When Is A Manuscript Finished?


Empty Refrigerator asks:
When do you know you're DONE, really DONE, with revising a novel? Sometimes I feel like I revise to death.
You don’t.

If you’ve had some beta readers/critique partners/a freelance editor to look it over until you can’t possibly do anything else to it, put it away for a few months. Then revise again.

After that, you’ll just have to pick a time to say, ‘Nope, there’s nothing else I can do to make this better’ and let it go.

Even authors with published books sometimes say that they’d go back and change things in their novels. They’ve changed/grown/learned over time and that novel might not reflect their style anymore.

But that’s okay. Think of it as a time capsule. It’s great to see how far you’ve come over time.

10 comments:

  1. It really does feel like you could go on forever if you keep showing to others. Everyone has an opinion. After a few readers and revisions, I think it's usually time.

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  2. I'm always wondering this. Where does it end? Knowing me I'll always want to tweak it. I'll have to follow your "pick a time" idea. :)

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  3. My criteria for when a manuscript is done is when I'm sick and tired and can't stand being around it anymore. I wrote a 120-page novella that took three years and 20 drafts before I got to that point. Now I won't touch it unless an editor gives me specific directions on what to change.

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  4. I agree, Theresa, the more people you show it to... It's a never ending cycle!

    I always want to tweak, too, Janet!

    I hope you're working on something else now, Chris! A new project can refresh you!

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  5. Amen to that... I hope one day I'll get there.

    Until then I’ll keep my nose to the grind stone.

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  6. Yeah, at some point it becomes what I call the Walt Whitman approach to editing. You can still be revising when you die if you want. The thing is to let it go at some point.

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  7. In these days of the Internet it's relatively easy to change our web content, but going back to change a book is much more difficult.

    Plenty of personal and other scrutiny is certainly a good idea, though the writer must be the one to say 'I am happy with this.'

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  8. And sometimes that fervent desire to continue editing goes on once it's in my grubby possession, and I have to pull it out of their shaking, sweaty hands and say, "darling, let go - we're ready to go to press."

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  9. Hi there, I clicked over from L'Aussie's blog and wanted to say HI! I'm still in first draft on my novel and even in draft I'm revising. :D

    ~Olivia
    that rebel with a blog

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  10. Keep going, Jeff! You'll get there!

    That's actually a pretty apt name for it, Kyle!

    Moroccan, it is up to the writer, yes, but sometimes he needs a little nudge, you know?

    Lynn, I bet you see a lot of that, eh? I wonder if it happens more for first time authors or if the author continues to do so with subsequent novels.

    Hi Olivia!

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