Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all doing wonderfully!

I’m very excited to share that I’ve finally finished the first draft of my book! Although, honestly, I’m not even sure if I can fully call it a “first draft” anymore because my partner-editor; who is also my elder sister, has already been helping me edit and reread it, even while the book was still raw and unfinished.

That’s actually one of the reasons why I feel a little confused and worried. Since she’s my elder sister, part of me wonders if she might sometimes be too kind to me or simply doesn’t want to hurt my feelings. But at the same time, she has been incredibly involved with this book from the beginning. Even when the manuscript was still very raw, messy, and unfinished, she was already helping me edit and giving me honest feedback. So it feels a little strange to think that she might just be sparing my feelings now. 

When I finished polishing the first page, I immediately sent it to her for feedback. She told me that the page was already working very well and that it immediately established both the direction of the plot and the genre of the story.

Just for some context, my novel is written from multiple perspectives, so every character has their own voice. Charles, for example, is a very intelligent character, and the way he narrates reflects that. The other characters do not necessarily think or narrate in the same way as Charles.

My sister told me that she wouldn’t edit anything on the first page because changing it too much might ruin the character’s voice and the character-driven style that the opening has already established.

The thing is, she has never been afraid to be honest with me about my writing. We have had very raw and intense discussions about the manuscript, especially when it was still in its unfinished first-draft stage. She has pointed out problems, criticized parts that needed improvement, and helped me work through them. That’s why I’m torn between thinking, “Maybe I should completely trust her judgment,” and, “What if she’s just being nice because I’m her younger sibling?” 

She keeps telling me that the first page is already doing its job, that I’m overthinking it, and that I should focus my attention on the other parts of the novel.

So, what do you think? Should I trust her feedback and finally stop overthinking the first page? Or do you think it’s still reasonable for me to question it?

I would truly appreciate all of your thoughts and opinions! Thank you so much in advance! 

She's an experienced editor.

Thoughts?