Go too many days without a post, and I start to feel funny. Isn’t that strange? Almost as if I’m letting people down, or letting myself down. So, this is an inconsequential post to put a stop to that silliness.
Nothing deep and dark going on here. Just a head full of phlegm instead of thoughts. Using what little energy I have for the main attraction: revisions. (Updates on this coming soon.)
About time for a nap though. I can’t wait for tonight’s NyQuil!
I’m happy to announce that today’s writing task consists of printing out my manuscript. Yes, I finished my revision and now get to take off to the Oregon coast as I promised myself! I leave tomorrow. I can already feel myself decompressing…
Amendment: I finished this round of revisions, which was the big round, the I-haven’t-read-this-thing-in-years-yee-gads-what-a-mess round. Sitting before me is a 14-point memo-to-self that lists further revision possibilities. But only 14 points! That’s pretty good.
I’d been thinking about this project for eons but avoided going back to it in favor of writing new novels. But the notion of it — that it might be viable — bothered me. This was my “practice novel”, my first baby, and it’s finally grown up! Okay, maybe not grown up yet. It needs a few more rounds with me before I’ll send it off to the publishing battlefield.
Speaking of which, I wonder if my agent will like it…Stop! I must not obsess — but the thing is that this story is quite different from the one that led her to take me on as a client — STOP. When the time comes, I’ll wave bye-bye and be glad.
All this said, I have quite the to-do list (besides printing). Are you weird like me — before leaving town must you, like me, catch up on everything you’ve let slide?
1. Clean home — it’s a disaster area and might take all day.
2. Do laundry — I’ve been living in dirty sweats.
3. See to dog — she’s a mess too, and I don’t want her scooching her behind all over the lodge’s carpet. So anal expressing, bath, and nail clipping for her. (Crappy day for her.)
4. See to me — unlike Charlotte over at Charlotte’s Web, who’s secure enough to let her premature grays grow out, I’m not. I must see to my roots. I’ll let you in on a secret: I have one Cruella DeVille streak that’s kinda cool, but it must go.
5. Go to library — overdue books galore!
6. Drop off voting ballot at library — of course left this to the last minute.
7. See to finances/pay bills — don’t know where I am with my bank account and have a feeling the bottom line won’t be good.
(What is this? My very own meme, which could take the form of other Friday memes out there — random five or ‘fessing up — or non-Friday memes, or anything! Point being to have a little fun and get a little interactive. Feel free to snitch my logo at left and do your Friday thing!)
Today I’m ‘fessing up for my Friday. It’s about time I held myself accountable for flailing around with this revision. I’m taking far too long. This is ridiculous.
So, I hereby set my new goal in writing — hopefully publicizing it on this blog will keep me honest — along with the prize I’ll win for reaching this goal. Because prizes are good, and prizes help enforce arbitrary deadlines, right? Right (again hopefully).
Which brings up a question: Do you give yourself writing prizes? If so, what? I need ideas!
The goal: I have 12, count them, 12, chapters left to revise. So, I hereby promise to revise one chapter a day, including weekends, until I am done.
This doesn’t sound like an onerous goal, but one chapter each day can be tough. Some of the chapters are in horrible shape.
The prize: Thirteen or 14 days from now I’m going to the coast to a fancier lodge than usual for me — one that allows dogs, by the way. This lodge is offering a three-nights-for-the-price-of-two deal, which helps.
How’s that for a prize?
Admittedly, I’ll still be working. I’ll bring the printed copy of the manuscript with me and read through it for fine-tunes. Fun!
How much of a writing-geek am I that I’ll have loads, I mean, TONS, of fun reading through a manuscript at a fancy lodge on the beach with my dog as companion? Gotta love it. I’ll use any excuse for a writing retreat.
Have a great weekend. I’ll be working, but enthusiastically. In fact, the enthusiasm starts now with chapter 36 (woo-hoo).
Sidenote question: We writers need a patron saint of revisions. Who’s a good candidate for this position?
