Fly, little manuscript! Be free!

[rj_anderson]

Gone, gone, gone, gone, yes my book is gone,
Now my soul is free and in my heart's a song...

Except not really, because now that I have finished obsessively line-editing Knife and forced myself to mail it off, I can now look forward to spending the next few weeks/months chewing on my fingernails and wondering if the editor and the two agents who requested the full ms. of Knife are going to say "yay!" or "pphhllbbttt!"

To reward myself for rewriting a 104,000 word novel in five months, I am going to buy this book, which I hope will make writing my next book a lot easier. It was superwench83's review that convinced me. However, I have determined to take a sanity break from writing for the rest of December, so I'll have to wait until January to find out if the book's system really works.

Things I must now do, the sooner the better:

• Get my two younger children immunized against chicken pox, since my oldest has already succumbed. I do not want to be dealing with poxy children over Christmas if I can help it.


• Go over my message for our church's Coffee Hour this Thursday.


• Round up the choir for another couple of practices before the Christmas program on Sunday night.


• Make Bible-type costumes for my two sons who are in said Christmas program. (Note to self: look for bathrobes at Goodwill. You will not find them since 1,000,000 other mothers with children in Christmas plays will be doing the same thing, but it will make you feel better that you tried.)


• Shop for 16 nephews and nieces. (Fortunately, most of them like books. Even better, most of them like fantasy/SF. Win!)


• Make Snickerdoodles (thank you, kizmet_42), Alaskan shortbread, and Carrot Pudding. Possibly The Thing as well, if I feel up to it.

Also, I have a question of deep and abiding import:
[Poll #886973]

Thank you for participating in our survey. Your name has been automatically entered into our draw to win a no-prize!

Also, thanks to everyone for the virtual stocking gifts, many of which made me sporfle.

Comments

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey. I have that book; I think you'll like it. When I first read it, I was amused to see that it was essentially the same method I'd worked out for myself, but it's definitely worth reading. What you wind up with isn't so much an actual draft as it is an extremely detailed outline, but it saves you an enormous amount of rewriting in the long run, because you manage to solve any problems with the plot, POV, etc., in advance.

I think almost every novelist would benefit from reading that book, even if they don't adopt that particular method.

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Huh. I call my rough drafts glorfied-outlines-with-dialogue. I never knew it was some kind of recognized method. *blinks*

I'm not sure whether to think that's cool or be all weirded out that my private method is being sold around in a book. j/k

[cesario.livejournal.com]

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I think I need that book myself.

[serenasnape.livejournal.com]

Your icon gave me a (slightly guilty) giggle!

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

Ah, Biblical costumes. If you need a basic course in the making of t-tunics, let me know and I'll send you my information. (I handed down all my old early-period SCA costumes to my sister's church for their living Nativity, along with instructions for draping and wearing veils, pinning Roman cloaks, etc.)

16 nephews and nieces! And only 14 shopping days left -- you're a braver woman than I am. :)

[naomichana.livejournal.com]

We have had great success with simple Bible-type costumes as follows: buy long piece (twice length of person minus a couple feet) of cheap striped or solid fabric in a width likely to more than cover the person (for your kids almost anything will do). Also buy either another strip of contrasting fabric or a length of colored rope for a belt. Dress person in either long flowy-sleeved shirt or simple neutral knit shirt and shorts; cut neckhole (small hole with slit) in middle of fabric and place it over person's head poncho-style; wrap it around at waist and belt it with fabric/rope (or with fabric/rope over regular belt). Hemming any of this is optional. Wear leather sandals. (Add cloth or posterboard turbans and fake yarn beards as desired.)

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

I think I've come to the conclusion that hot-from-the-oven snickerdoodles are the best, but further testing will be required.

I'm glad you like them!

[http://users.livejournal.com/shing_/]

Wow, congrats for finishing your edit!

14 nephews and nieces! *has heart attack at the mere thought* I am forever grateful that our family decided long ago to forego trading presents.

Snickerdoodles are love. YUM. It reminds me of my uni days -- my roomie used to make them to de-stress.

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on sending it off - my fingers are crossed for you! And that does, indeed, sound like a fascinating book.

As for the blogs, I said merge them, by all means. I should think most of us who have friended you do not mind either the kids or the theology.

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

I read your LJ and your blog anyway; seems that it might be useful to you to put it all in one place, but I expect I'd still keep up with both if you decided to keep them. :-)

Two blogs or one?

[camillofan.livejournal.com]

I voted for the merger: I like one-stop shopping, and I'm happy to read interesting people on almost any topic.

[Oh, okay, I'm sure you could write on a topic I wouldn't want to read about, so don't take that as a challenge! :-) ]

Re: Two blogs or one?

[(Anonymous)]

1. re: merger -- yes! merge! one-stop shopping!

2. snickerdoodles -- oh yes. Yum yum. Just make sure your baking powder still has its fizz.

3. nieces and nephews -- it's time for your family to start drawing names.

Re: Two blogs or one?

[auditrixlectrix.livejournal.com]

that was me writing the numbered reply.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Well done! Well done!

It's hard to let go, I know - but you've done the right thing.

Congratulations!

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

I left you something in your stocking!

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

You should do as you please on the blog, but personally I read both, so, not going to bother me at all to have them in one place!

[kalquessa.livejournal.com]

Wooo! Good on you for getting Knife out there. Personally, I would spend the next week going over the copy of what I just sent out looking for errors that I can't fix now because it's too late. Hopefully you stay occupied with your to-do list above instead.

Also: Totally merge your blog onto LJ! I am too lazy to check the other blog frequently, but I am always interested to read about my friends kids and thoughts on theology.

[jamesbow.livejournal.com]

Remember: copies of "The Unwritten Girl" make excellent Christmas presents. :-)