Magic!

To my very great surprise, this edit is very different from all of my previous edits. I suppose each one was unique, really, but this is a whole new level.

Between raising three children, illness (my own, my husband's, and the children's), holiday activities, touching bases with my friends now and then (so they don't think I'm dead), keeping the house in reasonable order, and freaking out about a mouse infestation in our attic (yeah--gross), I didn't think I'd find the time to get any of this edit done.

Guess again! :)

Even with squeezing it in here and there, I'm a week in and more than halfway done. And it's serious rewrite! I've scrapped scenes, rewritten others, changed main characters, even turned a plot-line upside down.

And it's easy. And fun! And finally, FINALLY pulling itself into a beautiful, satisfying whole. The characters are consistent, and the plot is tight and flows well.

I'm just so pleased with how this is coming together. So pleased.

I think the biggest reason it's so different and easy is that I haven't read it in about six months. I've got fresh eyes, and I've been reading more than writing. Reading another person's work changes how you look at your own writing.

The point of all this? I now believe the best thing you can do for yourself (if you have a manuscript that needs work) is put it away for a long, long time. Don't stop thinking about it, maybe allow yourself to outline or brainstorm a little now and then, but don't touch the manuscript itself.

The result? MAGIC!

This is Why

A friend asked me once why I call this blog "Round about we go". If you are a writer then you already know the answer.

I actually got the title from a Milne poem, called "Busy":
"Round about, and round about, and round about I go. All around the table, the table in the nursery. Round about, and round about, and round about, and round about..." Well, you get the idea.

In my Milne book there's a cute little sketch of a toddler skipping around a table until his little legs give out and he falls down dizzy.

It's an endless cycle, this writing stuff and sometimes I feel like that dizzy little man--skipping happily in circles, and going nowhere. Thankfully, it is a happy journey to nowhere and I never give up hoping I will eventually escape the nursery.

Alas, my friends, I have not yet stopped skipping 'round my nursery table. The Wielder is in my hands once again, and in dire need of editing.

However, do not get discouraged. This time it is different. This is what I've heard called "trimming the fat". Removing all the extra info and wordy descriptions that are holding the story back. That is what Stan wants.

I am also going to spruce up the heroine and the villain. That's what I want.

Thankfully, I am well past the pregers hormone issue and writing is, once more, a pleasure. And so...

Round about, and round about, and round about, and round about I go!

It's Complicated

The process of waiting is happily filled with hours of writing and, that rarest of pleasures (rare for the young mother of three, anyway), reading. (And I don't count children's books, sorry). What am I reading?

A few things, actually. I've got a bookmark in William Goldman's "The Princess Bride" (for the millionth blissful time), I just started Jane Austen's "Emma" (only my second reading--I didn't like it the first time), and a book by my favorite writer.

Who is my favorite writer, you ask?

Well, that's where it gets complicated.

The answer is: Stephen King. Yes, you heard correctly--Stephen King, the Horror novelist.

Appropriate response? Shock and (yes) Horror.

But, wait. I don't actually read Horror books (or see Horror movies, comics, etc.). I don't disapprove of them, exactly, but I can't handle them. I'm not built to appreciate stories created to frighten people. They make me hurt in a bad way and I don't like it.

However, Stephen King has written more than a collection of (widely acknowledged to be brilliant) Horror stories. He created a fantasy as well ("The Eyes of the Dragon") and a marvelous book called "On Writing".

Every now and then, you find a book that resonates with you. A book you read over and over because it speaks your language and you always come out of it inspired, enlightened, and just plain satisfied. For me, that book is "On Writing".

Contained in "On Writing" are Stephen King's past experiences and advice to writers, which is all very useful, but what I really like about it is hearing his voice. Behind the terrifying fiction sits a man with admirable morals, deep inner strength, and a macabre sense of humor.

I find his writing advice useful and inspiring, but I usually get more out of his stories. Some are sad, or painful, or just plain dark, but he tells them with humor, so you're laughing when you probably shouldn't be. Or maybe you're laughing exactly when you should be. The point is, you're laughing when he wants you to.

Which is why I can never read the rest of his books. If he can get me laughing at a horrific situation, what would happen when his intention is to terrify? I guess we'll never know. Sorry. It's just not my cup of tea.

Still, I always come out of "On Writing" wishing desperately that my favorite writer had chosen a genre I actually like! Then again, if he had done so, he wouldn't be writing "Truth" he insists all writers need to do. I suspect his abilities are tied to his truth-telling, so he wouldn't be my favorite if he wrote anything else, would he?

Sigh. As I said--it's complicated.

Patience

One month ago (June 24th) my daughter, Audrey, finally joined our family and I took a month off everything. She's a great baby: sleeps pretty well, eats plenty, and watches the world through calm, interested blue eyes. We're all glad she's here--even our two-year-old!

My recovery, though slow, is progressing and the writing itch is gradually returning, but the lack of sleep and periodic illnesses in our house have kept it from taking full form. Much as I would like to bury myself in character and plot, I find my alone-time taken up with sleeping, eating, and the rarest of all blessings--showering!

Still, the itch must and will be satisfied soon. My other two children started letting me sleep at about four months old. With luck, Audrey will take a hint and follow their example, but I may not wait that long anyway. Sometimes, sleep or no sleep, you just have to write.

I'm not there yet. No.

But I will be soon.

In the meantime, I'll fill my days with cuddling Audrey and chasing my crazy boys around the house and backyard (gotta get back in shape somehow, right?), all while waiting to hear Stan's thoughts on the manuscript.

Yes, he's still reading it and I'm hoping to hear that he's ready to shop it around with publishers. Waiting and hoping--the fate of all would-be-published writers. Hmm. If I didn't have a baby to cuddle, I don't know if I could handle it just now.

Thankfully I do have my darling daughter and I can be patient. I can. I swear!

Yeah, right. :P

Waiting

Baby hasn't come yet (groan) and I can't stop thinking about the manuscript. As I said in a previous post, no manuscript is perfect and all I can think about are the mistakes I made.

I know of at least one (admittedly small) error I missed: adding an apostrophe where I shouldn't have. And I have some doubts about one or two scenes. They might be too long or give away too much information. The book might be too long or the plot too complicated.

Once the baby gets here, I'm sure I'll be able to stop fussing over these things--at least until I get feedback from editors telling me what I did wrong ;)

But that's months away. What's a super-pregers writer to do?

Well, this one is going to get a pedicure this afternoon and forget her worries in a big bowl of fresh watermelon. Ha!

At Last

I DID IT!

The manuscript is in Stan's capable hands and my baby could come any day. Talk about cutting it close!

I'm so relieved I'm actually as a loss for words. I'll update when I have more to say.

:D

Good Enough?

Here we go...sprinting to the finish!

I've completed my overhaul of the synopsis, outline, bio, and query letter. My husband is more than halfway through the manuscript and I'm already working on the part he's finished. In other words--nearly there!

And a good thing too. My baby girl is due in six weeks and they way things are looking, she may not be willing to stay inside that long. We've already had one bout of 'false labor' that seemed pretty real to me (even the doctors were nervous). I'm being told to rest, drink lots of fluids, and stay calm. (Right! With two toddler boys running around? Ha!)

Stick it out, little girl!

Still, all this time 'resting' has given me more time to work on the manuscript.
Confession: the closer I get to being done, the more nervous I feel. Knowing this is the last rewrite for some time kind of scares me. I've written enough to know perfection is never really attainable--for me anyway. I can get close, but there's always an error to fix or a phrase that could be just a little clearer. My mother (an amazing writer herself) calls it layers of editing.

So here we are, about to send my work out to editors, and I just can't be sure what layer of editing I've reached. I feel good about this book now--confident that it's the best it's ever been. But is it good enough?

I guess we'll find out...eventually.

First I have to finish! Ha ha!

The Whole Package

Getting down to the wire here, but very close to being done. My husband has the manuscript now and he's my last reader. While he's reading it over, I'm rewriting my outline and synopsis. At least my bio is up to date, so that's one thing I don't have to worry about.

You know, it was only after I found my agent that discovered I had to have what I call the Package: an outline, synopsis, and bio. I mean, come on! I already wrote an entire book--several times over if you count the different drafts. That, at least, was fun. Grrrr.

So be warned, future novelists, and be prepared. While you're sending out those queries to agents or editors, get your Package ready.

I like to start with the outline. It's easy enough. I scan through the book and express each chapter in concise, outline form. Then I read it through, removing unnecessary details, and there I have a working outline.

From the outline I construct my synopsis. Now, I've done this a few times, but I'll be honest--I'm not very good at it. How can I realistically summarize my entire novel in only four or five pages (or less) and still maintain a story-like flow? Not easy. I recommend looking up the tried-and-true techniques used by published novelists. They've already proven that can write a worthwhile synopsis, which I have yet to do--sigh.

The bio is simpler. It's basically your writing resume, but without the fancy fonts and layout. Just tell them what you've done: short stories, writing awards, plays, and education is nice too. They don't really want to hear that you worked in a candy shop for four years (unless your novel is about a candy shop, of course) or that you hate broccoli (please, please, please tell me your novel isn't about broccoli!).

The point of all this--writing a novel isn't enough to get you noticed. You have to learn the writing trade and prove you're professional enough to pull your weight. The synopsis, outline, and bio are certainly for the editor's convenience (and don't you want to make their job easier?), but they're also a great exercise for the author. I know any number of fellow writers who, when they are asked 'What is your book about?', chew their lips for a moment then say 'It's, well, I guess you just have to read it.'

Not good. The cure? Write a synopsis. And probably an elevator-pitch too (that single sentence that expresses your story in a nutshell). Good for the writer, helpful to the editors, and a life-saver for the hapless innocents who politely ask what your book is about.

And lots of work. :)

I better get back to it.

Always Another Story

Well, I'm just about there.

Only seven chapters left to edit (along with a handful of other preparations) and I can send the manuscript off to Stan for the last time. :)

You know, I've been thinking about writing and why I do it. I've read authors' bios and 'how-to' books and they all talk about why they write. Most of them say the same thing--'because I have to' or 'it's like an addiction--I can't stop!' Almost all of them will tell you frankly that you shouldn't do it for the fame or money. There isn't much to be had.

Of course, there are exceptions. JK Rowling threw the whole world for a loop with her genius and she deserves every penny and every moment of glory her work produced.

But what about the rest of us? We can't all be Rowlings and there are countless brilliant writers out there who deserve far, far more money and fame than they will ever receive.

And I don't even fit in the brilliant category.

I know it's most likely that if I do manage to find a publisher, I'll sell a few books, collect one or two good reviews, a whole lot more bad ones, be generally ignored, collect a handful of fans, and generally be unrecognizable to the few people who have read my book. The money I get will be just enough to take my family to Disneyland once or give my kids one good Christmas.

This is what I've heard. Do I believe it? You bet.

But why? Why shouldn't I be the next Rowling? Why not daydream of fame, fortune, and glamorous interviews?

Because, my friends, that's not why I write. Oh, I'll admit I have my daydreaming moments, but then reality always sinks in and I smile at myself. Castles in Spain, as my husband and I call them, are lovely as long as you remember reality is a lot more substantial and satisfying.

So why do I write? My husband once asked me that question. "What if your book doesn't sell?" he asked. "What if you don't even find a publisher?"

I laughed. "I'll write the next one. There's always another story."

I'm not the first writer to say it and I certainly won't be the last, but I write because I have to, because it's like an addiction. I love it!

This week's craving...my manuscript!

Wow. Where did February go? I know it's a short month, but seriously?!

Good news is the edit is well on its way. I'm almost halfway through it now and that is a very good thing, because I'm more than halfway through this pregnancy. And let me tell you something, I may not like writing much right now (though in the last few days that's improved a bunch!), but this is nothing to how useless I'll be for the first four months of newborn-motherhood.

For those of you not in the know, birth to four months of age is blur of sleep deprivation, hormones, and loss of self. Oh, there are compensations. Mine will come in the form a sweet baby girl to cuddle and care for, not to mention the three sweet boys who already make my life worthwhile.

Anyway, the point is writing is going to take a back seat once my little princess arrives. Therefore, it is vital to my sanity (and Stan's, I'm assuming) that I finish this--my last draft (hopefully for some time anyway)--before the blessed event.

In a perfect world, I would finish in good time and Stan could shop it around while I heal up and rest. Everyone knows it takes months to run a manuscript through its paces, so if my timing is right I should be able to sit back and hope the editors take their sweet time.

And so, my job right now and is to blast through this manuscript and whip it into marvelous condition.

To my delight (as mentioned earlier) this is not such a difficult task at the moment. I find I have never enjoyed my story so much and I get as big a kick out of it as I do reading right now--which is nothing short of miraculous.

Heck, if this 'writing craving' lasts, I'll be done in a few weeks and have plenty of time to shop for pretty pink baby clothes!

Saving the Day...again.

How very interesting. I am fast coming to the conclusion that, with very few exceptions, agents know what they are talking about. Not that I doubted Stan's abilities, but it isn't always easy to admit I missed something. I'm sure other writers will agree with me here--the instinct is to defend our work. Every blasted word. And sometimes they really, really need to be blasted.

Now, as it happens, I like critiques. I want my book to be the best book ever and that means having other people tear it apart from time to time.

And yet. I'm finding that as this book reaches it's full potential I am more and more inclined to defend it. In the last year I have ripped it apart and rewritten it at least four times (NOT exaggerating) and I don't regret a single rewrite. I haven't written one book--I've written five! Go me!

Well, the last time I sent my beloved manuscript off to Stan, I firmly believed this was it. IT! I was done. Oh, he might have a few notes here and there, but it was finally something I was insanely proud of. I loved every scene and adored the new ending.

Imagine my chagrin when Stan informed my that while my story and writing was top notch, my characters (most of them) seemed a little too "the same". WHAT!? Impossible! NO! They were perfect, unique, and exactly right!

And then I calmed down and thought it over reasonably.

Well, I decided, assuming he is correct (and I had a horrible, nagging feeling he was), what am I going to do about it?

The answer? Buckle down and edit once more.
The result? Characters that make me laugh out loud and sparkle all over the page! WOW! I didn't even know what I was missing!

Chalk this one up to Stan 'The Amazing Agent'--saving the day again!

Forcing the Mood

Well, sure enough Stan had some comments on the manuscript. Some I didn't agree with, but most were too good to pass up. It's not going to be a complicated edit (thank goodness!), but the work is going rather slow.

Why? A reasonable question with a strange answer. I find that most of the time I adore writing--can't live without it--but there are certain things that affect this feeling and one of them is pregnancy.

Ah ha! The truth comes out--I'm expecting my third little bundle of joy this summer!!! We are thrilled, you bet, and the timing is perfect. We just bought our first house and have settled in nicely, the kids will all be about two years apart (just what we wanted), and I'm even reasonably comfortable this time around (an absolute miracle!)

Unfortunately, something in my particular pregnancy hormone cocktail kills any desire I have to write. I CAN write, of course, (at least, I think I can...hmmm, if I can't, I don't want to know) but I find I'd rather read just now than anything else. I'm craving my book collection as much as, if not more than, chocolate or pickles.

So where does that leave my plans for The Wielder? Oh, I'll do it, never fear. It's not complicated and it's got to be done. It just might take a little longer than I'd like. Well, it's a small price to pay to add another darling to my brood!

All right, I'm off to bury myself in that manuscript. Catch you when I come up for air!