The Sequoia Strategy

If caught in a fiery round of First Edits with your completed novel, I advise two things…

1.) Distance

2.) A big conference table (the more ungodly long, the better)

Let me explain.

First Edits with your manuscript can sometimes dissolve into little more than a bare knuckle fistfight. Blood and gore, tears and grief are the only things you’re going to get out of these kind of negotiations.

Yes, I did say “negotiations.” That’s exactly what First Edits are. You with your red marker of death and comma-happy attitude facing off against the richly bloated storyline you’ve spent months and months feeding.

It can get, well, messy.

Here’s where Distance comes in. Take a break. Both sides take a few days off away from each other. No communication. No emails. No tweets. No scheming strategies on the back side of a napkin. Sever all ties for a bit.

Next comes the conference table. When both parties walk back into the negotiations make sure to keep a sturdy, wide-load of a table between you. Physical violence (i.e. bloodied noses, broken pinkies, etc.) is a lot less likely to occur when a sequoia must be scrambled for flesh to meet flesh.

After that, I can only wish you godspeed, my friends.

Until tomorrow…

Chloe