When last we met, I was embarking upon another action-packed installment of Camp NaNoWriMo with an official goal of editing 50,000 words but an actual goal of just getting through the 33 pages of editing notes covering 27 chapters in my current WIP, Full Circle.
Because I didn’t care how many words it took, I just wanted to get these edits finished.
Well, as it turns out, it was a good thing I didn’t care how many words it took because I didn’t get anywhere near 50,000.
But here’s what I did do…
I came agonizingly close to finishing the vastly more important part of this goal. I started off with 33 pages of editing notes covering 27 chapters.
And I ended with just one note on part of one scene in one chapter.

This scene has been dubbed the Special Hell scene for…reasons I’m not going to get in to in this post (but any Browncoats out there may get the reference). It is, technically, a completed scene, but I can’t shake the feeling that it shouldn’t be a completed scene. Meaning that I think there needs to be something more added to it. I just haven’t been able to decide what exactly that something should be and how much of that something needs to be added.
There are other scenes in the book I’m not sure about, but those I feel are…good enough for now, for lack of a better term. Meaning that I feel all right sending them off to the beta readers as is and waiting to see what (if anything) they have to say about them. That’s most of the book right now. I feel like it’s ready for the beta round, which—if you know me—you know is a Big Damn Deal.
I don’t, however, feel the same way about the Special Hell scene. Which is why I’m still holding on to the manuscript. My current plan involves experimenting with some different possibilities to see if any of those change anything for me with the hopes of sending the manuscript out by the end of the week or possibly next week.
But we’ll see if I can up with any new reasons why I can’t let go of the book.
History would suggest I can. And will.

That’s gonna do it for me today.
What are you working on this month?
Stay safe and well, all.
I am so impressed with what you’ve accomplished! Well done!
Down to just one scene! Way to go.
Woohoo!!! You got so much done!!
Let it simmer and I bet you figure it out!
Now, I have an urge to go watch Firefly… 🙂
Way to go with your editing! That’s awesome!
I agree with Jemi- need to let it simmer a moment.
🙂
Woot! That’s awesome that you’re almost there! I understand the problem with having a feeling that something’s off. I hope you figure it out quickly!
I don”t think you can beat yourself up too much if you’ve managed to work through 27 pages of edits. You’re amazing!
Eh, you made it. That One Scene is a special circumstance and needs more time and thought. Clearly it’s an outlier and should not be counted.
I think you’re doing extremely well! Congrats and keep at it! 🙂
I was wondering how far you got after our last chat. Super proud of your accomplishments. That Special Hell scene doesn’t count. Since it’s completed, it’s good enough until you are hit with an epiphany that’ll totally make sense.
That counts. That should count as a win. You did finish. You just need to tweak one scene. And don’t we all have that one little thing that just isn’t quite there but we can call it all close enough? Would your betas maybe be able to figure out what’s missing in the scene? Perhaps you need an outside perspective to see what’s missing.
I’d count that as a win. Just a bit more work and it’s complete.
That sounds like a win to me!