Yes, I finally did it, I gave my mother my ms to read. Seeing as how she is the orgininal Ashenden, I thought she’d better have a look just in case it actually sees the light of day and on the off chance she didn’t want her name being attached to anything she didn’t like. I did feel compelled to tell her that it had ‘sexy bits’ in it. She just gave me a slightly exasperated look and said, in very dry tones, “It’s not like I don’t know anything about that, Jackie.” Cue nervous laughter from her daughter.
Anyway, am feeling totally weird. I know everyone said to relax before the revisions come but I just can’t. I keep thinking about the ms and wondering if the things that are wrong with it are the things that they thought too or are they something completely different! But that’s a rhetorical question and a pointless rhetorical question at that – no way of knowing until I hear back. Currently the ms is in its fifth draft (whenever I make significant changes I always save it in a new draft so I can go back to the old one if need be) so you can see how many times I’ve changed the wretched thing. The main problem is that I’m retro-fitting an older ms that I wrote before I had a real idea about conflict. Consequently I had to redo the conflict which means heaps of rewrites. So hard! I probably should have put in the story I wrote for Nanowrimo instead. That’s all done and semi-polished and the conflict is much better. Ah well, too late now.
It must be a nailbiting time for you. It’s so hard when you’re waiting to hear back.
Don’t forget that you’ve already had VERY good feedback. There are so many things that they like about your ms. That’s such a positive.
Thanks Suzanne. Saw your comments on Lucy’s blog too – you’re doing some great bolstering of fragile egos!
I know, the feedback from Anna was good but I’ve never been good at waiting. Who is though? Guess it’s the same for everyone.
Doesn’t help that I haven’t been able to settle to anything else. Often I can forget if I just lose myself in a new idea. Sadly the kids are hanging around due to holidays and I don’t get any writing time. Sigh. Only another week though and then it’s back to school. Yay!
Jackie, it’s odd, isn’t it, how obsessive you can get over the whole writing lark. I suppose it’s a good sign, though.
Hang in there, it’ll all be fine!
Very brave – just thinking that my mother or mother-in-law might read the sex scenes is enough to bring on writer’s block…
Hang in there 🙂
I’m terrified of my mother and certain other people reading the WHOLE mss. My mum has read the partial but it’s not too steamy 🙂
I think the best thing to do with mothers reading is just to not even think about it. I have blanked the idea of her reading the steamy bits completely from my mind.
Lucy, I know re the obsessiveness. I’m over it! 😉