I remember once working on a book for six months, pouring my heart and soul into it, then another half year editing, and at last the book manuscript was done —or so I thought.
What do you do? I finished the book, read it, and decided I hated the ending! Throw it away, or try to save it?
There are times when all of us pour time and effort into something, get tired of it and no matter what we do, we’re unhappy with the finished product. Some call it ‘burnout’, some call it karma, but whatever you call it, whatever you’re feeling, that’s what’s normal for you.
I decided to put the book away for awhile and dig it out again … whenever. Who knows, I may surprise myself and it will be like finding a lost treasure.
I remember when I was a child, Mama would sit at her sewing machine long into the night, magically turning piles of colored fabric into nice things we children could wear.
By anyone’s standards, she was an accomplished seamstress, but Mama had always wanted to learn how to tailor, something only the best were able to do.
When I became a teen and could babysit my younger siblings, she finally signed up for an evening adult education tailoring class at the high school. For her project, she chose a soft wool plaid material and a pattern to create a lightweight tailored coat —for herself, for a change.
Mama worked hard over the six-week course, cutting, sewing, measuring, and often ripping out seams that “didn’t look quite right” to do over again, sometimes more than once. It was exciting to watch her progress week to week. Her coat was beautiful and truly something to behold. But Mama was a perfectionist.
By the end of the six weeks, even after receiving an ‘A’ for the class, she knew where every imperfection was and she hated the coat. It was folded, tucked in a box with tissue paper, and hidden deep in her closet —out of sight, out of mind.
Years later, the coat suddenly reappeared when Mama wore it to church on Easter Sunday.
Funny, Mama has been gone for a long time, but she’s still teaching through her example, even from heaven. She’s where I got the idea to put my manuscript away for awhile. It worked for Mama. Maybe it will for me, too. When I bring it out again, maybe I’ll find the ending is exactly what it needed.
I doubt whether Stephen King has ever had this problem …