Dreams Coming True

I’m not sure how many times each of us get to have a dream come true, but last week one happened for me. Okay, so it’s not the first time. With the release of Look To The East later this summer, I’ll be holding in my hands my ninth book. Each one a dream-come-true, even those three early ones long since out of print. And of course there have been other dreams, like getting married, becoming a mom and seeing my children pray, moving into a beautiful new home.

Some of those dreams are biggies, some materialistic, others more emotional. By comparison, this one might seem like a little one. But the challenges that relate to getting published are still fairly fresh in my memory, which is why I’m calling this a dream-come-true.

Last week, I talked to my editor about the book I just turned in. That’s always the first step in the revision process: we talk about the overall picture, what’s working and what needs attention, and then I start the revision. This is the dream-come-true part: My editor told me she had a hard time putting the book down because she was enjoying it so much. Let me tell you, those are words authors don’t quickly forget, particularly if they’re coming from an editor.

Actually, seeing this book published is a dream-come-true in and of itself. It’s an updated version of a book I wrote several years ago, which should encourage those of you out there to hold on to the manuscripts that you really believe in. It may be garnering some rejections right now, but if you give it time and don’t discard it, maybe you’ll give it the overhaul it needs to make it sparkle. Or the timing will be just right for it. I’ve mentioned before that the first version of this project was 150,000 words – far too long for today’s audience. It needed more than just a trim, it needed radical chopping. Ruthless cutting, which can be achieved only with a fresh eye and lots of distance from that first, passionate creation.

So hang in there, those of you with a favorite book still tucked away on your computer! If it’s a story line you believe in, characters who are memorable, they may still see publication, even years after it’s written. The point is not to give up, and if you do for a little while, don’t lose the file with your book on it. You may come back to it someday and find it to be a gem, even if the first version is a little rough. I think we all need a reminder to hope for future versions of those rough drafts we can’t quite forget.