Oh, fudge! This is taking longer than I expected. (So what else is new?) Still on track, but I took the blinders off for a moment and realized I've got projects stacked up like planes in a blizzard. Sigh.BUT... I like the work I did. It was worth all the trouble. And I find I hit the halfway point a little early. (Not as early as it seems, since I scheduled in a week off in the middle.) I forgot to flog for beta readers, but I had a few trickle in.
Now I'm ready to dive into the last 11 chapters, which should constitute the last third of the book. I think this will go faster, but I may have some "placeholder" scenes in there which have to be rewritten from scratch. (Shifting facts, development of minor characters into a more important role, etc.)
Can I do this in a week?
Tell you what; I think I can. It might take another week to get it ready for Beta readers, but I think I can get it whole and all the placeholders replaced in one week. And for that reason, I'm upping the minutes goal for this week. Two hours minimum every day except Wednesday. 720 minutes between now and the next Sunday update. And I'm going to aim at three hours most days.
(EDIT to add: this goal is just shy of 4000 minutes -- so this week's motto is "4000 Minutes or Bust!"
As for progress:
Wednesday Day 31 - 68 minutes. I managed an hour of read/editing, even though I usually take this day-from-heck off. Liked what I read.
Thursday Day 32 - 102 minutes. Busier day than I expected. I meant to go see Psycho, playing a real theater, but I ended up skipping it... and then not making good use of the time. Pttthp!
(And after I updated, I had some great "off the clock" time while brushing my teeth. One more tiny thread which would make some weak spots in the last act work great.)
Friday Day 33 - 165 minutes. Working working....
Saturday Day 34 - 140 minutes. ... working, working.
Upcoming posts:
- Monday: Revamping Covers A look at the whole set of Man Who covers, and how it is inspiring to revamp some of my older covers.
- Wednesday: ROW80 Update
- Thursday: Slushpile 2 - The strata of the slush pile, as I've experienced it, and a little discussion on skiing competitions.
See you in the funny papers!
6 comments:
I enjoy your writing style...and the picture at the top of your site. Too funny!
I hope all goes well for you this week and you achieve - maybe even surpass - your goals.
Have a good one.
'til next time...
Looking forward to your post on the slush pile. Have a productive week!
Gina
720 minutes, I think it is doable! I am looking forward to your post on book covers (I'm a sucker for graphic design); but more than that, I'm looking forward to your post next Sunday where you've obliterated--in a productive way--these last 11 chapters!
Good luck, and good work so far!
Thanks, Stephanie -- yes, that illustration is a hoot. I even had a scene inspired by it for The Serial when I get to it.
Gina - my experience reading slush may not be typical, but it is highly varied. Maybe it's my teaching background, but I find the differences and similarities across the field very interesting.
Tracy: thanks! Yes, it's doable -- the question is mainly whether that's enough time in the manuscript.
On another note: You know writing is something like classroom teaching -- every "contact hour" requires another hour of prep and taking care of business. So 10 hours a week, nose in manuscript is pretty much a half-time job.
You're almost there! Keep going. You can make it!
Thanks, Ryan!
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