Carrying the flag(s)
If your name is Ivan, and you live in Salt Lake, UT, could you maybe check your email, friend? We’ve been trying to give you an audio book.
***
The PostIts are gone, replaced by a tasteful vertical bouquet of little yellow plastic flags along the side of the latest draft, each marking a note in the text I have yet to deal with. The missing bits are filled in, my editor’s May comments incorporated, and the thing is now 450 pages, with probably ten or fifteen more to come before the end–not the longest book I’ve done, which is fine, I wanted this one to be a little tighter. In the end, it’s become an almost classically styled police procedural. With a twist.
Still no name. It’ll probably come once my editor has read it, next month.
Now: to the flags.
God, I love those little flags. I found a highlighter that has a little flag dispensor built into the side and that totally made my week=)
*bounces in excitement* 450 pages?! Yay! I know that the number of pages is no indication of how good a book is, but since it is you writing I know it will be good so I can relish the fact that I will have a good long book to read.
Can’t wait to find out what the title is!
-Erin=)
If Ivan doesn’t want to be bothered with his audio book, I’d be happy to step in for him! 🙂
kay
Oh, I can imagine that pain of rewriting. Sitting and brooding over the manuscript of my dissertation which I should have sent to the publisher something like ages ago. But it’s so horribly painful to read one’s own stupid words again and know that they might become only worse and worse if one keeps changing them. Tonight, I am hating every single letter on every single line of these appalling 550 sheet of paper …
It must feel great to trade the Post-Its for something more subtle 🙂 I hope you get a bit of a breather after sending this draft off — time to rediscover how to make conversation, dig in the garden, invite the cat back into the writing room, etc. . .
Hi,
I’m Ivan! Only I’ve changed my name to Dixie (yeah that’s it) and I now live in Iowa. Convincing enough? Shoot! I didn’t think so either. Have a good day and congratulations Ivan – wherever you are!
Dixie
I agree with Cornelia — this reminds me, too, of writing my dissertation — or, rather, being busy not writing it. With no deadline as such, and no one to nudge me about writing, I would start to clean the garage, as I knew that once that was done I could then settle down to writing (in the house) ….
I’ve been impressed with how well Laurie keeps track of all the odd bits and pieces in the Russell/Holmes books from one book to another: I pictured her house with one giant mural listing factoids to check. I had no idea there was so much other stuff to check and double-check.
I just get a laugh thinking about Holmes will do with an infant.
Ms. King here is a website I think you and your readers on your blog might, like it is about Sam the winner of the Ugly Dog contest. Here is his website, I think you get a kick out of him,http://samugliestdog.com/ and of a six legged puppy and other ugly animals http://sam-the-man.net/more.html