A few days ago I finished writing, Targeted, the third novel in the Chicago Warrior Thriller Series. Whew. It's a great feeling to have completed the story, but the reality is there is still much to be done before turning it over to my editor. The fact that I shared many of the chapters with my critique group was helpful. Non-biased eyes are exactly what I needed to point out weaknesses, cliches, and story lines and characters that needed fleshing out.
But I still need to go over the manuscript to ensure the story flows, to make sure back stories are complete and clear, and to add detail and nuance to polish the final product. I need to check for consistency throughout, for my characters, names, places, even dialogue and lingo. I will probably come across spelling and grammar errors, but I will do my best to ignore them and focus on the story. I can do line editing last.
However the very first thing I need to do, now that the manuscript is written, is to step away from it. Over the past eight months it has been my mistress; she was engaging and exciting, but she consumed too much of me. Now it's time for a little relaxation and to see what else is happening in the world around me.
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