I have been deep into revisions and edits and polishing and…

Let me tell you about the process.

First I read the manuscript over and figure out how to fix things the editor has requested. At the same time I correct any story problems I see. That requires reading the story over at least once and making changes. It can take up to a week…sometimes more, sometimes less

Next (not always in the same order) I use a program called Textaloud to have the story read to me by the computer. It takes about two days and is tedious. The ‘almost’ human sounding voice makes me see things I miss reading it myself then I have to pause the reading, go to the manuscript document and make the corrections.

The next program I use is called Autocrits. With this one, I paste my story into the program and it analyzes for repeated words, too many uses of words and phrases. It gives a summary at the beginning of each chapter. ‘You have use it…there 69 times. Remove 29 of them.’ It shows the pages with the repeated, used too often words and phrases in colored text. Very pretty but downright scary. Yikes. So I study the pages and decide how to tighten the writing. Another two days give or take.

Then I read the story over again to make sure all my changes and corrections didn’t turn it into gobbely gook.  I printed the pages and carried them with me. I read while waiting for my client at a meeting. I read while waiting for him at the doctor’s office. I read in between preparing a meal, loading the washer and drier, answering the door and answering questions. I read in the evening. I read over coffee. It still took two days. And part of a third to enter all the corrections. After that  I print it out. I will not bore you with the details of my printer problems. But finally it is ready to go. And I am happy.

I will not let the fact that I have to repeat it all on another book starting Monday rob me of the joy of having this one done.