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January 20, 2017:

THE HOME STRETCH

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am now definitely in the home stretch of the new book. I know this because I just stretched and am in my home. I am in the home stretch because I believe I am now about to begin the last thirty pages of the book. Obviously I can’t know exactly how many pages are left, but I know where I am, page-wise, and I know what’s left to write but I don’t really know how many pages that will encompass. So it could be the thirty or so I think it will be, or it could be slightly less or slightly more. But I am in the home stretch. I can’t imagine not finishing on either Saturday or Sunday, but I have no way of knowing which, but if history is anything to go by, on my past novels I tend to want to just finish at a certain point, and therefore on certain books I’ve written twenty to thirty pages in one go. I don’t intend to do that on this one, although never say never.

Yesterday was one of those days that took a while to get going. I only got six hours of sleep due to waking up at three-thirty. I didn’t fall back asleep until after five due to too much thinking. But I did write a few things down that I ended up using in the book. Once up, I answered e-mails, the helper came by, and then I futzed and finessed, adding, removing, smoothing out and making many small changes throughout the fourteen pages I’d written – or was it fifteen? Once finished with that, I wrote a couple of new paragraphs then went and had a breakfast burrito. After eating all that up, I came right back home, and wrote another half a page or so, so just one new page at that point, because I then had a work session for the Kritzerland show.

That took about forty-five minutes, but we got through everything we needed to. Then I went back to the computer and began writing in earnest. I made the decision not to end the chapter where I’d originally intended, which didn’t feel right to me, so I wrote it the way that felt good and I think that was the right decision. Muse Margaret felt so, too, when I ran it by her. So, that finished the penultimate chapter and I wrote the first couple of lines of the new chapter, even though I knew they would change. By that point I’d written about ten pages.

Then I took a necessary break and listened to the first of a two SACD set of Ravel conducted by Pierre Boulez. While I really liked Mr. Boulez’s way with Ravel on another CD I have, this one isn’t thrilling me – not because of him but because for an SACD the sound is not grabbing me. I’ll actually put it in iTunes and see how that sounds. After that, I got some cashews for my evening snack and I ate all those up plus some low-cal ice cream. Then I took a hot shower, got some good ideas, wrote them down and wrote an additional three pages and completely rewrote the beginning of the chapter several times before I was happy with it. Then I listened to some music.

Today, I’ll be up by ten, I’ll futz and finesse, then I’ll write some new pages, after which I’ll eat, hopefully pick up some packages, then write, write, and write, relax, write, and write. In other words, the usual writing day I’ve been doing for almost three weeks, seven days a week.

Tomorrow will be more of the same and I may just write until I’m finished if I’m within spitting distance. If not, I’m fairly certain I would definitely finish early on Sunday. So, at some point on Sunday I’m hoping to print out the last batch of pages, get them Xeroxed and to Muse Margaret, who I’m hoping will enjoy them. Next week I have to attend to the commentary that I know I won’t begin until I’m finished with the book, then I have a lot of stuff to catch up on, and then we have our first Kritzerland rehearsal on Thursday, which I’m really looking forward to. It’s a very eclectic show – a few of the songs we’ve done before in other shows, but some are new. It’s a good mix and I can’t wait to work with the kids.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, futz and finesse, write, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, write, write, and write, relax, and write. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, many things including SACDs, one of which I’m very interested to hear – the Scott Joplin opera Treemonisha. Blu-ray, there’s a big ol’ stack and I’ll choose something or other if I’m in a movie mode, which I haven’t been for a couple of weeks. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be in the home stretch.

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