The Earle Stanley Gardner version.

Told my new plot elements of Faerylander to Linda and she got excited.  "That works so much better!" she said.

"I thought you liked it before."

"I did, but I can see how this is much better."

"The Earle Stanley Gardner version..."

"Exactly."

I once read a book by Earle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason) where he showed the genesis through final version of a short story.  Each version was good.  The first was pretty good, the second was better, and the third -- wow.

He just kept going back until he got it, that final twist that really made it zing.

I've always used that as my example of why rewriting is so important.

Faerylander was written before I relearned -- or remembered -- how a book is written.  It was a necessary step to getting there.

But it was a mess.

Each time I've tackled it, I've made it better.  Each time I'd think "I've got it!"

And then, somewhere near the end, I would realize that I don't "got it."

So let's just say for now, this newer version will be better.

But I'm not sure I'm there yet.

I must really like this book, because it's way past its Nine Lives.