Well, dear readers, at approximately six-ten yesterday evening I wrote the final sentence of my new novel. Of course, when I futz and finesse, it could change, but I rather liked it when I was writing it and I’ve peeked at it a couple of times since and still like it. There are certain things the feel unlike any other, at least for me, and one of those things, perhaps the most rewarding of all, is finishing a book. Or, to paraphrase my close personal friend, Mr. Stephen Sondheim, look I made a book where there never was a book.
I began my fourteenth book on January 1, as is my wont. With this book I took myself completely out of my comfort zone, which is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to write something unlike anything I’ve ever written. It was frightening, daunting, and a lot of other ings, but through it all it was the amazing Muse Margaret’s reaction to what she was reading, that kept me going. She has been loving this book from the start. She’s only had very minor things for me to think about, all of which I’ve incorporated as I’ve gone along. I’m hoping she likes the final seventy pages she’ll be getting today and hopefully I’ll know that by the end of the day.
I really didn’t think I was going to finish until Friday, but because I went on a writing tear yesterday and did over fifteen pages, and because I did nine before one o’clock, I knew that if I buckled down, Winsocki, that I could finish it. Because I was in that zone I just kept going, taking only small breaks, then going back and cleaning things up, then going on towards the end.
As always, as I was doing the final three pages, I got overwhelmed by emotion in a really crazy way. It always happens, because I always fall in love with the characters, and that has been especially true of this book. I won’t say more until I hear Muse Margaret’s reaction, after which I may just reveal the title. I can’t promise that it will be a book that’s up everyone’s alley, but I am extremely proud of it for very many reasons, most importantly the discipline it took to write in a different way than I have before. You’ll understand when you know more about the book.
Prior to finishing the book, I was up at eight-thirty and out of bed at nine. I called the car place to see what time my appointment was, and it was ten. I asked if I could just come early and get it done and they said yes. So, I went to Glendale and had my passenger side mirror replaced. They said it would take an hour, so I walked the mile to Foxy’s coffee shop, where I had bacon and eggs. As I was finishing the meal, I got the call that the car was ready, but that the two rear tires really needed to be replaced. At my last servicing in December they’d told me they didn’t have more than a couple of months left on them, so it wasn’t really a surprise. They also wanted to change the air filter, and clean out the steering wheel fluid and put new fluid in. I said yes to all, and they told me it would take the rest of the day to do it. So, I walked back, they gave me a loaner and I came right home, where I went right to work writing.
At four-thirty, they called and said the car was ready. My plan was to not pick it up until six-fifteen, to avoid some of the traffic going there and coming home. Instead, I got right in the loaner and drove back and thankfully there wasn’t a speck of traffic and I was there fifteen minutes later. I got the car and drove out and back to the freeway and happily found that there wasn’t a speck of traffic and I was home by five, rather unbelievable. I then wrote the last few pages. As soon as I was done, I called Sami Staitman’s mom and told her I’d finished – we’d decided to celebrate whenever I finished, so we said we’d meet an hour later. Then I called Muse Margaret and told her I’d finished. She was very happy. Then I met the Staitman gals. I had a meatless Cobb Salad with 1000-Island dressing, and then some tap tap tapioca pudding, and Sami had some cheesecake and Karen had some apple crumb something or other. Then I came home and for the first time in ages, actually relaxed. At some point, I did add one little paragraph that Muse Margaret had asked for – all the way back in the first chapter. I’d already written a rough version of it, so I just cut and pasted it in, revised it, and that was that.
Today, I shall futz and finesse what I wrote yesterday, then I’ll print out the pages, get them Xeroxed, then deliver them to Muse Margaret. Then I’ll have some lunch, after which I’ll hopefully pick up some packages. And then I’m doing nothing. I’ll relax, I’ll watch a motion picture for the first time in a couple of weeks, I’ll catch up on e-mails and telephonic calls that that’s it.
Tomorrow and Friday will also be relaxation days, although I do have to write a set of liner notes at some point this week. At three on Friday, neighbor Tony Slide and I will attend the big book fair in the Dena of Pasa. I’ll hang out there for around three hours, then Tony and I will grab a bite to eat. Saturday I’ll begin jogging again, then I’m seeing our show that night, and then taking Sami for her fourteenth birthday dinner at Ruth Chris steak house in the Hills of Beverly. Sunday I’m a judge at Michael Sterling’s annual singing contest at The Federal and I may be seeing a show on Sunday night.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, futz and finesse, print pages, Xerox pages, deliver pages, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, relax, and hopefully get a call from Muse Margaret, who I’m praying will like the final seventy or so pages of the book. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finished the new novel and book fourteen.