Some days when I sit down to write the words seem to flow and something exciting happens. Other days there's one distraction after another; I do more deleting than writing, and I'm not happy with anything I've done. Most days there's a mixture of great progress and dismal disappointments. That's how life works, so why should creating a life for fictional characters be any different?
Take today for example. I started off the day by not being able to complete my exercise routine because my knee hurt too much, but fortunately I already had an appointment set up with my doctor. X-rays showed the damage to my knee has progressed so far, the usual shots aren't going to work any more, but my insurance company approved an injection of goop between the bare bones to provide a temporary cushion and hopefully encourage my knee to regrow it's own spongy layer. Now instead of hurting, my leg is numb, which doesn't improve my gracefulness any. But my husband made yummy strawberry-rhubarb crumble for dinner and I discovered my new book If I Shoud Die is number eight on Deseret Book's Mystery/Suspense Bestseller list and it won't even be released for another couple of weeks. I love those advance sales they offer. Oh, and the Jazz drew number three for the NBA Draft next month!
A couple of years ago I wrote an epic historical with too many characters, a too complicated plot, and a few other problems. My publisher's editorial board said to divide it into two books, eliminate some things, and strengthen others. I recently completed one of those two books and had it accepted, so now I'm hard at work on the second book. A major rewrite/revision is another one of those mixed bag deals. Yesterday I progressed almost thirty pages, today two and a half. In many ways writing a new book from scratch is easier because with a rewrite I have to decide which scenes I want to keep, rearrange them to fit the new story, cut out those elements used in the other book, keep the time frame compatible with the first book, sometimes assign whole scenes to a different character because the scene is necessary, but the original character is no longer available, pull it all together with new text, and the list goes on. Going back to revisit characters I was so deeply involved with a few years ago is both fun and gives me the odd sense that I've jumped into a time machine and I'm creating havoc by changing history.
Just one more observation on a mixed bag kind of day. My fingernails are driving me crazy. Every once in awhile they get so long I hit the key above the one I want when I type and I end up writing some weird words and waste a lot of time fixing errors. For the most part I love my nails long and they are no problem except when typing. And an additional plus, the longer they are, the more people notice and compliment me, and who doesn't enjoy a compliment now and then! But the time has come. They've got to go, so instead of writing tonight, I'll be chopping and filing.
Take today for example. I started off the day by not being able to complete my exercise routine because my knee hurt too much, but fortunately I already had an appointment set up with my doctor. X-rays showed the damage to my knee has progressed so far, the usual shots aren't going to work any more, but my insurance company approved an injection of goop between the bare bones to provide a temporary cushion and hopefully encourage my knee to regrow it's own spongy layer. Now instead of hurting, my leg is numb, which doesn't improve my gracefulness any. But my husband made yummy strawberry-rhubarb crumble for dinner and I discovered my new book If I Shoud Die is number eight on Deseret Book's Mystery/Suspense Bestseller list and it won't even be released for another couple of weeks. I love those advance sales they offer. Oh, and the Jazz drew number three for the NBA Draft next month!
A couple of years ago I wrote an epic historical with too many characters, a too complicated plot, and a few other problems. My publisher's editorial board said to divide it into two books, eliminate some things, and strengthen others. I recently completed one of those two books and had it accepted, so now I'm hard at work on the second book. A major rewrite/revision is another one of those mixed bag deals. Yesterday I progressed almost thirty pages, today two and a half. In many ways writing a new book from scratch is easier because with a rewrite I have to decide which scenes I want to keep, rearrange them to fit the new story, cut out those elements used in the other book, keep the time frame compatible with the first book, sometimes assign whole scenes to a different character because the scene is necessary, but the original character is no longer available, pull it all together with new text, and the list goes on. Going back to revisit characters I was so deeply involved with a few years ago is both fun and gives me the odd sense that I've jumped into a time machine and I'm creating havoc by changing history.
Just one more observation on a mixed bag kind of day. My fingernails are driving me crazy. Every once in awhile they get so long I hit the key above the one I want when I type and I end up writing some weird words and waste a lot of time fixing errors. For the most part I love my nails long and they are no problem except when typing. And an additional plus, the longer they are, the more people notice and compliment me, and who doesn't enjoy a compliment now and then! But the time has come. They've got to go, so instead of writing tonight, I'll be chopping and filing.
3 comments:
I feel your pain. I first gave up my fingernails to being a young mother, then to being a nurse. I would love to have compliments about my hands, oh well, they serve in other ways. My guilty pleasure is great pedicures, that never affects my typing. Good luck with your second manuscript.
It's just so nice to hear that other people have "mixed bag" days too! My entire weekend last weekend was a series of unfortunate events. I probably would've cried if I'd had the time...but there were good things as well...mixed bag. Maybe a manicure or pedicure would've helped...IF there had been time!
It's nice to know there are others who have mixed up days and struggle with fingernails!
Post a Comment