I’m so excited.

I hired an editor to work with my manuscript and I just got her edits back. My baby is marked up – really marked up. Repetitive words are circled; unclear stories are questioned; there’s notation upon notation to “add more detail” and “show don’t tell.” I couldn’t be more excited!

I guess I should feel, or could feel, overwhelmed. But I don’t. There is a part of me that somehow wanted the editor to send it back with a note that read, “You’re amazing. This is amazing. I can’t really see anything to do or add here.” But seriously, I knew that wasn’t the case. And I paid her to help me make it better.

I may have shared that I get the best rejections from agents. I’ve been told that most people get a form letter with a “Thanks but no thanks” statement. I’ve gotten those myself. But I’ve also gotten long explanations of why an agent didn’t take on my project, or how close they were to taking me on, or how strong the book is even though they’re not taking me on.

I’ve heard that rejections like that are rare, which is why I hired the editor. I figured I was close to something strong, but not really there yet. And I knew I couldn’t make it stronger on my own. At least, not strong enough. I needed a fresh pair of eyes and an expert opinion. And boy, did I get it!

I’m so excited. I’m excited to talk with the editor, so that I can understand all her edits and jump into making the changes. I’m excited to work through the manuscript – line by line, chapter by chapter – and make it better. I’m excited to write again – it’s been a while since I’ve written, other than my blog. And I love to write.

I’m lucky. I also love to edit. I love to look for a better word and a better way to say something. I love to add details and stories. To get even better at showing instead of telling I even love to streamline my writing, to delete and delete and delete. Sometimes it feels like I’m cutting away parts of me, but mostly it feels like I’m getting clearer and truer on what I what to share.

I’m so excited. I get to work on Way Out again.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please share this post with others if it resonates with you!