Bashing My Head
on the Brick Wall of Revision (cont.)

The poems involve a student’s poetry assignments and notes he writes to the teacher. My editor suggested that the teacher respond, and that the tension between the two would create conflict, storyline, and tension to be resolved. Makes perfect sense!

I hemmed and hawed for a while, and then came up with the idea for the teacher to not only answer the student, but also to correspond with her sister. As the student drives the teacher batty, we see her lose control through her letters. Zany, funny stuff.

But not exactly what my editor was looking for.

In an email, she explained, gently and tactfully, that it wasn’t quite what she hoped for. She told me why, and her reasons make sense. She expressed hope that I would do another revision, which I definitely will.

As soon as I figure out what in the heck to do.