Finishing the Manuscript


When is a novel manuscript finished?

1. When you reach the desired wordcount? (Well, yes, sort of.)

2. When the deadline arrives? (It had better be finished by then.)

3. Finished? What is this finished of which you speak? (Not a good idea.)

4. When opening the computer file means you end up on the floor with no memory of what’s just occurred? (I think this means you’ve been working on it too long.)

5. When you’ve sent the manuscript off to your editor? (Why, yes. I think so.)

Then you’re done. At least until she sends you your revisions. But that will be months from now.

Then, take a brief moment to appreciate the words you taught to your spellchecker. In my case (word processor was updated, so it was worse than usual): arse; ballocks; catamite; dildo; kohl; mangosteens; vambraces.

Now, it’s time to start the next project.

Related post:

The Art of Letting Go.

About Victoria Janssen

Victoria Janssen [she, her] currently writes cozy space opera for Kalikoi. The novella series A Place of Refuge begins with Finding Refuge: Telepathic warrior Talia Avi, genius engineer Miki Boudreaux, and augmented soldier Faigin Balfour fought the fascist Federated Colonies for ten years, following the charismatic dissenter Jon Churchill. Then Jon disappeared, Talia was thought dead, and Miki and Faigin struggled to take Jon’s place and stay alive. When the FC is unexpectedly upended, Talia is reunited with her friends and they are given sanctuary on the enigmatic planet Refuge. The trio of former guerillas strive to recover from lifetimes of trauma, build new lives on a planet with endless horizons, and forge tender new connections with each other.
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2 Responses to Finishing the Manuscript

  1. Katrina Williams says:

    #3 – LOL. That's me…

  2. Victoria Janssen says:

    LOL!

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