I don't know how writers deal with multiple deadlines. Or multiple deadlines with multiple publishers. Juggling stories and dates, characters, plotlines and settings ... oh my! I don't care how many white boards or excel sheets they have--it has to be mind-boggling and nerve wracking! What if a story won't come? What if an author finds a major, MAJOR plot hole that changes/prevents what she'd originally planned, promised in the original pitch?
Can you tell I'm dreading reading my 8000 word story, expecting the worst? I've made my list of things I know I'll have to add and flesh out. That'll up the word count some. I'll read a hard copy with pen in hand. After I do the final revision, I'll send it to a reader/freelance editor who'll do her part.
When you do a final read-through of a project, how do you approach it? What do you look for? Do you have a weakness when it comes to writing short fiction--with characterization, plotting, conflict?
Or maybe I should ask ... when you read a short story, what ruins it for you, what will make you quit reading? Share!
