Setting for THE HEALING SPELL, Scholastic, Summer 2010
I've had three books published by Avon and Knopf in the past, two of them orphaned, but I've never had an editor like the one who recently bought my three books at Scholastic. She is AWESOME, ENCOURAGING, and FILLED WITH KUDOS like I've NEVER heard before in my life!Where has she been all my life? All those years of rejections? All those days I was ready to give up? Rewrite AGAIN??? It's been how many years I've worked on this book??? SEVEN you say??? Oh, the pain, the pain! Okay, okay, I'll revise one more time. But this is it! Do you hear me? I can't do this anymore!!!! But I believe in my story. I love my story. I'll try again to create something out of these black marks on the page . . .
Anyone else have daily inner dialogue with themselves like this? This kind of conversation has gone on inside my head for, um, decades? Some days it ain't pretty.
I got my first revision letter and the manuscript back with yellow sticky notes!!! It's real!
THIS blew me away:
"Let me begin by telling you what a joy it was to read your manuscript. Truly, the story and characters you have woven are so rich and compelling, your prose so lyrical and graceful; your words leap to brilliant life. . . . Rare is the manuscript that proves to be as beautiful, as excellent, as fun to read, and in as wonderful shape as this one. You've crafted an emotionally gripping story that kept me turning the pages hungrily, and Livie's vivacity, gumption and struggles . . . made me fall in love with her. And just as importantly, you've created a wonderfully alive and complex world filled with details that made me smell the thick Louisiana air and feel the mud squelching betwen my toes. Congratulations, and thank you. What a gift!"
She tells me I've given HER a gift! That touches my heart and makes me cry.
At the end of her letter, she concludes with, "the ending is just gorgeous. I cried and cried when I read it the first time, second time, and third time, too! Marvelous job!
She has given ME a gift. I will always treasure these words. Makes all the gestation, labor and birth pains disappear.
11 comments:
She sounds like an angel! I'm so happy for you.
Thank you so much, Anna Claire! I get to discuss the revisions with her by phone for the first time - in about 20 minutes! I hope I'm coherent. ;-D
Wow, that's wonderful -- I hope the conversation over the phone went well. I would be babbling. How perfect that your work found the right editor -- and that she is so clearly a lovely, enthusiastic person.
So great!
I did do a bit of babbling where I started saying one thing which wasn't coming out right and trying to switch gears and go back or fix what I was saying . . . Ah! I think she's a forgiving person though. She's soft-spoken and super nice. It took many years to find her - and I'm gonna keep her!
Thanks, Francesca! (Did I tell you that I love the name Francesca - ever since I bawled over the book "Bridges of Madison County" years ago.)
LOVE your "Once Upon a Time there was a Writer". It's beautiful!
Oh. My. Gosh. INCREDIBLE!!!! What an amazing letter! You deserve it!
Oh, thank you, Katie, you are SO sweet! How are the revisions going???
So absolutely wonderful and thank you for sharing your journey. It makes it easier for those of us out here to "keep on keepin' on".
I absolutely can't wait to read your book!
sf
Wow! She sounds amazing...and she recognizes writing talent when she sees it.
Who needs a therapist when you have an editor like that!
Thanks for the love, SF!
That is so perfect, Barb - "who needs a therapist when you have an angel editor like that!" (Adding the *angel* of course!)
I need to frame it . . .
This makes me happy in my heart. It is so hard to recognize the worth of your own craft and it means so much when someone can experience your creation with such honest joy! Congratulations on all of this--I am proud to know you!
Thanks so much, Justin. You're such a sweetie!
I am proud to know you, too. Hope life is going well in NYC!
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