The Inspectors visit
Spent some time this weekend reading over the four-page editorial letter and marked-up manuscript my agent sent last week. I’m delighted and flattered to have this kind of close attention paid to my work. And Emily has many savvy comments and smart ideas for making the book better — a lot better.
But, alas, this stage of work has coincided with my usual attack of worthlessness, wherein I’m too ashamed of the novel to even re-read it without cringing. It’s sentimental, sensational tripe. I should burn it and hope that this evidence of contrition will make The Inspectors lenient with me.
(The Inspectors visit writers and inspect the quality of their work, in order to judge whether they have real talent or are deluded fools. They are empowered to take away your pens and paper, replace your word processor with minesweeper, confiscate any books you may have published, and of course destroy works in drafts that will later embarrass you or harm the public good. They are real and they are coming.)
4 Comments
Kick the Inspectors out! Send them off with a flea in their ear! They are frauds!
Plain Kate (or Kate, Cat, and Shadow, whatever the title turns out to be) will be a stunning success.
draws sword and leaps out in front of the Inspectors
NONE… SHALL… PASS! Not if you’re headed for Plain Kate, anyway. Because if you’re going to accuse that book of being sentimental, sensational tripe, then clearly you are on the WRONG ROAD.
(Now, if the Inspectors want to talk about my book, that’s another story. And I haven’t even got my editorial letter yet.)
I think we’re at the level of 100% of people who’ve read Plain Kate saying it’s a fabulous story, and will be a great book. (I was going to make a 4 out of 5 blog readers joke, but I realized that it’s 5 out of 5).
As I go through reading other fantasy, I keep finding myself comparing Plain Kate to them, and Plain Kate keeps coming out the winner, definitely one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
It’s a matter of scale, the Inspectors seem large and looming and scary to you now, but in reality, they are in reality tiny rat dogs that can only go so far as yip and not affect your being an author.
Seriously? There are Inspectors? Or are you just spinning another story. See, Erin, even when you despair, you write well.
Inspectors could be scarier than rusalka though. OK, off to Think about Other Things…