What It Actually Feels Like to Rewrite Your First Book

Let me paint you a picture.

You spend years pouring your heart into something. Writing it, finishing it, publishing it, holding the actual physical copy in your hands and thinking, I did that. It's one of the best feelings in the world. Then, about two years later, you crack it open… and you see it differently.

Because you've grown.

That's where I've been living lately.

I've decided to revise Love's Perfect Design before I release book two, Love's Perfect Match. I know what some of you are thinking. "Deb, why would you go back? Just move forward!" And believe me, the part of my brain wired for efficiency has been making that exact argument on repeat. But two years of learning change a writer. You see things you never saw before. You learn more about the English language and its rules. Your inner writing voice matures. These new skills need to be infused throughout the Perfect Love series to make it feel cohesive and provide a better reader experience.

What does it feel like? Honestly, it feels like looking through an old photo album with new eyes. The memories are sweet. The story I loved when I wrote it hasn't changed, and the bones are solid. What I'm doing is infusing more life into certain moments and more physical sensations into others, immersing you more fully in the story. I've also left several pieces on the 'cutting room floor.'

The revision process has been one of the richest creative experiences I've had. I'm learning to trust my instincts more deeply, sharpen my sentences with more precision, and recognize the difference between a line that earns its place and one that's just filling space. There's something special about returning to a story you already love and realizing you can make it better in ways you couldn't before.

One thing nobody tells you about revising your debut novel is that you'll hit scenes that remind you of why you love being an author and inspire you to move forward.  Now, with more craft behind me, I get to honor that effort by elevating it.

The goal at the end of all this is a version of Brynnlee's story that I'm proud to put in a new reader's hands as a precursor to book two. A version that represents not just where I started, but how far I've come. Brynnlee and Dylan deserve that. And so do you.

If you've never watched a writer revisit their own published work in real time while simultaneously writing two other books, you now have a front row seat. It's equal parts exhilarating and humbling, but I wouldn't trade it.

If you haven't grabbed Love's Perfect Design yet, the revised edition will be worth the wait.