To finish your manuscript...or not?

Yesterday I trotted off for another library talk and I was absolutely thrilled to have a few writers in the audience, in particular a lovely lady who is targetting Mills and Boon Modern Heat! (Waving madly to Joanne!!!)

During question time, Joanne asked a really interesting question: should you finish the manuscript you're working on before submitting the partial?

I know most people would answer a resounding yes. Why? It's easier to edit and tighten once you know where the story is going, your story may not fit the synopsis and change as you go along and if you're like me when I first started writing, you can get caught out, thinking it's going to take months and months to hear back let alone get a request for a full manuscript only to find it all happens a lot quicker than you anticipated!

So I answered Joanne's question in the affirmative. Before I remembered what it was like with my first manuscript.

The absolute rush of getting words down.
The sheer joy of actually writing rather than thinking about it forever.
The thrill of completing those magical first three chapters.
The buzz from sending that partial in the post and all the accompanying excitement/angst/nail biting that goes with it.

And I changed my response to Joanne!
I advised her to go for it! Send that baby off with a kiss on the envelope and write like mad while waiting for a response.

I've just handed in my 16th manuscript and the nail-biting doesn't end, let me tell you. How do I cope? By getting stuck into the next! After some much needed down-time tonight, that is :)

Now, check this out!
This is my next Harlequin Presents cover in a special Modern Love series which goes direct to US readers.
Gorgeous, huh?