean.

Her coach was in the picture because when he saw my daughter was about to retreat off the diving board again, he  stepped up behind her. He cut off her exit, reassuring her in a calm voice and, with her permission, helped her off the end of the board into the water.

Sometimes, this is what we need when we are writing. I am nearing the stage when it will be time to jump into the pool of querying and pitching. This time last year, I would have stood on the end of the board and cried.

Now, I am squatting on the end. Man, it is a long way down!

As writer's we need someone in the water, waiting to catch us. Our writers' group, critique partners, online friends, they are all there. Most important, we need someone to cut of our exit and nudge us off the end.

So, tell me your story. Are you on the diving board? Or already in the water? Do you have someone waiting to catch you? Do you need someone to help
you in?

Be sure stop by Thinking about Thursday.
Author Keli Gwyn is guest blogging.