I’m mainly putting this blog post up because so many people have asked about the status of Baby Dust, especially as the site underwent some rather cataclysmic changes in the last month.
As the members of my writing critique groups know, I am one tough cookie when it comes to judging books. They go through the ringer when I put their manuscript under the microscope, and even when I go to Barnes and Noble, I’m usually done with a book by page 3. For my friends and critique buddies, I hope it helps them make a better book. Most of them are grateful for someone to help them shore up weaknesses rather than just repeat a trite “It’s great!” As a writer myself, I appreciate so much when someone takes the time to really analyze the book and give an honest constructive reaction.
I set aside my miscarriage book for six months to let it “rest” so I could judge it with an open mind. Many people had loved it, others had given some criticism, but I didn’t feel I was getting a critical enough response to know if it were worth pursuing yet. Sure enough, I wasn’t two chapters in when I set it down and thought, “That book isn’t ready. It’s just not good enough.”
So I have a major rewrite to do if I want to pursue it. Baby Dust is still around, and I still think of it, but for now, it waits, and simmers in my mind, and I’m in no hurry. I’d rather put out a good book than a rushed one.