Revising

So I'm revising a book. I set this one aside after MANY revisions (and wrote a couple of unrelated books afterwards), but I recently had a brain wave, and I think I know how to address at least some of the issues with it. I love this book, I really do. But I'd sort of given up hope on it for a while. Do I know enough to make it live now? I don't know. I've had some really excellent feedback and suggestions on it, and now I have to do my best to put it in line. Some of the changes are fun, like finding more detail on clothing. (I had a great time playing here today, for example. Holy cow, people used to wear a lot of clothes! It was a wonder they could move. It was a wonder they didn't all die of heat exhaustion.) Other things are harder. I'm trying to get my character arc in line, and I'm looking at notes on a scene toward the end. It's one of those scenes that's got to be emotionally pitch perfect or I'll destroy it. And I'm not in the zone. Book fair, parent-teacher conferences, etc.--this week is so busy! I'm looking forward to it, but I want to walk into that room in the right mindset.

The other thing that's making me sweat is that in addressing the key issues at hand, I'm adding words. This is already my longest book, and it doesn't need to be any longer. But I guess the first step is to add in things that have to be there. Then I can make another pass to take out things that are less important. Still, it makes it hard to relax and add in these things. I just keep reminding myself that there are still long books out there (did you know that the admirable Star Crossed, by Elizabeth C. Bunce, is 115,000 words?? Seriously, can that book be that long? It didn't feel that long when I read it. But that's what the Renaissance Learning site says.)

What about you? Have you ever come back to a book after it's sat for a long time and known just what it needed? Positive revision stories welcome!