“I Finished My Manuscript – Now What?” A Guest Post by Author Jane Daly

I’m especially excited about this post, because I know there are many aspiring writers out there. What’s holding you back? Maybe you feel you have nothing to contribute, or maybe you’re overwhelmed with the idea of actually publishing something.

Maybe you have completed your manuscript but you just don’t know what the next step should be. If that’s where you are, author Jane Daly has some great advice! But first, a little about her:

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There’s nothing more satisfying than typing the words The End. If you’ve labored through the novel writing process – the inciting incident, the sagging middle, the point of no return, and the satisfying ending, you know what a relief it is to get that huge weight off your shoulders.

Having recently finished writing my seventh book (five published), I describe it as like giving birth to a nineteen-pound baby. Many times along the way, I’ve said ‘I hate this story. I hate these characters and the plot is full of holes.’

Am I the only one who feels like this?

I’ve felt the same writing the two nonfiction books. Once I’m done, I don’t ever want to see the manuscript again. Can you relate?

In the past thirteen years of writing, here are three things I’ve learned to do after the words The End:

1. Take a breath and give yourself a pat on the back. You did something ninety percent of your writing peers will not do – finish. Buy that extra-large $8 Pumpkin Spice Latte. Get the double scoop ice cream cone. If you really want to get crazy, buy a new pair of shoes.
2. Don’t touch the manuscript for at least two weeks! Not that your book will magically become a bestseller in those two weeks; but your manuscript needs time to rest. Your characters need to spend some quality time away from you. You must let the words percolate and marinate. I promise it won’t deteriorate while you’re away from each other.
3. Learn how to edit. Once you’re ready to dive back into the story, this is when the real work begins. If you’ve read Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott, you know what she says about the first draft – which is something I can’t repeat in a Christian [blog site]. Your first draft will be awful. Trust me on this. There are several great books on self-editing, a few of which I’ve listed below. *

After I’ve been immersed in the story for weeks and months, and I come up for air, it’s time to do the dreaded editing. Some of you may love to edit, but I am not one of those anomalies.

When you go back to your manuscript, you’ll see it with fresh eyes. Plot holes will be plugged. Scenes will become more descriptive. Everything will become clearer. Think about it as taking a 30,000-foot view of your book.

To help you edit, read through your entire manuscript and make notes of holes, mistakes, etc. For instance, did your main character have blue eyes in chapter 1 and brown eyes in chapter 10? Did you call the antagonist Tyler early in the story and Dylan later on? As you read, utilize the ‘add comment’ button in the ‘review’ section of the document. Or if you’re old school, have a pad of paper at the ready to jot down what errors you find. I find it helpful to read the manuscript out loud. I usually work through my manuscript four times. You may not need as many pass-throughs as I do, but I find errors each time.

Now that you’ve finished writing and editing, you are on your way to publication!

Some helpful books on editing:

*Self Editing for Fiction Writers, Renni Brown and Dave King

*Editing Secrets of Bestselling Authors, Kathy Ide

*Revision and Self Editing for Publication, James Scott Bell

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I hope this story has inspired or encouraged at least one person out there. I will be the first to admit, I had one of those characters whose eyes went from blue to brown over the course of a book–can you guess which one?

Be sure to check out Jane’s books below. Especially if you enjoy stories about “women who want to know there is hope in horror and life beyond loss. Women who have given up what they thought was important, to find what truly matters.”