Too Many Crits Spoil the WIP!?!

It’s like that old saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

I’m at that point in my WIP where I’m doing last minute tweaking and trying to get feedback from lots of different people in anticipation of sending it off in a couple days/weeks! It’s been a long time since I sent something off, mainly because I haven’t had a finished WIP to send off. God interrupted my last WIP, the one I became so obsessed with publication while writing it. But before God held up his divine stop sign, I was right where I am now. Steeped in insecurity, wanting my WIP to be perfect, but slowly realizing I could send it out to 100 people and everyone will have a different opinion.

I’m not really a perfectionist. It’s just I’ve sent stuff out before it was ready and got several rejections. I blew it with a certain WIP and certain publishing houses and the lesson taught me not to rush things. Now I’m going on seven months of edits since the agents requested it at ACFW, and I’m feeling the pressure to get it out ASAP.

My biggest fear: That the WIP I’ve just spent the last 18 months on will not even get a full manuscript request and though I know it’s a journey, my fear is I might not have the energy (or family support emotionally and financially) for the next leg of the journey.

I haven’t looked at my WIP in about a week due to school responsibilities. I’m going to sneak a peak today while Grace (5) is in gymnastics. My last crit was good. It was from someone who really didn’t connect with my main character. It was from a friend and Genesis finalist, someone who I respect. So I’m giving her concerns some honest contemplation time. I also heard from another friend, Genesis finalist, who I respect. Her advice was to be true to my story. I know my main character is not sympathetic, but she’s relateable. She’s not a Christian, is angry with God, is self-centered, but she loves her friends and family, helps her colleagues and never says no to someone in need. She doesn’t always act appropriately, and often acts in anger, but she needs to be who she is so she can go on her journey. So she can hit bottom.

I know there’s tons of room for improvement, but I’ve exhausted all I know on this WIP. Next time I will do better. Biggest hope/prayer: That someone will see something in me and my WIP to want to invest in me. Biggest, biggest fear: That my biggest hope/prayer won’t happen.

But I’ll never know unless it get it out there!