Neurotic Writer Paranoia, D&A

A long time joke is that "neurotic writer" is redundant...every writer is neurotic, and like my good writing buddy, Sharon Mignerey, says "If we can suck the joy out of anything, we will."

I got news that my editor will put the money through for D&A (delivery and acceptance, contract terms) of Heart Quest last week. HOORAY!!!

BUT she said she was almost done with the manuscript. Terror strikes, scenarios explode in my mind...how long has she been reading it? Where did she stop and why? How much revision will I have to do? Yup, major sucking of joy.

I DO know that when I get the revsions, I'll have only about 10 days to get them back to my editor. I've already made changes in the manuscript on my computer, but I'll have to go back and look again at critique buddies' comments, and see my own notes. And work hard.

I usually have a minor suspense thread running through the Heart books -- the gangs in HeartMate, the threat of being caught and executed in Heart Thief, the duelling Families in Heart Duel, the personal threats to Mitchella in Heart Choice. But in Heart Quest I changed that to a minor mystery. I am NOT a mystery writer, so I think some of my set up and threads of that subplot might need more work than I'm used to in revisions. But my editor is a good one, so she'll help. I think.

Still....
May your threads be strong and bright today.
Robin