Write in the Middle of a Crazy, Wild, and Wonderful Week

I have had a crazy, wild, and wonderful week! It all started as I finished writing my second novel. I’m calling it Shirley’s Cuppa Joe for now. Of course publishers have the final say in titles so who knows what its name will be in the end. I am being very optimistic. I haven’t even pitched it to a publishing house yet. But I like it. For now that is enough.

I hope to go to a writing conference in Wheaton, Illinois next week. We’ll see. As I said, I have had a crazy, wild, and wonderful week.  I had just finished the first complete draft my book. Our daughter in Wisconsin called to tell us she was ready to have her baby. We arrived in plenty of time to welcome our sixth grandchild into the world on Tuesday. They named her Rebekah. I am so honored.

Rebekah

Jolene

Then on the following Monday, our youngest daughter who lives in Ohio gave birth to our seventh grandchild. They named her Jolene. Our family is exploding numerically and I am feeling this constant tugging to abandon everything else and care for my daughters. And hold my granddaughters.

But that’s okay. I should have time. I subscribe to the “put the book in a drawer for a week or two” method of revision. At least that’s what I call it. I have put the book aside. Out of view. I envision putting it in a dresser drawer for a week. It is still too fresh in my mind. If I try to edit or revise it now, I won’t catch everything.

In this case I didn’t put the manuscript in a drawer. I gave a hard copy to my mother. She is a reader. She loves books. More importantly, she will be honest with me if something doesn’t make sense.

Even with this method, the novel has been so much a part of my life for the last several months, I find myself thinking about it. A lot.

For example, while staying with my daughter in Wisconsin, we were talking about Door County. Although I have not experienced a power outage there, I know they happen. I have a place in my book where Sonja’s electric goes off in the winter causing her pipes to freeze. Now I know why. It was a power outage. It’s a small detail but one I want to include. So I jotted a note about it for later.

When Sonja’s father had a heart attack, he was admitted to a hospital in Kenosha. I realized on this trip that I should add a line regarding its location. Another note in my little notebook. I know I will be making those small changes as well as fixing technical issues such as spelling and so forth. I also know I will have hard work ahead of me to change the manuscript to make the story flow smoothly, clarify events, offer character clues where needed and so forth.

Writing is fun. Editing is necessary. Revision is where the real work begins.

Even though I am not working on my novel for these next couple of weeks I am still writing. I accepted a small freelance job, I have my blog, I am preparing two query letters for articles I want to write this fall, and I am starting work on a new project. I have been challenged by a colleague to write a Christian Romance novella. 

Talk about crazy and wild! So how about you? Where is your writing taking you?  Leave a comment. Let me know.