My one and only goal for 2024 is to finish rewrites of my manuscript. It’s not even to “finish” the book, but just to finish the rewrites based on my developmental edit.
My developmental editor gave me some wonderful suggestions. The first one I’m tackling is to make Chapter 1 more engaging. By that I mean, less backstory and more action. I’ve found I can only do little chunks at a time so that I don’t start second guessing everything.
The first step was rereading the manuscript. I made a few notes in the margins, but otherwise just let it be what it is for now. After that, I reread the edit note. And now, I’m knee deep in the first chapter.
The “vibe” is there. I wanted it to have a very ethereal vibe that’s both cozy but also disconcerting in a way. It’s not a high tension book by any means, but I do want the unknown to be something that lingers in the shadows. Since the book is generally about being lost, rediscovering yourself, and intentions, I wanted that to be clear in the voice as well.
Chapter 1 was very heavy in set up, which after some notes from the editor, doesn’t seem completely necessary. Getting a general awareness is important, yes, but it’s more important to set up the question of the book for the reader.
In general, I think there will be a lot of shifting around of chapters, or how things unfold in order to pull the reader completely in. Sometimes that ethereal voice can pull a reader out of the feelings present in the scene. I also noticed that it could use another through-line, like a subplot for the side characters.
We’ll see what comes of this, but for now I’m just excited to get started again!
Happy Writing,
Rachel
Subtle Stories 