When is enough, enough?

I've finished the second round of edits (first round of editor-guided changes) and returned the draft to Editor Jenn, who is reading it over presently. Dance, monkeys, dance!

As a writer one of my major problems is keeping things simple. I always think big: my stories have high word counts and I never met a simple family conflict that I didn't want to turn into an apocalypse. As such, one of the challenges of editing this story was keeping myself from wanting to add to every scene and expand every chapter.

Parts of it did need a little more breathing room: Editor Jenn suggested another scene towards the end to refocus on the love story unfolding, while I felt that the midpoint needed more tension and drama. I found myself thinking up a whole huge section to add to the later chapters, though, which Jenn rightly put the X on, as it would have been a tangent just when the rising action reaches its peak. No good.

Anyway, second draft! No word yet on a release date, but I'll keep you posted.

Official edits, round 1

DAMN, Editor Jenn is fast. I thought I had a night off, but she got it back to me right away!

*cracks knuckles*

I've met so many people who are hyper-sensitive about editing suggestions, but I treasure them so long as they are truly constructive criticism. Writing is so often such lonely work; collaborating with an editor is a bit like someone knocking on the door of a crazy old cat lady and asking to see her feline photo album.

At least for me. And I don't even own any cats. (*sniff *sniff)