Well, dear readers, at approximately 12:30 last night, after an all day and evening marathon writing session, I finished my nineteenth book. I basically did two days of writing in one day – thirty-four pages in all. I’m quite sure I’ll be futzing and finessing a huge amount tomorrow, and I’m hoping I got it right and that it’s at least okay, but I just wanted to get it done and I was kind of on a roll. So, on to futzing and finessing in the morning.
I got almost eight hours of sleep, arising around eleven. Once up, I answered e-mails, and did other stuff while I became coherent. At around noon I began to futz and finesse, and that actually went rather quickly, as I was pretty happy with the pages from the day before. Then I wrote a few new pages. I actually never felt like I was forcing myself to write. I took lots of breaks, had Taco Bell for lunch, watched two more You episodes, which has now gotten to the hugely ridiculous point, but I’m in for the rest of it because I’ve gone this far and I pretty much know where they’re going. But the real problem with these series that present one story line for a full season is that they eventually just start repeating the same scenes over and over again. How many times can they have a character change their mind without said character seeming like a total idiot. They do this repeatedly in this series and you just smack your head after a while. Plus, as I said, the dialogue and performances of the supporting actors is terrible, and I think we can lay that at the feet of the creators and writers.
There were several times when I had to just sit at the computer like so much fish and figure out where I was going and how to get there. In one instance, I made at least four false starts before I found something I liked. When I get towards the end of a book, I do have bullet points about the general way things will go. I did for this, but I ended up not liking them, hence all the other tries. I think what I ultimately did is okay, at least I hope so. I made the final chapters of the book very short, because that felt like a fun pace thing to do after some very long chapters. If for some reason that doesn’t feel right, I’ll consolidate them into one longer chapter, then go back and do three chapter splits in the really long chapters of twenty-four pages or more.
I had some pistachio nuts for my evening snack, but mostly I just kept mushing on. I took a hot shower and actually got two really good ideas whilst doing so.
This was kind of a fun book to do and hopefully Muse Margaret will be okay with the last 130 pages she’ll be getting.
Today, I’ll get up and futz and finesse, which I’m sure will take a bit of time, then I’ll print out pages, Xerox pages, and deliver pages. Then I may go have a celebratory meal somewhere fun, maybe even the Smoke House. That would depend on who was available. Then I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, come home, listen to music and relax, and wait for the call from Muse Margaret.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, a rehearsal for the upcoming concert, doing and going and going and doing, and beginning the proofing process for the new book. Then on Sunday we do our two-show concert day, first show at one, second at five. I have to be there at ten, so a very long day for me.
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, maybe have a celebratory meal, hopefully pick up some packages, wait for a call from Muse Margaret, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite poetry quotes? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, so happy and thrilled to have finished book number 19. And in the almost words of my close personal friend, Mr. Stephen Sondheim: Look I made a book, where there never was a book.