You Remember...Remember?

Decades. Duty and Devotion has been with me for decades. It started out the passionate whims of a teenager. The plot and characters nothing more than a preconceived idea of what adult life is like. Over the many years, it was rewritten several times, tucked away for several years, and reborn out of those childish dreams. What came to be was a story I'm both proud of and something I think will resonate with many readers. (Cross those fingers....Hurry! Hurry!).

I knew I'd done what I could and what would come of it was up to the Publishing Gods. Either it would stand on its own and sell, or fade quietly into my fondest memories. Well, thankfully it was picked up and will be shown to the world. It's one of my greatest prides. So, when I got my first editing tasks, I found myself feeling a little weird. Making the needed changes for the publishing house as been easy...no heartbreak. No devastation. Just...easy.

I'd moved on, and though I look at it fondly, my very being is no longer attached to the story. I gave it everything I could, and now it's a partnership between the editor, copy editors, cover artists, and I to polish the last bit of rough spots and send it out into the world.

It's not my toy anymore and I'm okay with that. I think it's a good sign for a writer to know when they are truly ready to reach that next step. When they realize that the final product is not just theirs, but a team effort.

Just my thoughts on it any-who. And now, I can look back at the story and point to my hubby. "You remember when this was THE story? You remember...remember?"

Good writing all!