Over the weekend, I did a couple of tidy ups for the short story (based on the topic of the id) I know I said I would take a break but it kept calling to me. My proof reader tackled it twice and took out some of my excess commas (I always have excess commas!), spotted some typos and pulled me up on some tense changes.
Monday was final polish day for the story. At 958 words, Awakening is about half the allowed length but I am satisfied with this. This story was an experiment, a study on someone who suddenly is experiencing new sensations for the first. The whole thing hinges on a ‘what if’ scenario.
With the last (?) version printed, a final, independent proof read was done. Why is it that when all is spell checked and grammar checked, there is always one or two doubled-up words or mixed tenses lurking? So… after another final edit and proofread, I think (and hope) it is finally all done. It has now been electronically submitted according to the listed requirements. I only hope I have done enough re-writes and polishing to allow it convey my idea to the readers!
This is the stage of writing that seems to take the most time. Occasionally, there are only a few sentences to restructure; usually there are many that I fiddle with, sometimes until I want to pull out my hair! Polishing is simultaneously enjoyable (as I see the final story take shape using nothing but a collection of words) and agonisingly frustrating (trying to get those pesky sentences to sound right, conveying the intended meaning/feeling/atmosphere … with using nothing but a collection of words!)
Whichever emotions rule this process at the time, rewriting, editing and polishing are the most important part of the evolution of my ideas into the final story. In the end, it is worth it to have blank pages turn into a finished story I am pleased with. I am still surprised every time that I wrote that!