I know when I’m “done” with a project, I’m supposed to just leave it alone. Just save those queries, partials, synopsis, and full drafts into a special folder and move on knowing they are safe and secure and ready to go. That way, if someone ever asks for one, I should be ready to BANG, you know, send it back immediately. But I have this nasty habit of second guessing my “done” things, so whenever I get a request for something “done” I get scared. I can’t just reply, attach, and hit send because I’m terrified I’ll be sending something substandard. So then I have to read through the entire synopsis, partial, full before I send it off. While reading through it, I inevitably find grammar and punctuation errors, and OMG, did I really use the wrong their/they’re/there form? DID I NOT MAJOR IN ENGLISH? DID I NOT RUN SPELL CHECK?? THE HORROR! MY 5th GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER WOULD CRINGE! I’M A HACK! A HORRIBLE HACK! Wait… er… this part is pretty good if I do say so myself. Yes, it’s a whole process that I’m starting to realize I do every single time. I’m doing it today on two pieces that I’ve been “done” with for a few years, but for some reason I just can’t stop tweaking sentences and hit send.
The truth is, even your “final” draft isn’t final until it’s actually in print. In all likelihood, I will have many, many more stabs at fixing dumb little bits and pieces, and as long as the bits are really bits – and the story/voice is AWESOME, it’s probably going to be okay.
I’m giving myself the rest of the morning to tweak away. Then I’ll be sending.
I think it never ends. You are smart to realize that those are only "bits." Good luck with whatever you're sending out.