No work of art is perfect when first conceived and first worked on. I’ve never been satisfied with a book until it’s gone through at least three sets of revisions. Eventually, though, I reach the final round, and solutions for all the remaining plot and character problems appear effortlessly. The final round can be the easiest, and certainly the most satisfying, of the revision process.
And that is where I am with Eye of the Blackbird, the final round. My agent, Paige Wheeler, loves the book and sees it as almost there. Her revision suggestions mostly concern a few characters who need more depth or better motivation for their actions. The changes I’ll make with those characters will doubtless require other changes, in specific scenes or in the trajectory of a subplot, but all of these final round revisions will result in a better book. I am so excited to get back to work!
Some writers prefer the initial writing of a book over revising; other writers really sink their teeth into those revisions. But I think we all love when we get to that final round, knowing that we are so close to finally being done. And then we get to start writing the next book!