Final Edit

I finished 'Nothing But Blue Skies' - all the edits my editor made and then some. I know you're probably like me. Thoughts come in the middle of the night, while driving the car, even during church services. So besides the additions/corrections/things that my editor suggested, I kept getting a boatload from the Muse. Bless her heart.

I did not save the file as 'Final Edit.' I've learned a lot these past years. Nothing is ever final until the book is on the shelf. (even then, I've heard of authors who want to 'fix' things in a published book.) That's what the 'Special Editions' are for. *g*

I am going away for the holiday on an extended writers' retreat. I'll be holed up in a cabin (air-conditioned) with a lake nearby and civilization somewhere to the east. 

I'm adhering to the Four Principles, i.e., I'm not expecting anything but I'm hoping to read the entire MS and seal it. I'll take it to my editor next week and we'll see what happens. I feel I'm still missing a portion of one of my characters. I'll spend this week-end seeing if he really needs more. I'll also complete the character biographies and continue on with the synopsis. Phew!

I printed out the MS to take with me. I'm not sure if I'll have internet while there. I printed off the beginnings of my synopsis, the map, the photos of what my characters look like, my notes, and my character bios. 

One thing I had forgotten - when I print out a large piece of work - to go into print - hit color - and change it to draft. That way, I'm not using as much ink and the job prints one heck of a lot faster. When you've got a large MS, the best thing is fast printing. Also, I've learned that printing only ten pages at a time works best. Otherwise, you get missed pages and such. 

I've saved everything to The Cloud so I can get into and edit stuff if we end up at a wi-fi cafe or a library. 

I'm looking forward to some time away. Hope the bug spray works. Have a blessed holiday, you folks in the US.

Life is retreat.