“I Am Feeling a Stuckness”

My book coach Jennie is editing my full manuscript. It’s her first time reading it all the way through–before now, she’s only read the scenes out order.

She knows the book; she likes the book and yet still I found myself nervous. Despite overall positive feedback from my beta readers, still, I worried. What if I hadn’t stitched the scenes together very well to satisfy a professional? What if she doesn’t like my new title? What if it all falls apart because the story was really built on a house of cards?

Jennie’s first update, at the end of Chapter 11:  “Your revisions are spot-on and they deepen and clarify everything, and the story is just so much more present, and so much more harrowing and I think it is going to have a deep impact on your readers.”

Whew.

Then… then…

“I’m at ch 16–but I am feeling a stuckness around chapters 13, 14, 15. There’s too much hand wringing (compared to the action)… I need to think about it a little more.”

Ugh.

Stuckness… I’m not even sure exactly what that means. Something not good, obviously, but not good as in disastrous or not good as in a few minor fixes? I trust Jennie’s instincts; if there’s a “stuckness”, then I believe there’s a “stuckness.”

Jennie assured me there was nothing dire, but still I worried.

It took her a few days wherein I did not check my email every 10 minutes to see if she’d figured out the problem. (It was every 15 minutes.)

Finally: “So I figured out the issue that was bugging me and have a solution and am moving forward… and it’s all good!”

But no more detail, since she’s still editing.

I tried to be reasonable and rational and professional and patient. Still, I couldn’t help it. I email back immediately: “Just curious if this is a huge rewrite I need to be planning for?” (Does that sound reasonable and rational and professional and patient? ‘Cause what I really wanted to say was, “What the hell is the problem?! And I beg you to tell me it’s ridiculously minor, please?! Please?!”)

Jennie kindly replied right away: “They’re small things, but they are threads that run throughout… more systemic which is why they are hard to suss out and you need the full manuscript to do it!”

Think that was enough reassurance for me?

Not in the least.

I sent another message, playing it calm and cool. “I get the need for the whole manuscript to do it… (but you do have a potential solution, right? right?”)

(That was calm and cool, right? right?)

Jennie, (mostly likely sick of her needy client) finally assuages me: “TOTALLY have a solution, fear not!!”

Music to my ears.

And that’s why I work with Jennie: encouragement, advice and, more importantly, answers. 🙂

I await her detailed comments next week, but at least now I await without holding my breath.

(Okay, maybe a little bit of holding my breath…)