Editing What?

Okay, so it hasn't been THAT long since I last edited... January, I guess (well, for a big edit anyway) but I really find that writing and editing use very different brain muscles and when I have been solidly in one mode, the transition takes a little while.



GADS, it feels like it's been a while since I edited!



So how do I do this again?

An editing demon, apparently. No wonder we're scared!

Editing a la Tart 101



*  read and create beat sheets: Note: This means basically a sentence or two for each section... the whole book in 5 or 6 pages. This is nice because it makes me read it all holistically and also gives me a place to glance for where big plot ideas will fit... I can check for big holes...



-  Note that I can't seem to keep from basic edits when I do this. So sue me. It just drives me nuts to look at typos, even in a section that may change significantly.



*  Then, manuscript in hand, I mark WHERE these go and write them... and I mark the things in that I already know need to be added... maybe foreshadowing I didn't know I needed in the first draft, details about gardening (because these need a little research and I don't research much on the first draft because it sidetracks me)



*  Then, I read it all again--pen in hand, this time looking more closely at wording, continuity, pacing, errors... This is the mid-level edit, but it is HERE that I send it to Peer reviewers. I tell them to ignore typo stuff... as the feedback will change stuff... this is the PLOT review.



*  Once I have peer reviews, I do the same... BIG edits, then LITTLE (ideally... if time... another peer review round here...) 



*  Then read out loud for more careful editing, and send to agent...

Or such is my plan.



First editing task up is the 2nd Cozy Mystery, due to my editor September 30. I Still have maybe 100 pages to type, but I have 180 pages printed to start the process. My PLAN... read in one week, big edits week 2, smaller edits week 3, so sent to peers by July 20.



Give THEM 3 weeks. Then take one to address their changes and send to AGENT by August 20. Give HER 3 weeks, then I have about 3 weeks to polish.





While peers have the Cozy, I will begin on Kahlotus. The three weeks my peers have the cozy MAY be about right, but this is a biggish edit, so it may ALSO take the August span... But that ALSO will go to peers when I'm done, then be revised and then go to my agent...



I think I can fit the revisions for the first three chapters of What Ales Me in the In-between... in fact because it is ONLY 3 chapters and a synopsis, and because I know who Ellen plans on sending it to, I may do that first. I have believed all along, this is an easier sell, and I'd really LIKE to have another sale...





GACK! I guess what I'm saying is I am about to dive into three solid months of editing... I have to change brains.. Thankfully, my friend Stacy agreed to exchange brains with me, as she just got OUT of editing and is trying to get writing again... So I've got that going for me.







What about the rest of you? Can you edit and write at the same time or does it take some transition? What are you working on now?



[This just in” When one google images: Editing madness, I find three of my fabulous Joris designed book covers... so we've got that going for us...]



And it's Thursday!  You know what that means!

Prose, Plot and Personality

I see things every once in a while about improving prose... I read things from fellow bloggers who ponder every single word. And I LOVE reading a work that holds EXACTLY the right language. But you know what? It's not me.

Oh, don't get me wrong... I PARTICULARLY love a nice double entendre, either to amplify meaning, because innuendo is my favorite thing, or to give double possibility and therefore mystery.

But I can't write literary fiction. I just don't have the personality to think about EVERY WORD... I am more an 'eh, close enough' kind of gal. What I want JUST RIGHT is the STORY.

Now I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, but I think that weaving a plot with a lot of twists and turns is a different animal from choosing really beautiful language, and honestly, with a complicated plot, literary language is just going to stop up and confuse the reader—the mind is already having to jump to keep up with the STORY. Adding language that you have to slow down and savor could easily cause the reader to get LOST.

Pass It On



So I thought maybe I'd share a couple things with you... opportunities, advice, blog recommendations...



Blog Crusade:  nervous as the idea of a crusade makes me, Rachael has a goal of compiling a list of the WRITERS who BLOG to connect us, and that seems an admirable aim.  We have had a ton of it happen around here, organically, but why not add another route, eh?



That in mind, I think I am going to put together a post of all my followers and their blogs... this will take AGES, but then there should be easy reference for my readers to see who else is here and what else they might be interested in.



And the Query Letter Manifesto (and the second part the next day) is a FABULOUS reality check for all you queryers.

Irritating Itch

So ya know how you work your butt off for a sustained period of time, and you manage what feels like a great accomplishment? It's good, yes?

On Friday I sent my Cozy to my writing peeps—about half of the Burrow volunteered to read... three were supposed to read as I finished chapters, and I tried, but because the typing lagged, and then I got unhappy with the 3rd quarter, I didn't GET IT all to that batch, so I sent it to that batch PLUS the batch that was supposed to get the 'whole thing'--they got the CLEANED whole thing—I wasn't willing to send TO ANYONE the thing I finished in August... that 3rd quarter had me grumbling and unhappy with it, and I wasn't sharing yet...



So getting it to the place I was willing to share was sort of big. And there was a big giant breath of air.



And I'm waiting to exhale.



Oh, that was bad. But the metaphor applies...



You see... I'm feeling...



Loss.



I keep trying to get my footing again, and my wheels are spinning.





I HAVE managed to clean up my to do stuff, and my PLAN is to read through my thoughts for future novels.

What I WANTED to be doing right now is editing LEGACY... I REALLY want to have another novel cleaned up to start querying at the beginning of the year. But I just can't seem to focus. I DO intend to start reading it today and maybe once I'm immersed the editing mojo will flow. But at the moment I am feeling BAFFLED... The writing... the editing... Heck, I'm having trouble writing a BLOG post. (though I did write a fan fiction update and if you like Harry Potter at all, and are SUPER twisted, you might like this... it is styled after the television show SOAP, but about the Black Family... so there...



Mrs. Skowers











Idea Inventory



When it IS time to write again... 3 weeks from now, I have mentioned the 6 ideas for books nagging at me, and I thought I'd throw broad brushes at all of you to see if you had a preference as to what I wrote for NaNo... I may not listen—I am stubborn that way... but I might. A few of them are 'too heavy' for a WriMo, but I'd still love to hear which ideas are appealing—which stories you think will have PUNCH to sell...



How's that?





THREE YAs





Player Down: Two high school friends, once close, and trying to stay connected, but whose lives have diverged, still eat lunch together daily in the woods next to their school. One day, while eating and talking, they find a body—the star forward from the Basketball team. (stand-alone murder mystery)

The Pleiades: SERIES. A group of middle school girls (a boy eventually joins)--outcasts, each in their own way. The narrator has a larger mysterious arc, but the books will deal with real life stuff, one big issue a book (using super powers they pretend to have): domestic abuse, eating disorders, homophobia. The Pleiades has to do with the bond originally formed in 'constellations' of zits on their backs (gross, yes? But as the bond forms in being PICKED ON—it is locker room stuff)





The Armageddon one: International attack of some sort knocks out power, kills a lot of people, family (?) group? Only young? Decided to flee west where they know of a place they can get by hiding on the land—hunting, growing... so it is primarily a survivalist thing as they try to make their way across the US in the midst of war. (this isn't really on the NaNo board—the idea is a long-stewing one I will eventually write—born out of the 'Tomorrow When the War Began' series and following dreams... but I think it had been seeded even before that/





ADULT stuff



An Armageddon here, too...  This one, though,... is a Conspiracy story... People are dying... ALL OVER,by the thousands. A reporter and CDC worker (romantically attracted, eventually) end up being the ones who piece together that the origin is in the year's flu shots. They work together to untangle who would DO such a thing. Parallel, a Televangelist is claiming THIS is it and promising the path to salvation (at a large profit) and a dozen other groups are taking advantage...

Microbrew Semi-Cozies: Ever since reading Earthly Delights-- the naughtier sister of the cozy mystery—it seemed that was really what was for me. I thought about 'craft' and 'interest' and 'location' and decided I would LOVE to do a mystery series based in Portland... a female microbrewery owner (her sidekick the hot brewer)--so I could write microbrew... cross those propriety lines a little, but still use the amateur sleuth, sassy format... It won't SHOW the gore, but would probably be darker in theme than most cozies... won't stick with 'hated victim'--but I think the 'fun' of the cozy can be carried to something a little more... bad girl... (you know how I want to be bad...)





Okay, so that is five, not six... I HAVE another, but it is totally different genre and not actually on the near playing field... and there is that half done one I want to get back to eventually, but not just yet... The two Armageddon ones will NOT my my WriMo... any of the others might...



But I'd love feedback on any of them!

Editing Evaluation

(and some elephants)



So it is probably a good time for me to fess up and admit where I am, which of my plans I've met and which I haven't, and how the process is going.



For the fill-in, for those who are new around here, I have a Cozy Mystery due to my EDITOR December 31, and my intention is to have it to my AGENT November 1 (so while she has it, I can WriMo—see how sneaksy I can be?) and then I will be able to address HER changes in December. But my INTENTION is to get an earlier draft done with enough time for peer readers to have it—in August *cough * Yeah. That happened.



But maybe instead I will give you the timeline and details of what DID happen.

Book: finished writing: August 3rd or so (on time, though I have added almost a full chapter and 13,000 words after the ending of that time) (A-) The additions are to be expected in editing.*



Finished TYPING: Oi, this is where I always underestimate: August 20, or thereabouts... I always think I am barely lagging, but the typing took WEEKS extra. (D)



First edit: (cleaning it so I can just read the darned thing) Finished around the end of August, because I couldn't DO part of it until I finished typing the darned thing... and then IT went slower than I hoped, but smoothly other than that (B)

READ through... this was intended to be JUST a read with maybe some note taking and no editing. (FAIL) I am thoroughly incapable of reading without editing, but I kept to the less major edit... other than the new ending... (F)



BIG edit: This actually has gone pretty darned smoothly—I really like the big twists I've added. I have a few of these on a sheet of paper that have yet to find homes, but most of them are IN and finding COMFORT and making the story better! (A-)





Next polish: this is my attempt to clean up the editing scars from my additions and changes, and to find homes for those last few points that I like so much. I am half way through. It is a cleaner read than last time and I can really see the progress I've made so it makes me happy, but MAN I'd like to be done so I can send it on! (B)

*A mystery, I find, is a trickier plotted animal than suspense, and so it actually made a lot of sense to finish the skeleton first and then add in some of the detail... trailing details... though I ALSO had at least half a dozen twists I'm really happy with that just didn't OCCUR to me until I'd finished and was trying to piece together such nonsense as the motivation.

Diagnosis: Writing Injury

You think I jest? I am TOTALLY SERIOUS. Swear to Digression, and you know how seriously I take THAT!



Any of you who read my weekend fitness blog know I was a little freaked last weekend... sore ribs, small lump... scared me (badly, truth be told). Yeah, though I am an optimist almost all the time, my mind can still dive into dark places, so there it went.



So Monday I went to the doctor, and I described what was up. She asked me a couple questions. And then she went and got me an anatomy book.

Okay, so here is the visual aid... see the purple... part of the rib cage is cartilage. Where the cartilage and the bone meet has a little more give than we normally count on, and you can actually dislodge the connection, causing irritation, pain, swelling... She said she sees it in mechanics quite a lot from leaning over the side of cars to get at the engine. Who knew?



In the list of questions, and my volunteering answers and information it was determined that the way I was leaning over the side of the bathtub in this editing process put the pressure on the ribs that caused this fiasco... You heard me... EDITING INJURY. Have I been TELLING YOU this editing business is evil? It has just been proven!

She prescribed one of those lovely bathtub table-bobs... Something I will GLADLY love and use, though the money situation is BAD, so I am probably going to put it on my Christmas list and improvise in the meantime. I certainly am not going to put pressure on my darned ribs while I do it.





Speaking of Editing



(Do we HAVE TO?) I know, I know... I'd prefer to let it go, too, but it has been consuming my life... Why do I always forget how long this process actually TAKES? And Why, when I have a deadline, do books I mean to read find their way to me, tempting me to read instead of write... Sitting on top of my writing pile is MOCKINGJAY... and waiting at the top of my library stack is The Secret Life of Bees (put on my list for a little southern atmospheric for this cozy thing)



But that aside... I am middlish with the read through (I've DONE the beat sheet: aka, a couple bullets per section so I have the whole book on 6 pages). I've discovered something... wait for it...



I AM INCAPABLE OF READING WITHOUT MARKING UP THE DAMN THING. (and I can edit while walking, though my writing is really atrocious)



*cough*



But I am making a fair few notes on BIG stuff to do, and THAT I have on a separate set of note cards. When I finish reading, I will read all of THOSE, prioritize (as they may not all work together) then mark the beat sheet as to when they go in, THEN will come the big edit...







And FINALLY! Links YOU NEED (because I'm groovy that way)





FRIDAY IS A FREAKING HOLIDAY!!! National Punctuation Day

(Thank you Jane Sutton of Jane's Ride for this tidbit)--Can you IMAGINE!? A day for geeks like us?!





Do you write Time Travel stuff? Sounds like either fantasy or Sci Fi is okay: an anthology for A Glitch in the Continuum is seeking short stories (5K – 9K) by October 15. You hear that? ANTHOLOGY. As in PUBLISHED. Thank you Mark at The Quiddity of Delusions for the link (though he shared it on Facebook *shifty*





Are you PUBLISHED? Karen Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain is searching for the first set of authors for a new multi-author site intent on promoting books.





And the last one is strictly to amuse you... Perhaps it's a good reminder for authors that where you are determines what you think, but it is illustrated in such a chuckle filled way: Mapping Stereotypes





And this just in.  Mari, at The Giraffability of Digressions is spreading the news about Peace One Day... erm... it was yesterday, but better to know late than not to know...

The Nefarious Plan

BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!



Jan asked yesterday WHAT my plan was, and since my plan was largely influenced by HER plan (but not quite so detailed) and since I actually wrote it OUT yesterday at Kimberly Loomis's blog because SHE was asking how WE edited... I thought maybe I would EXPAND on things here... Since I love y'all an' all...







1st: basic clean so I don’t make myself nuts on step 2

I would love to skip this step. There is no point cleaning it up when a significant portion is going to be changed, but I CAN'T not do it. For starters... I often ask for HELP after this and wouldn't want to be embarrassed by significant nincompoopery... but I ALSO just frankly don't have the ability to pay attention when there are blatent typos (which is what I hold responsible for most misspelling and grammar—I have a journalism degree that makes me not-incompetent in those areas, but my typing was never meant to be stellar—you know... world dominatrixes have secretaries named Sven and Raoul and all that...)  (Raoul ---->)





2nd: READ IT, taking notes to write the synopsis and taking notes on problems I notice (this would catch that too evil villain)



I will confess this is actually the hardest step... READING IT without TOUCHING IT (yes, notes on the side, fine... but I can't correct things and still read it with enough speed to notice the 'big picture'... if I succeed, it will be the first time, but it IS part of the plan.



3rd: WRITE the synopsis



I will credit Jan here. It is a bit of brilliance, I think... when looking at the big picture, to write it out as it IS, so you can see how strong it is. Then again, Jan wrote THREE, where I am only writing ONE. Though I am ALSO writing a scene summary (one sentence per scene)--also a Jan idea, though she called it something fancy... The purpose of THIS, is to figure out where to insert the things I've made NOTES on. The 'at a glance' work is a TOOL for the big fixes.







4th: critically evaluate at a synopsis level… what would make the GRAND PLOT better, FIX IT.



See—isn't this great? You LOOK at the big picture and then FIX the big picture. How much simpler could it get?!







5th: cut and paste (and write) so it’s all there in the right order



This is to meet all that synopsis and notes stuff... get all the pieces in place...

6th: Next round of ‘ordinary edit’ to clean up transition stuff   (Sven ---->)



This round of editing, is actually much larger than the first, because cutting, pasting, writing and rewriting can leave EDITING scars. I will need to REMOVE the repercussions of anything removed, add the repercussions of anything added, make sure the precedents and antecedents are all where they go, and that I don't repeat myself or skip something crucial.





7th: out of order read so each scene is as strong as possible



I've never done THIS before, either. I'm not positive I will have time for the Cozy, but it is definitely on my list for my suspense stuff, as it seems pretty darned important for suspense to keep pulling the reader... not that it isn't important for mystery, but cozies have other draws, too, besides just adrenaline...





8th: polish.



This is probably steps 8-20, but at least I have help finding the blemishes on this one...





So there you have it... all my secrets...



*****



And because yesterday was September 11... a day I find good for reflection, and because I have been bad and didn't really advertise as things were going UP, I invite all of you to check out our August Pay It Forward project, inspired by B. Miller (and she wrote the first drabble for this project) though the story can start anywhere, as it is circular...

Anxiety Dreams

In the wee hours of Monday morning I found myself in a frantic state. I couldn't find the shoes to go with... wait. My outfit kept changing—people (the many people I mysteriously lived with) kept running off with the accessories I needed.. ( I KNEW there was a reason I became a nudist!) Where was my schedule? Damn! I couldn't even remember home room! The shower wouldn't work. Where did the time keep slipping? Why did the notebook and pen keep disappearing. How could I go to class?!

Why the heck am I having anxiety dreams about school starting?



Maybe because... erm... School's starting? Not for ME of course, but I have COMMITED to several starting type activities, so I am falling into that boat, too.



I have some beliefs about anxiety dreams, and I am going to share them with you.





Why They Happen



A mind with too much to keep track of decides to torture us further by ensuring our SLEEP is not restful and we never get a chance to recover. Aren't minds evil? And here I was SURE I was only naughty.



So I need to deal with how much I have to deal with, on top of dealing with what I have to deal with. Is this the definition of SUCK or what?



I can't come up with any biological benefit whatsoever of these dreams, unless, like a drug addict, my body is craving adrenaline, which is possible. Though honestly, I'd prefer I dreamed I injured myself and got a nice dose of endorphines. Natural pain killer would be pretty sweet about now.





Anxiety and Writing



Not happening. Anxiety saps creative juices FAST. Why do you think writing and QUERYING go together so badly? FORTUNATELY, writing and EDITING seem to get along pretty well. They are the obnoxious people you invite to the party who are making embarrassing gestures in the corner and nobody wants to be near, but after the party, they are all anyone wants to talk about. Happy people are so much less memorable than the paranoid or the twitchy.



So Anxiety, DO YOUR WORST! I can take you! (provided I get to call the venue, and I am calling the pudding pool, or wrestling).



How does a person HANDLE anxiety?

DUH! By making LISTS!!!!

Oh, I know, lists are fun, and anxiety isn't supposed to be fun, but this is my party, so there.

To Do: Work



THE FREAKING GRANT

Finish the data merge

Analyze THAT data

IRB for that one study

Hire students for the year

Get those three papers written (ouch—this means I'm behind)

Keep up with the recruiting *yaks hairball*



To Do: KIDS



Fill out all start of work paperwork

Write checks

Find money to cover checks

Argue with spouse because that seems to be par for the course

Money (that I don't have) into school lunch accounts

Buy school supplies

Get daughter to daily doubles for Hill Week (Swimming)

Read the paperwork that DIDN'T need to go back

To Do: Home



Finish laundry (is this EVER done?)

Clean cat box

Update spyware on both computers

Find basement floor

Do single mom makes dinner thing (hubby has Tuesday night class)



To Do: Writing



Finish first edits Chapters 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Enter first edits 12-21

Work in BIG edits

Get book to first set of 'full book' readers

Print out book on one of young minions for beta reading

Buy tissues for said book, as I have some idea what to expect

Catch up on blog reading.





To Do: Eating/Fitness



COUNT POINTS COUNT POINTS COUNT POINTS

Assessment of cupboards for foods that would make this all easier

A little meditation and that acupressure thing to get in the ZONE.





I guess my only effective method of dealing with anxiety is head on. That is why the lists sort of work. How about all of you? Anyone have any secret tricks besides denial?



And GOOD LUCK to any of you starting new endeavors for the school year!

Editing Progress

Such as it is, I mean.



I FINALLY finished typing the first draft. (this is the part I ALWAYS underestimate how long it will take)  I was about 15K short, which I expected. NOW I can start putting in the edits from my first read.



I have done 'first round edits' (just cleaning mostly, but also catching a few things I intended to do, but didn't) through chapter 13 (of 21). I have four pages of bullet points of things I want to weave in on the real edit now—likely to be six by the time I get to the end.



I have ENTERED the first four chapters of these (which were small, as these are the four chapters I had to polish for the audition).



I know from feedback (thank you Natasha) that I've been too heavy-handed with the clues in the middle, and I'm not altogether pleased with the final string of clue collection, but as a first draft, and my first mystery, I think it's not bad.



So right now I am typing in those edits made to hard copy, and am including some highlighted notes on where to add some of the bigger stuff I have in my notes...



Editing is not my favorite activity, but it should be a little less painful now that the typing is done.



One of the things I think will definitely be worth the time is to do the 'at a glance' section thing—one sentence for each section, so that the bigger editing can find their lovely new home more easily. I think I will also list the clues dropped on a separate list to see how my pacing and distribution of them is.



That is all I have for today... Keeping it short because I really want to work on this (and I have a basement full of boys—and not the kind of boys I NORMALLY try to keep in my basement) so I will need to make pancakes shortly.



Hope you all have a FABULOUS Labor Day!

Fighting an Infection

This is a strained metaphor in poor taste, but y'all KNOW I can't help myself.



So two weeks ago, I was walking home from work, reading (as usual) and not really paying much attention. The day before in the same spot (I remembered after the fact) lighting had downed a big branch. I'd stopped to assess the two squashed cars and people standing around saying, 'this sucks!' as having your car squashed by a large branch does INDEED suck.



Now in my defense, I WAS paying enough attention not to walk into that downed branch the day before... but when everything had been cleared away... well I only have so much attention to spare... so I stepped on a stick. No big deal, right. Stick, schmick. WRONG! The stick was curved and forked and obviously EVIL. It popped up and positioned itself so that it could IMPALE my calf!

Now it hurt pretty bad, and I swore at the stick (which didn't have the decency to even apologize) and I kept walking... until I felt the trickle... I looked more closely. Apparently being impaled causes BLOOD. I got out a cloth from my bag (the emergency back up hanky) and applied pressure, then I LOOKED at the darned thing... Being impaled ALSO leaves a big freaking hole in the leg (assuming the leg is where you were impaled.) It was only a flesh wound though, so I hobbled home, cleaned it up, put on a bandage... and have proceeded to have an unattractive wound on my leg for a few weeks now.



Last week my boss, who normally works in another building and had been on vacation for a week to boot, saw this and freaked out. Had I seen a doctor? Had I used hydrogen peroxide to clean it? Did I want her to call me in a prescription for anti-biotics? No. No. and No. The hydrogen peroxide WOULD have been a yes, if we HAD any, but there was none. Soap and water had had to suffice. But a DOCTOR? Anti-biotics? For an (admittedly ugly) wound that is no worse that say... a skinned knee?

And Here We Come to Philosophy Differences



My boss, the MD, puts great stock in MEDICINE. The Tart, a nudist, naturalist, and environmentalist, sort of thinks sometimes it is best to let nature take its course. I'm not STUPID. I get my tetnus shots when they force me—which would be, I think, the only infection I couldn't handle. But I happen to think our bodies need practice fighting these MINOR things, so there are anti-bodies built up for BIGGER stuff--the stuff they don't even KNOW about yet that is mutating BECAUSE we use medicine for everything and those bugs think they have a right to exist too.



I don't get a flu shot. I would have exposed my kids to chicken pox instead of getting THAT shot except my husband had never had them, and for an adult they can be so dangerous. I don't take medicine unless it is BAD—the bottle of acetaminophen in my office EXPIRED in 2006 and is still half full... that is how rarely I resort to it.

I've noticed that every time one of my kids switches schools, we have a bad year for colds and minor inflictions... it is a NEW batch of germs and we need to learn to fight them. And we do... the next year it is better... in fact now that my kids are 15 and 11, I think we have most of the Ann Arbor germs down...



Now I may be totally cracked. In fact in other domains, I'm quite sure of it. But I think this serves me pretty well, most of the time.





And there is a WRITING Metaphor (as always, ne?)



We could do our writing and then send it on to a professional editor (the literary MD)... they could work with it and hammer it out so it's nice and lovely, yes? And we may be successful there, and it might be a PERFECT solution. But then we'd write our next book, and we only would have learned a few of the lessons of the hammering out. We only would have gotten the peripheral benefit of watching and listening. We WOULD NOT have the experience of doing it ourselves.



Yes, doing it ourselves takes longer. Yes it's more painful. Yes, there is typically whiskey involved. But the next time it comes around, the required skills are in our docket, practiced and ready to go, so it is EASIER. We may have another tier of lessons when we try a new genre, or target a new audience, or hit a new milestone, but by being primary participants, I think we are better equipped to get stronger and grow.



This is NOT necessarily a self-publish endorsement, as in some cases I think THAT is more like deciding to go to school sick and spreading your germs (not always... some people have mastered the self-healing powers and are good to go)--I just feel compelled to point out that putting on clothes and stepping out the door is not a clean bill of health.



But mostly, I think the personal effort to conquer these things is good for us, as it arms us for future fights.



I know I said not this weekend, but as it is now WRITTEN, I think this will work for the Sunday/Monday blog... so there...

Bad For Me

I set of listy wisties, on things that are bad for.... THINGS...

Bad for the DIET



Time off

Chinese food for breakfast

Humidity (as an exercise obstacle)

Fatigue (as an exercise obstacle)

Self pity

Potato chips

Really good beer

Pool parties

Stress

Matinees

Rum

VACATION



(you may be able to tell I did NOT in fact get back on track this week)





Bad for the WRITING



Obsessions with catching up on TV series (Grey's Anatomy and True Blood)

Matinees

Pool Parties

Rum

VACATION



(Though in actuality, the WRITING is done, so the obstacles are interfering with typing and editing and I think I've been clear on how I feel about the editing...)

So I am leaving it short this week, as I am on my last weekend of VACATION and hopefully getting back to a routine will knock everything else back into line. (I can hope, yes?)

Gates of Hell

I finished my first draft of the Cozy on Wednesday night, which makes me happy, as it gives me PLENTY of editing time, which I know it needs... there are definitely some weak spots and it will need a nice organized rewrite... but MAN... Editing is SO PAINFUL! It is best to go in with eyes wide open though, so I present to you, the Nine Rings of Editing Hell:





First Ring: Limbo



The vanity ring—or limbo... you can even pretend you are NOT yet editing... this is the cleaning up that needs to be done so you don't humiliate yourself when you send it to your critique partners... it is basic typos, grammar, large gaping wound clean up—the kind of corrections that hurt you not at all—there is little pain involved. It is superficial and frankly pointless, as everything will need to be cleaned again. And again. And again. But we have some modicum of self respect, and don't want our fellow writer's to realize the bonehead typing that occurs when the kids are fighting and the husband is nagging. The punishment at this level is in being able to see both how sweet success would BE, and how FAR we have to go to get there.

Second Ring: Lust



This is where you hope your hotter than hot critique partners are the answer for everything—that a wave of their wand will provide the approval you need and it is all enjoyment from here. Sadly, if they are good critique partners (and they are, or you wouldn't have chosen them) they are going to point out all your flaws and will NOT tell you how to fix them, but just what needs fixing. This will send you into a spiral of depression.







Third Ring: Gluttonous



This is where you indulge in the fantasy of how satisfying this book might be, if only you could put in all the missing parts... sadly, it is more about over-indulgence—adding content on a whim, because you just want to be sated, but nothing seems to do the trick.... Oh, poor empty soul...







Fourth Ring: Avaricious and Prodigal



At this point you begin to worry about what will be most impressive. You pull out all your books on symbolism, story structure... read a few passages in Anna Karenina, hoping it will rub off. You are seeing some light, and it is a shiny, nobel prize kind of light. You are SURE you are all that, or could be, with just the right turn of phrase.

Fifth Ring: Wrathful and Sullen



You decide what is necessary is a lot of angry torturing of your characters—they don't suffer enough and it is THEIR fault your book is not good. You feel compelled to add in some torture scenes, infidelity. More tension? I'LL GIVE YOU TENSION!





Sixth Ring: Heretical



You realize it is CRAP. YOU are crap! Your book is a false idol and you've given it power it should never have. It is time to exorcize the beast—just put it out of its misery. You contemplate the shredder.





Seventh Ring: Violent



Say it with me: KILL YOUR DARLINGS! It is time to just cut out the crap and slash up the bad blood. There is a lot of this that just needs to GO and you need to be ruthless!





Eighth Ring: Fraudulent



You briefly contemplate rewording everything to mock the style of the latest best seller. There was a time you would have mocked nineteenth century greats, but everybody knows none of them could sell a book in this day and age.



Ninth Ring: Treachery



This is where your novel jumps up and b*tchslaps you and says “HA! Joke's on YOU, sucker!” Fortunately, if you can wrestle your novel to the ground at this point, chances are high that you can identify the treacherous pieces.





So I am ready for my descent... if by ready, I mean, have purchased a back up half gallon of rum. I've put my golden snitch on a string, to keep reminding me I can soar, if I just don't get discouraged. I've lined up my peeps, for the back-up function I desperately need them to perform (thank you ladies—ALL of you—you are superstars!) And I will make it out the other side... (never mind that ANOTHER editing project will follow)







Fantabulous Contest



Normally I tweet or FB share these, but skip the blog part—not normally big on contests, but this one has some loot I really want, so... Lola Sharp, who is a kindred spirit (I suspect she is actually a Tart) is giving away some stuff... so go check it out, and if you decide to follow her (which you should) tell her I sent you... She just went to Maine, so she has some GROOVY Stephen King-y stuff (including 'On Writing') and a magnet that looks like Pennywise *shivers *

Toilets and Editing

So because it is summer, we thought forcing our children into labor was a nice character-building experience (though our children are much older and less content than this laboring child). Our son, ever the miser, is pretty much willing to do anything for money. Our daughter, on the other hand, thinks her time is worth a treasure trove, and there is nothing we could pay her that would be equal to the work time she puts in. We have to disallow all social contact until certain requirements are met, because she is 'all that' otherwise, she will do NOTHING.



Her task yesterday was the bathroom. She cleans much like my husband, but even MORE annoyingly superficially. My husband hates my piles and stacks, but he's never lifted a THING to clean under it. He tidies, I SCRUB. My daughter doesn't even angle to clean the exposed, but not obvious, just yet.



Oddly though, she was thoroughly offended with my RECLEANING the toilet.



And thus begins the writing metaphor.





Sometimes we WANT to know... we want to keep improving... and sometimes we just prefer to get away with what we can. It depends on our goals, I suppose... and how much of ourselves we invest in the identity.



My daughter has no identity whatsoever tied up in our toilet (which is probably good, cleanliness notwithstanding). I suppose that means the bathroom is NOT her book.





But what does it mean for the rest of us?





So do we want a white glove test of our stuff? Do we want to be our own worst critic, obsessed with the quality of EVERYTHING? Do we want to have an impressive entry to just lure people into the house? Maybe an impressive entry can intrigue a decorator who can guide us through the improvements we need?



I guess my philosophy is clean it so it is approachable, then have a nice PARTY and ask the opinions of our friends on how we ought to rearrange... then we choose the suggestions that seem really groovy—do THOSE and then clean it up before inviting the important people over. Because if we take ALL the suggestions, it is no longer our house. And if it is too sterile, then it is boring.



But how we want to clean it is ultimately a decision of personality and goal. I am not a clean person—I know that. I ask for help. Some people are VERY clean.... Probably there are some non-writing types so clean they are too boring to produce anything interesting (my bias against cleanliness is probably showing).





So how do you like to go about your cleaning? Are you tempted to pretend it is clean before it it done? Are you too hard on yourself?





And a little game, courtesy of Rosie C. who tagged everyone interested, but of course, suffering from FOMS, I am pretty much always interested....



1. Your name/Blog's name

2. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

3. What are your favorite letters to write?

4. What are your least favorite letters to write?

5. Write: "The quick, brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

6. In CAPS, write: "BABOON, SPLENDOR, ONOMATOPOEIA, FLIP-FLOPS, HUZZAH!"

7. Your favorite song lyrics are?

8. Make sure you tag 7 people to join in on the fun.

9. Tickle your fancy and add a special quip for us to enjoy.



1.  Hart Johnson/Confessions of a Watery Tart

2.  Right handed. HOPELESSLY right handed.

3.  A, D, T and lower case b, f, q, x, y and z.

4.  C, I, U. Nothing lower case bugs me.

5 and 6 -->

7.You Learn (Alanis Morrisette)

8.Consider yourself tagged.

9.  It's THURSDAY and you know what THURSDAY means!!!



(these are the bedside books you would have if you are ever a house guest at the Tart's house.)





Okay my friends—hope you have a fabulous day!

The Long Way

So I made some serious progress this week... the fitness and the writing... and learned a lesson I think relates to BOTH about what NOT to do...

First the Good News



I did the arm and shoulders thing 3 times.

I used the exercise ball 3 times.

Only 2 diet cokes

I wrote 3+ chapters.



YAY Progress!





Now the Lesson(s)



I think I get easily sidetracked, ye know? Like... I can't do all the things right at the same time. But when I do stupid stuff, I get annoyed.

Typing. NOT Editing



You know I write long-hand, yes? Naked in the bathtub. That's me. I am writing chapter 17 right now, but TYPING 10 because frankly, there is more competition for my computer time (blogging, Facebook, Grey's Anatomy) than there is for my writing time (Sudoku and reading notwithstanding, but the one doesn't take long, and the writing I like every bit as well as the reading when things are flowing)... The typing... erm... Don't like it.



But when I type I DO correct some wording things... heck, I had a stretch in there this time where I was writing in present tense (not clue what kicked THAT off, unless it was rum *shifty*) so I do minor editing as I type. What I need to remember NOT to do, is PLOT editing. Every time I do it, it is because I've thought I forgot something and am now trying to FIX it, but every time, I DIDN'T forget to WRITE it, I just forgot I WROTE it, and then I have this inconsistency string. Grrrrrrr.

COUNT POINTS COUNT POINT COUNT POINTS



I ate MOSTLY what I was supposed to this week but DIDN'T count points... pound back on. I KNOW the gig. I just need to DO IT! In my defense, we were hiring at work (found a great woman for the job and she's accepted—YAY!) but that meant messing up breakfast (normally oatmeal, which helps my frame of mind for eating right—I eat it at 10:00 most days, because that seems to be the middle grown—pretty hungry by then, but if I eat earlier then I want lunch unreasonably early). This week it was bagels at 9 (before interviews) which means I am starving early for lunch and in the wrong frame of mind to keep eating right. The extra obligation in my day ALSO makes me more stressed at work (the stuff still needs doing, and I need to be more efficient (far fewer blog visits between tasks—sorry) which all contributes to really wanting a cocktail when I get home... whereby any non-point counting gets undermined. 6 points worth of COCKTAIL on top of eating right and on points will undermine all but the best days. THAT is why I need to count. Otherwise I just let those slide and they add up over time.







And How Are those things related?



I know, I claimed they were... And I think they ARE, just sort of obliquely. Mainly just because I KNOW what to do, I have LEARNED these lessons before, but sometimes I have this willful forgetting thing where I don't do what I need to.



SO STOP IT ALREADY!

*Cough*

And Have a Great weekend!

Starts and Stops

Whereby the Tart proves she is possibly insane.



Why do things sometimes flow super smoothly, and sometimes there is this productivity constipation... this inability to GO. It happens with the WRITING, it happens with the DAY JOB, it happens with the TYPING.... and, erm... It happens with the BLOG.

Cozy Update



I have finished chapter 14 (of 20 0r 21), in a burst of speed—2000 words Monday night. 1500 last night, after writing nearly NOTHING over the weekend. See... my Sunday evening I ended up lounging by my neighbor's pool (I know, life is rough). Like I said... fits and starts. I am on target though, for the WRITING. It is the TYPING, I am having trouble getting done (maybe it is the evenings typing up three blogs instead of typing... but I suppose it gives me a couple nights of very LITTLE blogging in the next few, so I should be able to make up for it.

Reading List



It is REALLY growing somehow... I am almost done with The Watchmen by Brian Freemantle—a decent book. Next up is my read of Ted Cross's fabulous book—I'm excited to read it, though my purpose is feedback—hoping to help him spot the strengths and weaknesses from another reader's perspective. THEN, I have a stack... from the library, from my birthday.... I'm excited to read ALL of them, but find myself WRITING instead.





The EDITING



Don't you DARE ask me about editing! I have a MAJOR stack to get to. Erm. Someday.





Querying



Haven't done it since JANUARY. Because of that editing stack.

And the BLOG PLAN! HA!



I can make plans. Remember. I'm good at making plans. It is FOLLOWING plans I am bad at. Tomorrow is adequately delusional. Friday I am participating in The Rejectionist's Blogiversary—you all should to: a simple essay in any form themed “What Form Rejections Mean to Me”.





So what are YOU up to?  Are you progressing well, or having trouble pushing it?

Smile and Nod?

I find one of the great crevasses that we might fall into as writers is when to listen and when not to... (and deciding WRONG). When do we take it to heart and when do we ignore it. When do we REALLY LISTEN and when do we smile and nod, then go about our merry ways... There are actually several questions here, so I'm going to run them down AS I SEE IT. There is a recurring theme in this blog though, that you may as well take to heart now. I know some stuff, but what I KNOW is a microscopic ISLAND next to the continents of stuff I DON'T KNOW. It will make sense in a minute...

Who's On First?



I think the VERY first thing you want to consider is WHO is dishing advice. Is it a peer with LESS experience? A peer with the same or MORE experience? A published author? A published author IN YOUR GENRE? An AGENT? An EDITOR?



I think you want feedback from ALL these types of people, but CLEARLY you want to give a lot more credence to what an EDITOR or AGENT has to say. They are practiced not only at WRITING but at reading for what is publishable. I'm not saying never say NO to these people, but if they suggest a change, ALMOST ALWAYS you want to smile and nod and DO IT. When my agent has suggested changes with my cozy, I have accepted 95% of them, and another 4% I change to some DIFFERENT thing—a compromise, because I don't necessarily agree with the suggestion, but can see some middle ground is necessary (or that I haven't been clear, based on her suggested change)



Peers ahead of you obviously get more credence than peers at your level or behind in process, but there is another thing to keep in mind... the PEOPLE are ALWAYS RIGHT. Publishing may not be a democracy, but in some ways READING is, so if several readers spot the same problem, no matter HOW inexperienced they are, chances are you should listen to them.







What's on Second



What kind of advice ALSO really matters. If somebody is saying 'I don't like this character' then you might consider giving them an endearing vulnerability, or maybe you WANT them disliked for a while (character growth is a nice feature)--though be sure to make them interesting enough to surpass the repulsion impulse—few people want to read about someone they don't GET, and a few more, but still a small number, want to read about someone they can't root for in some way (and I am not using the Aussie iteration of root here, though that IS one way to get someone to root for them... make readers want to ROOT for them *cough*LuciusMalfoy*cough*)

If somebody is pointing to HOLES—probably listen. If somebody isn't FOLLOWING, consider their intelligence and attention span, but probably listen. If somebody makes broad sweeping suggestions... like... okay this happened to me: “I'd really like to know more about what they look like,”--look to your genre. What is the norm. Some genres DO THIS some DON'T (I write suspense and was being advised by a romance gal—her genre does it, mine doesn't... but I LOOKED. It was WORTH investigating).



If someone corrects grammar or spelling, make sure you publish in the same country. This sounds laughable but there are a number of differences between British and American English standards. The British fear of the letter Z and the American fear of the letter U are only the tip of the iceberg. There is the Oxford comma (of which I am a fan) but also a dozen other subtle things to do with verb tense and sentence structure.



There are ALSO a thousand things which can go different ways depending on the editor in charge, so it is not implausible you will put it one way, your agent will make you change it, and your editor will change it back. If we are talking commas, JUST ROLL WITH IT (even if you have a serious comma fetish, as I do).

Where the Heck?



It also depends where you are in process. I actively TELL my readers on first round DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS! Chances are I will catch them, but it is EVEN highly likely everything will get reworded ANYWAY. Some people will insist on correcting (I think it is part of the editor persona, and if it helps them get in character, more power to them) but I usually only pay attention to the content and structure feedback on round one.



But THIS is one of those reasons you want to be so careful about listening to agents and editors. By the time something GETS THERE, it should be pretty darned close to RIGHT and it is THEIR JOB to perfect the work so readers will BUY it.







NORMALLY (well, normal for me)



I send first cleaned draft (I write, then I do my OWN correction for the annoying things that I CAN SPOT)--most often typos and LARGE plot holes—draft AFTER this) goes to 3 readers. “Please look for inconsistency, lack of clarity, are you pulled along, do you like it?” then I revise. Then it goes to 2 or 3 DIFFERENT people... pickier feedback—grammar, clarity... fix that... and FINALLY, I send it to someone asking for PACE... At least that's what I think I am doing... my first book got first read as I wrote CHAPTERS, so it didn't go this way, but for LEGACY, my second, that is my plan.



The Cozy has to, because of having a deadline and me wanting to be sure I am doing this right, has 3 people who will read chapters as I write, then three fresh people to read the whole thing... then ideally, my Cozy Mystery Writer friend ELIZABETH to read what I think is cleaned and tell me if I've got it, THEN it goes to my agent... So the order is different, but that is because I've never worked under deadline before and just want to make sure I don't muck it up.



So there you have it... decide on the expertise of the source, look at the size and agreement level of the voters... insert a good dose of 'gut' keeping in mind that 'you get you' but it is possible that your GREAT STORY may not quite be coming across, so listen to what HELPS YOU, not what the words may sound like.





In Other News: Two Things



Pitch Slapped is inviting people to be INTERVIEWED. She wants people PREpublished, PREagented, and she is amusing and entertaining in her process. I figure it can never hurt to get our name out there... improve our googlability, find some new readers... so if you are interested, head on over!



And it is TIME... For my Tartiversary I promised a CRITIQUE to a commenter (giving a few extra chances for a few different things... I am going to use a random number generator for the line in the Excel file where I have all the names... and the winner IS...  Okay... this spreadsheet is at work... give me until 9am Eastern time, US...



AND THE WINNER IS......  Alex Cavanaugh!!!!

Ropes Course Metaphor

So yesterday I was sort of snarky. I considered being less snarky today, but it seems to have fallen out of my range to be nice. Maybe I am channeling characters, or maybe I have become chronically annoyed with my newly needy family, who normally leave me the heck alone evenings, but since the advent of June, just as I jump into BuNoWriMo suddenly need to be taken to this store, have that thing purchased. My daughter wanted to make cookies last night for her forum (that's like home room, and they rotate for snack) and I said (I'm quoting here), “Only if you can do it all alone and clean up after yourself.”

You can imagine how that turned out. Forty-five minutes of my daughter and husband arguing because she had one question and his anal retentive nature then had to direct the process (noisy and annoying)... THEN, do you know what cleaning up consisted of? Putting everything in the damn sink. So my snarky self apologizes that I am taking it out on fellow authors, which I seem to be.



HOWEVER, todays blog isn't MEANT to be snarky. I am learning some serious lessons. Sadly, it is at another author's expense. And HERE I reach my metaphor (not even terribly strained!)

Ropes Course



Have you ever been to CAMP? Or a training seminar? Or a TEAM BUILDING exercise? Psychologists and government employees are frequently subjected to these things, but I feel like reaching back to Camp in High School is more instructive. What I need you to remember or imagine is being in line for a ropes course or an obstacle course.  There are pitfalls, or ways to fail... but there is also a chance to succeed.



The person in front of you GOES, and they go EXACTLY where you were planning on going. And they end up falling in the mud, stung with nettles, stung by a bee and eating ants for survival... or some similar set of tragedies. YOU my friend, now know that the way that looked so promising is full of TRAPS. YOU don't want to go that way. Oh, sure, the other way makes you conquer a fear of heights, use strength you weren't sure you had, and crawl in the dirt a little, but YOU have no lasting wounds. You also have an advantage the guy before you DIDN'T. You got to watch him mess up.





My Current Read



I am reading a mystery/thriller that has a pretty darned good underlying story. Maybe it is TOO GOOD... TOO tempting... I say that because SEVERAL of the underlying things going on are things I have USED/Considered... I think, on reading them in someone elses published book, they are too obvious... It doesn't help that the execution isn't as strong as it needs to be—the wording is more conversational than 'book', the characters are under-developed. But I SWEAR to you I can see the promise!







This poor author needed an editor who really knew the genre to pick the tale apart. But it is to my advantage.





HOW?



Because I am SEEING the traps I might have fallen into, had some agent fallen in love with my great story. Let me describe them...



1)  Too Easy: The MC has witnessed something sketchy... he's not even sure WHAT, but his best friend was involved and is now missing. He goes to the police who don't listen. (no problem so far). But THEN, he immediately finds a cop who gives him the name of a man who gives him a book... WAY too easy. (this was one of my critiques on Legacy--add a few more obstacles)  Oh, sure, he does some mopey stuff in between, but really nothing fails... he doesn't have to proactively do much...  This conversation tells him this, that venture shows him that... SCREW UP, DUDE!



What I would have done was have 'nice cop' warn him away. MC goes to where it happens and tries breaking in to look into it HIMSELF. Nice cop FINDS HIM, sees he ISN'T letting it go and THEN gives him the name. It adds an iteration of trouble, and it give the cop a REASON to give him the info (that is bigger than just seeing he's asked a couple questions—cop could logically think 'well if he won't drop it, maybe I'll give him a hand' but this doesn't WORK for a protective cop without that 'he's gunna do it anyway'.)

2)  Cliches: I really DIG secret cults that are going too far... that get caught up in themselves... Hell, CONFLUENCE features one (sort of), but THIS one, is both too cliched and too general. And the BOOK—a book with hints or answers-- I LOVE that on paper—I totally would have done it if I'd thought of it, but on the page, it was a let down... a book with some answers is just... I'm not sure... maybe if he'd had to rescue some RUMORED book from somewhere—or better yet the hidden case files from a similar case years earlier...



I just feel like a good editor would have gone through and pointed out a dozen places where things needed to be harder or more complex or less cliched, and THEN this could have been not just a 'fairly interesting' book but a really GREAT book.--Oh, sure, the female characters seem underdeveloped, and the emotions fall a little flat, but the MC is okay, and thrillers don't take their energy from character—they take it from plot.





Now this book was published at a small, regional press—they probably don't have the BUDGET for expert editors in many different genres--I mean the GRAMMAR is fine, there are no TYPOS--the LINE editing was FINE... it is the big picture editor who needed to step in. But I think if I can spot all these holes, a peer published author CERTAINLY could. I can actually HEAR Elizabeth Spann Craig as I'm reading, “so how would I add more tension to this scene?” So even with my lack of success, I feel like I could give a helpful peer reading.





Lesson One Farther



The OTHER thing this makes me realize (which oddly enough gives me some compassion for Stephenie Meyer, who I lambasted yesterday) is once a book is OUT there, it is OUT THERE--too late to improve it. And you will be judged by it. If a version of your book makes it, people will think THAT is your skill level. Do you want to be judged by a cleaned up second draft? Or do you want a dozen eyes to give you serious critiques, perform a couple rewrites, get a couple more critiques, polish and THEN get a book out there that people say, “WOW, this author can WRITE!”



I think high concept stories may suffer from under-editing. I think self-publishing suffers from under editing even without being high concept. I'm not saying DON'T DO IT. I'm not saying there aren't great books that get published this way. I'm just saying A LOT of books that get out there that way will eventually embarrass any writer who wants to be taken seriously because we HAVE TO believe in ourselves.

I am debating writing to this author... telling him the book was PRETTY GOOD, but that I felt it was under-edited, and does he have anyone he is working with on later books. I'm not sure how he'd feel about that. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if it were me. But when the potential shines through, but the publisher clearly isn't covering there end... isn't it a FAVOR? I'm just not sure.



And because I know you care... BuNoWriMo update:  Tart is at 6036 words... pretty pictures on Saturday!

Schrödinger's Cat

I told you I'd been thinking about Schrödinger's Cat. I wasn't lying—I wouldn't lie to you! It's actually a sort of apt application, too, though FIRST: SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

I've drawn the winner from the giveaway last week and I'd like to congratualate Alica (Fire & Ice)! The light and journal are on their way!





And back to the story of the day...  erm... in a minute...



I think another explanation for my stress lately is the uncertainty of what the next few months will hold. It is this or that, and I won't know until I know... Let me e'splain...



To start off... feeling much better now... Why?



I have Powered Through



The Tart is in STREAM ROLLER form! Obstacles BAHAHA! You're NOTHING! Waiting? POO! I have all the time in the world! Editing? PISH! You don't scare me! I am WRITING!



I think I have all of you to thank for returning my attitude, and this Cracker song, my favorite of theirs, says it fairly perfectly:

I See The Light by Cracker



I'd really like to see you now

In your father's combat boots

I'd really like to be with you

'Cause we could be so dark





It was only for the grace of you

That I got this attitude

I'll show you my gratitude

When I make it through





I see the light at the end of the tunnel now

(I see the light)

Someone please tell me it's not a train

(Train, I see the light)

I see the light at the end of the tunnel now

(I see the light)

No time to speak, no time to explain





Sometimes I imagine you lying in your bed

Sometimes do you imagine too?

Do you sometimes lust

For the grace that others have inside?





The simple peace they make with life

They feel love like some summer's night

Well, I want it too



chorus chorus, blah blah blah (it doesn't really say chorus chorus blah blah blah, you know... it has more words, but they are mostly words already there... *deadpans*)

I love the idea of lusting for the grace that others have inside, the simple peace they make of life. Isn't that a lovely idea? It's like a big sexy Buddha or something.



And in case you're wondering what kind of twist I've gone around, I am practicing SELF TALK. So there... getting all philosophical and stuff... But the way I figure it, you guys REALLY helped pull me up day before yesterday.



Side Assistance



I've also been First Reading my way through some stuff for friends of mine and LOVE the process. When I do that, I become more objective in MY stuff. I notice things that aren't quite right—things about pacing or tension that I have a hard time spotting in my oh-so-familiar manuscripts, but coming back after the more objective read gives me distance.



I also also (yes, two alsos) took Jan's advice... hmmm... how to distinguish the Jans.... both Canadian, both tarts in their way... though I suppose only the one is OFFICIALLY a tart... Maybe I should go with province... Nova Scotia Jan wrote herself a letter of edits to make in the future... THAT allows you to stop worrying about it NOW because you won't forget (or stress about forgetting)... I adopted it and wrote... okay, so my version was more like a list... but it DID help to write it down... release the tension of this 'at some future date' editing project.

So where is the damn cat?



It's coming. You see, I have a PLAN! (a plan you say? I see some of you running away screaming. I know there are some pantsers out there, but I can't abide by pants. I need a PLAN) [never mind that I rarely follow said plan; it still makes me feel better to make one]





THE PLAN



1)  I have two ideas looming, but you KNOW my theory about stewing, yes? The ideas need to stew before they are properly fermented (because who wants to tell a sober tale, ne?) BUT writing SCENES before they are fully fermented actually HELPS this process. I am okay with the fact that these scenes are never recognizable in the final project. They still help me get to know my characters. So until I hear about the cozy (the answer of which is my Cat), I am writing SCENES.



2)  When I HEAR about the Cozy Gig, I reach the point where I know whether the cat is ALIVE (I get the gig) or dead (I don't get the gig). (see how it fits? I won't know whether it's alive or dead until... I find out. Until then, both the alive and the dead exist and I have to plan for them! *snort *)

*   If I GET the gig, I then write the cozy

*   If I DON'T get the gig, I then EDIT LEGACY until June 1



3)  (We're still on Schrodinger's cat—two versions, equally real (or unreal). Because until you know, you never know, eh?) But on BOTH FORKS, as of JUNE 1, the Burrow is doing a NoWriMo (BuNoWriMo)--and you are WELCOME to join us. Our reasoning is that November is a baddish month for anyone educationally affiliated (which is about half of my group if you count students, teachers and other academics)

*   So if I GET the gig, I am going to madly write the book I am SUPPOSED to be writing

*   If I DON'T get the gig, I am going to write the ghost story that is currently stewing.



4)  In JULY I edit. No matter what. The Cozy or Legacy. Then, whichever one goes to FIRST readers, and we get back to being cats.

*   In presence of Cozy, Legacy will be 2nd editing project.

*   In absence of Cozy, Deniability will be 2nd editing project.



5)August I get reader feedback and finalize whichever one is the next polished work for a September send out.



Probably that is as far as I oughta plan...