As
much as I trimmed the book over a long editing process a few years ago, my
editor felt a few scenes should be written back in as she neared the end of the
book. The new dialogue centers around the old lighthouse keeper's journal and
secrets revealed within. I was confidant the subtle facts had been adequately
relayed in an earlier portion of the book, but as my editor put it:
I
was curious as to why you didn't actually use the journal entry format told in
Colm's own voice up until Molly commits suicide and John Larkin invariably
reveals connection between the two families. As the editor I felt a bit cheated
and I wonder that perhaps the reader might as well. You see where I'm going
with this? Let me know your thoughts on it.
Note:
Text block added to prevent story spoiler.
Back
in the day, The Keeper's Journal was the most difficult book in the Collective Obsessions Saga to edit. It began with 549 pages (327,915 words). Over a long
stretch of editing, I managed to whittle it down to 299 pages (169,890 words).
With the recent additions, the book now stands at 304 pages (173,214 words).
It
was almost one year ago that I finished the first final draft of the book,
which I addressed thusly in 2011:
The Keeper's Journal is one of the longest parts in the saga, second only to TheTwain Shall Meet. That doesn't mean it has to be bloated and temperamental. The
only way to truly address issues in the story was to set ego aside and get to
work. At the end of two weeks, I have to admit I was exhausted. I worked through
Christmas and New Years to get it done, foregoing any form of meaningful
celebrations. However, The Keeper's Journal finally came to a place that put a
smile on my face.
My
editor is also happy with the result. Or, as she put it: "By the way, I
really like this one."
The
one-time labor-of-love-battleship has now become my sleek luxury liner...
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