No Punch!

​“I have finished the majority of the edit but I'm sorry to say what I noticed is that the story lacks punch.”  This was the first sentence in an e-mail my editor, Christine Keleny, sent me after copy editing the manuscript for my third novel Dead Reckoning.  That one sentence was concise, straightforward and painfully honest.  Writers need someone who will be honest with them and for years Christine has been that person for me along with Christine DeSmet (must be something about the name Christine).
Further in the e-mail she offered me a choice, I could ignore for critique, review the copy editing and move along with the manuscript or I could review her developmental edits and undertake deep revision.  I didn’t hesitate in making my decision, I will do deep editing.
When I finished the manuscript I had this nagging fear “is this enough” meaning is the story compelling enough.  Put another way – will anyone give a damn what happens to the protagonist – Ian Murphy.  Before submitting my manuscript to Christine I read it at least three times cover to cover.  I knew the ending was critical and focused on the last several chapters, wanting the tension to crescendo and end with a triumphant upbeat.
I began the novel with Ian’s best friend, Kieran Fitzpatrick, dying unexpectedly of a massive heart attack during weekday mass.  Kieran’s death puts Ian’s life in a tailspin.  Christine’s next comment is intriguing:  “So what I see is you tell too much to the reader  - particularly toward the end. There is very little building of tension/building of tensions related to the two major questions - will he do it?”  I will need to work to understand this comment.  I confess to giving the reader a lot of detail but I don’t understand how the outcome is a lack of tension. 
I had been developing a list of publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts and drafting a standard query letter that I could adapt for each submission.  Another friend, Marshall Cook, is helping me craft the query letter.  Those jobs need to be set on the proverbial “back burner”; I need to concentrate on the craft of storytelling.
I’m going to give myself a few days to adjust mentally and emotionally.  I’ll print the manuscript this week and begin by reviewing all her comments next week.  Then I’ll pause again for a few days, maybe a week, to absorb Christine’s comments.  I’ll be ready to begin the re-write after following this process.
I want to be the best writer I can be, the journey is a constant learning experience and I must carry on.