Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends...

Five years ago, after the birth of my first daughter, I began an historical romance manuscript with the title Stone of Destiny. Like every great pantser, I just started writing until I hit a wall at about 25,000 words. I left it sitting in a drawer.

Two years later, after the birth of my second child, I picked it up again. This time I wrote a partial outline and picked up the story where it left off. I finished the manuscript at about 70,000 words. Not long, but an adequate length…or so I thought. (See Word Count Woes for why).

Not wanting to wait for the birth of a third child to finish it, I pulled it out again in November. This is the first story I ever pitched to an agent.  In November 2011 I pitched the manuscript to an agent at a writer’s conference. She requested the first three chapters and a synopsis. I sent her both and a few weeks later I received my first rejection. She said they had too many historical under contract at the time and she gave me some helpful comments and advice. I stuck those in the drawer with the MS.

Two months ago, I pitched the same story to an agent at another writer’s conference. After my initial pitch, we discussed my project for a while and she asked a lot of questions. In just twenty minutes, she was able to give me some excellent advice about the story. Some things I couldn’t believe I had not caught myself. Her final advice “Take a few months away from it. Return, fix the mistakes, add about 30,000 words and send it to me.”

So, now I’ve taken a few months away. My first day rewriting and editing?  I’ve just trashed half of chapter two and may eliminate it altogether. I’m revisiting my outline.  I still feel the story ends just where it should, but I can see some holes leading up to the climax, actually the climax itself has a big hole.

So, here I go. Once more unto the breach, dear friends...