Don’t be afraid to change your story up – your words aren’t gold, and solid constructive criticism can make all the difference in the world. Feedback is so important to writers because we can’t work in a vacuum. We have to listen. And it doesn’t matter how much extra work an addition or a deletion will make you go through. 

All that matters is the final product.

When I first began the fourteenth final draft of my mystery/suspense novel TIP THE PIANO MAN, I had no idea how different it would be by the time I’d finished it. But even I hardly recognized it when I finally submitted it to my agent for consideration.

I’d written the very first draft of TIP THE PIANO MAN at least twenty years earlier and I knew it was an extraordinary story because my family and I had lived so much of it. But I also knew that if I couldn’t do (or bring) justice to the characters, the story couldn’t fly. I’d let the manuscript lie in my safe for so long, really, because it had taken so much out of me to write it – much less live it – that I had to close the door on it. But when I finally buckled down and tackled the final draft in 2020, determined to bring the story and characters to life, I had a fresh and clean slate to write on.

And a lot more energy. Believe me, it took every ounce I had.

I gave every character a new name, a new description, a new personality. I deleted a few characters entirely, and added several more. I updated settings and dialogue, computer scenes, foster care services, law enforcement and private investigation regulations. One of the original bad guys lost his edge and became a savior – after he took over the story and left me no choice. Only the children’s shelter, HOPE’S HOME, remained exactly the same.

So, if you aren’t willing to hear suggestions and analyze their effectiveness accordingly, wait until you are. Your work will improve immeasurably!

*You can purchase TIP THE PIANO MAN here, and other reputable retail outlets:

https://www.amazon.com/Tip-Piano-Rosetta-Diane-Hoessli/dp/1509254412/