Re-Thiink

 Doing a RE-Think

Re-imagine

When I received the email showing me the cover for my latest novel, Corners and Straight Edges, I was happy. It captured a caring teacher working with a group of first graders.  Perfect. 

Teaching is not for the faint of heart. It goes well beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. In the story, first grade teacher, Katharine Gilmore balances teaching with the needs of her husband and teenaged son as well as caring for her aging mother, Mimi. It is her mother’s advice that guides her through tough situations.

“Life is like a puzzle,” Mimi tells her. “Find the corners and straight edges first and everything else will fall into place.”

Hence the title of the book. And the next project.

I took the picture of the book cover and ordered a jigsaw puzzle made of it. Five hundred…yes… 5-0-0 pieces…later, I had the book cover taking up a third of our dining room table. Now I had to figure out what to do with it. 

I decided to use a puzzle-fix to coat it on both sides and frame it for Writer’s Roost. Seems appropriate. I don’t have the frame yet, but the picture is ready. Now I’ll have a great picture for the “kid’s room” at Writer’s Roost. On to the next project!

Re-finish

When we purchased Writer’s Roost, we had to purchase some furniture for the space. We found a sofa sleeper at a local furniture store but needed a small “occasional chair” for the living room as well. We wanted something that wouldn’t take up too much space, offer additional seating, and could be easily moved. 

I found a great, sturdy, wood chair through Marketplace. I plucked down my ten bucks and put it in my car. It took some sanding and painting, but the once black chair is now a bright white and ready for service. 

Re-Write

Re-write is the author’s anthem. Yes, we would love to nail the story down on the first try, but that rarely happens. I have had the privilege of talking with some world class authors like James Scott Bell and Angela Hunt. They will tell you, you get better and stronger, but you still need rewrites and editors.

I’ve been to many writing conferences. I’ve studied under the tutelage of different kinds of editors. There are developmental editors, line editors, copy editors, acquisition editors…just to name a few. 

What I’ve learned is no matter how hard I work at polishing my story, there will always be “something” I need to fix or change or delete. That said…I have talked to new writers who say something akin to “I’ll tell the story and let an editor fix it. That’s what they get paid to do.”

If you have that attitude, you will never be published. I say that, but if you already had a big name and lots of fame, you may get a publishing house to help you write your story. 

BUT…if you are like me, a storyteller with characters only living in your brain, you need to go through multiple rewrites and fixes to get a manuscript ready for a publisher.

So that’s where I am… Right smack dab in the middle of Re-Imagining, Re-Finishing, and Re-Writing. Right in the middle of living a full life!