Curing The “I’ve Read My Manuscript Too Many Times” Blues

March 20, 2016 by David T. Allen

We’ve been editing and re-reading our manuscript for days now. Leslie is a machine; she can pour over the same words all day, every day, and make significant improvements. I, however, am weak. I’ve had a hard time contributing lately because all I see are negatives. But, this morning, I found a way to cure it.

Stuck with the sniffles and the I’ve-read-our-manuscript-too-many-times blues, I went to Amazon to read samples from books that I know were commercially successful. Sure enough, I found fault with every sentence.

Realizing my frustrations were due to a weird mood and not something inherently wrong with every word we’d written, I was able to read our manuscript with a kinder eye (and enjoy it!)

Echo Chamber Heist: Full Manuscript Read Through
Last month, I put Echo Chamber Heist away for a few weeks so I could re-read it with fresh eyes. I didn’t get the whole way through, as holidays, work, a two-week uber cold, and a trip to Japan halted my progress. Still, I read a fair amount, and now can work through the most important edits with Leslie.

Sprint 16: Beta Reader Feedback, Mexico, and Pinball
March was a whirlwind. It started with a well-timed trip to Mexico, followed by implementing feedback from nine beta readers, gardening, jury duty, releasing our short story in the Steampunk Fairy Tales collection, and lots of pinball.

Star’s Reach by John Michael Greer
Star’s Reach is a post apocalyptic book that follows Trey, a ruinman who scraps pre-war buildings as he searches for, essentially, the Lost City of Atlantis of his time. Along this journey he accrues a number of friends and followers, sees countless cities, and discovers some of the biggest questions of his age, though whether or not he can find answers hangs over him throughout the book.

Sprint 10: Polishing Manuscript in October
September was a strange month. We finished the manuscript ahead of schedule, which disrupted our typical flow (but in a good way). In terms of process, we took a more Kanban approach instead of strictly planning full two week segments.

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