I have a point. Promise.
Let’s say that books are babies, and obviously, we are parents. Some of us rushed through the whole experience, writing 15,000 words a week, and at the end of the month were left with wrist pains and a manuscript/baby.
Others thought, “Why not?” but didn’t really make an effort. They moved fairly quickly, but they weren’t sucking 5 Hour Energies down and staying up into the wee hours of the night. The baby that landed in their lap was surprising, but not necessarily a surprise.
And then there are those who examine their financial stability, the time they have to spend at home, the schools in the neighborhood… those who plan meticulously and then move at a steady, intentional rate toward, uh, birth.
However they got there, they end up with same thing – a manuscript/baby.
With a baby comes responsibility. There are logical steps to take – bottles, pacifier, crib, car seat, stroller – and they must be taken. There should be no compromise. The baby needs particular things in order to grow, develop, and thrive.
See where I’m going? No? I’m just freaking you out?
I took the middle road when writing my book. I moved fairly quickly, but I wavered and wandered down out-of-the-way pathways, feeling my way through and going with the flow. When I finished the first draft, I was left with this alien object – I was in a sort of shock despite all the hours I’d put in. Amidst this awe was one undeniable fact: I had to take care of it now.
As writers with young, impressionable books – books that would flounder and wander down forbidden paths if it weren’t for our care and guidance – it’s our job to take the necessary steps toward a healthy, productive life for them. It is our job to make certain that our books/babies meet their potential. Steps such as revision, revision, revision, revision, revision, and then queries.
Slap on those babydoll heads, wrestle into those onesies, because it’s time to take the hand of our WIPs and pull them out of murky waters. Lead them to a bright, prosperous future.