I CAN HAS REVISIONS NAO?

[rj_anderson]

Gacked from snowrabbitses: 1" hole + large octopus = awesome.

Also, the nice lovely courier man rang my doorbell and smilingly delivered my package from HarperCollins today. I nearly kissed his shaggy-bearded face, but I do have some dignity left somewhere around here. I think.

Anyway, I have only had time to glance over the long letter and the numerous comments my editor scribbled on the manuscript, but what I can see looks quite sensible and not at all discouraging. There is a lot of work ahead of me -- tightening, reframing, clarifying, and moving information around -- but hardly any suggestions that I'd disagree with. And even on those few points where I do disagree that something needs to change or be cut, I see that the fault is mine for not explaining that aspect of the story more clearly, and that the difficulty will probably go away once I've done that.

I have no idea how long it's going to take me to actually do the revisions, or exactly how I'm going to tackle them. But I do feel that the end result will be very worthwhile, and that nothing of real value will be lost in the process.

Now if I can only get over the cold, and the PMS, and the three bored, snowbound kids yelling at each other...

Comments

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Oh, the relief! The relief!

*fangirls postie on your behalf*

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[deenaml.livejournal.com]

How exciting! (The revisions, not the cold, etc. :) ) I actually got to meet CO TWICE this past fall at two cons and she was super nice at both -- and now I learned she's coming to another local (Western NY SCBWI con) in Jan (not sure if I'm going)! I hope you get to meet her when you are in NYC for the big con in Feb! Good luck with revisions!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I just went and scrounged your journal for your con reports. I know you'd mentioned that she'd been enthusiastic about Knife but... wow! I feel like Sally Field with her Oscar now. :D

And thanks!

[jgurtler.livejournal.com]

Yay!!!

Have fun!

Janet

[sarah-prineas.livejournal.com]

Phew! I'm glad they arrived safely after all the runaround. Good luck with the edits! And wow, your editor is quick off the mark!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Quick? Really? I mean, I didn't think four months from deal to letter was too bad, but... how long was it before you got your first revision letter after your deal was done?

[sarah-prineas.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was thinking more in terms of publication date. Knife is scheduled for 2009, right? So that's plenty of time!!

My first revision notes arrived six months after we did the deal, and I turned them around in less than three weeks to final draft because we moved up publication by almost a year. I think if we'd been on that old schedule it would've been quite a bit longer.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

My book is actually scheduled for early 2010, so yeah, I'm very glad to have my revisions now!

I hope to work on mine as quickly and efficiently as possible, but the idea of turning them around in three weeks makes me go AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA NO. So I hold you in the utmost respect, nay, awe.

[sarah-prineas.livejournal.com]

Heh. And get this: I had Lyme disease at the time!

So yeah, 2010 means plenty of lovely time.

[robinellen.livejournal.com]

Yay (for the revisions)...um, good luck for the other?

[shoebox2.livejournal.com]

Here to offer ever-stalwart support and sympathy...also, to SQUEEEEEE! a bit.

[hugs] Enjoy. Also, if you have someone around to make you chicken soup, it really does help.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Virtual chicken soup gratefully accepted.

[owl]

All the best for your revisions. That's the bit I find hard to stop....

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Me too! Stop me before I revise again!

You poor lamb

[(Anonymous)]

Sending virtual hot tea, chicken soup, and anything else that might make you feel better physically. A cold OR PMS/period is bad enough, but a cold AND your cycle? In the immortal phrase of Bart Simpson, that both sucks and blows. Hope you'll feel much better soon.

Hugs,
Mary Anne

[snowrabbitses.livejournal.com]

The octopus was so cool, glad you liked.

I do feel that the end result will be very worthwhile, and that nothing of real value will be lost in the process.
Sounds like the best possible outcome. I wish you maximum inspiration with minimal perspiration (not that working hard isn't a good thing).

three bored, snowbound kids yelling at each other
uh-oh. You must have the patience of a saint!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

You must have the patience of a saint!

Nah, it's just that they're mine, so I don't have much choice! :D

And thanks for the kind words. (And the octopus video.)

[pameladean]

Oh, *good*. My empathy was so acute that I couldn't even say anything.

Maybe the kids could yell at your cold virus rather than one another. Well, I guess the ambient noise level would be unchanged, though, wouldn't it? Never mind.

P.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

My empathy was so acute that I couldn't even say anything.

Thank you. I have moments like that, too -- though probably not as many of them as I ought to have.

[olmue.livejournal.com]

I'm glad your revisions finally made it. And uh, I have no suggestions, but good luck with the snowbound kids!