Sh! I think my guests are gone...

Spent the evening working on the cover letter for the giraffes picture book. I think it works. The 'elevator pitch' sounded good to me. I sent it off to my editor and my little writers' group. We meet next Tuesday. I'll let you know what happens.

I was watching a J.J. Abrams ("Super 8") interview the other night. He spoke of the filming process, but more of the editing part. It sounded like movie editing is close to 'our' MS editing. He said they lock themselves into a cave (about eight people) for months and work out all the bugs. The interview was fun. (See the link below)

I felt better after hearing that. (The midges here are insane so I'm quite familiar with bugs - sorry, had to put that in!)

It seems no matter the discipline or the media, it all comes down, in the end, to using a magnifying glass on our 'stuff' and making it perfect. That perfection takes time, a whole lot of time, and can be quite painful. It is for me.

I edit as I go along. I write a bit or a chapter or two and then -- dum da dum dum - I take the magnifying glass and look real close and there is always something. Even on the four hundredth time of looking - there is always something that can be changed. A word that can be made stronger. A character who needs just a twinge to make him/her more alive. A scene that needs cutting or stuffing or exploding.

And then - when the book is completed, I start the process all over again. It is well worth it.

Life is good.

(For entire enterview - go to  http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-june-14-2011-j-j--abrams)

I've Got One Free Moment

Guests are gone for the day, so I've spent my time re-reading 'Blue.' It still works. I get goose-bumps reading it. When I think this story started as a lark, to help me get my mind of 'Sword' - it's dumb-founding.

I fixed a few things and have now printed it out. I plan on giving it to my daughter tonight. I'm about one-quarter of the way done with the book. I think. You probably know better than I that the Muse is  laughing to herself!

I presented chapters twelve and thirteen to my writers' group yesterday. They continue to like it. There were a few critiquers there who hadn't read any of the previous chapters. They still liked it. 

I have two characters, well - really three if you consider the dragon - who change to another character. I try very hard to make sure that it is crystal clear who is whom, etc. etc. Some of the critiquers were able to follow the changes and some were not. 

I'm wondering if the genre has anything to do with it. Both men had no problem with it but both write science fiction. Some of the memoir critiquers struggled. That's a good thing, though. It made me go back and make sure I was not too ambiguous.

Another thing. The men seemed able to accept the 'physicality' of the chapters. The women wanted a different word for the male 'thing' that our hero/heroine suddenly has. One of the men wondered how a publisher will react to this. One of my secret fears, too!

I plan to finish the cover letter for giraffes this afternoon or evening. Thank goodness for the little yellow pad!

Life is good.

I have not abandoned this...

I can't be 'on' the computer for the next two weeks. Though I will try.

I've got house guests and one is sleeping in my computer room.

As you know from previous posts, I like to post around midnight or so... (like tonight)

So I can't tell them not to go to bed late.... tonight they did and I snuck in to write this quick note. 

My Skyline group meets this Saturday and I'll get my next two chapters critiqued. Or better yet, I'll be coached (see previous posts). Looking forward to that.

Life is too full sometimes.

Why?

Honestly, I cannot fathom why I sometimes have to 'force' myself to write. 

'Blue' has been mired as of late. I have put my energies into the giraffe tale. It's finished and ready to move into the next phase.

'Blue' is not ready. If it had its own way, it would never be ready. I think it hides from me.

Tonight, I opened the old folder and pulled up the file. There it sat, sticking its tongue out at me. But I would have none of it. 

I read the last few lines that I'd written and commenced to challenge her. Worked awesome. As it always does. This waiting and not writing and procrastinating is a bunch of hooey. Stupid. I sometimes want to scream and pull out my hair when I do this. 

Because every time I do force myself to write - it flows. The story is there, waiting for me, hoping I'll come back.

I'm sorry, 'Blue.' I'll try to be better.

But oh - it's so exciting to see what's next. Why do I wait? Why do I wait? Why do I wait?

Life is puzzling.