May 20, 2005
Now that the contracts are signed for the new books, I've got deadlines for editing and getting the tidied-up manuscripts and disks to the editor. There may be some more editing along the way, copyediting maybe, but I find it interesting what happens inside my head when I start working on the final polishing of this nature. I'm a pretty anal-retentive guy when it comes to my manuscripts anyway, but now that I know there's not a lot of levels between this re-write and readers--that book form that doesn't get changed--I get pretty obsessively picky. I wish I could be a little bit more like this when I'm working on the manuscript--god knows I try. But now I'm more sensitive to my own writing idiosyncracies, ones that most writers suffer from at one time or another: the dreaded passive voice; word repetition; the occasional misspelling or spelling inconsistency that gets by the spell checkers. Especially the passive voice. That always tends to creep in and you really have to go after it.

So I'm brushing and tidying and polishing and worrying--does this work? Does that? Should I cut that? Expand on this?--and it's very satisfying. I don't think writers should get too satisfied with their own work. You should always try for the next level, whatever that is. Yeah, you're good, or very good, or excellent or whatever, but can it be a bit better? A little more intense? Cleaner? Sharper? More effective? That's the point.

Well, business-wise, High Country came through with the release, which frees up my agents to market Bad Intentions. Maybe I'll have some more good news down the road.

Have a good weekend. I'm off to see Revenge of the Sith.

Best,
Mark Terry