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Thursday 12 May 2011

Hitting the send button


So, at last I have had the courage to hit the 'send' button. Let me explain. On 31 March I received back from Mills and Boon feedback on the submission I sent them with a sheikh hero. There were some valuable suggestions and an offer to re-submit if I fancied reworking it. Did I? You bet. But, for writers that can be a terrifying thing. To take apart and unpick the thing you have done, to look at it critically and perhaps ditch reams of writing and rework is heavy going. Then to admit finally that you have polished, amended, improved, rethought, rejigged, and re-everythinged your precious chapters into a form that you think is the best it can be can be can really make you shudder. Even more daunting is to demonstrate a commitment to what you've done by finally whizzing it back off to an editor because this of course, invites a response. So much hope, so many fears, so much work and they may well not like it! I sometimes wonder why we keep on torturing ourselves in this way. But we do and now I am waiting yet again. But, not twiddling my thumbs. I have a serial half written and an idea for a RIVA Mills and Boon which I'd love to try. The greatest cure for that obsessive checking the e-mail inbox disease that we all get when we have a submission 'out there' is to start something new. Which is always a lovely feeling.......

6 comments:

Julia Broadbooks said...

Oh, good luck with your submission. And a very wise plan to stay busy writing!

Scarlet Wilson said...

Congrats Cara, looking forward to seeing you in July!

Morton S Gray said...

Oo let us know how it goes. Sending lots of positive 'accept me' vibes after it. Mx

Kate Walker said...

Congratulations on pressing Send Cara! I have my fingers crossed for you - was this the sheikh that we discussed at the Fishguard course or another one? Good luck!

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

Lots of luck, Cara.

XX

Cara Cooper said...

Thanks so much for your good wishes Morton and Suzanne, it's really nice to have people's support. Hi Kate, thank you too. I've put the one we discussed at your course on the backburner for the time being while I think about all your really useful comments. It really informed this latest manuscript. The sheikh story I pressed the send button on has an urban setting, London, so not as much fun as creating your own kingdom but I enjoyed doing it. I still look at your notes regularly, especially when I'm revising manuscripts!