Well, dear readers, at about nine-thirty last evening I do believe I finished a book. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, do believe I finished a book. That is not to say, however, that there won’t be a bit of futzing and finessing happening and perhaps a lot of it because I did end up writing about twenty-five pages yesterday, so I’m sure some of that will be horrifying. And I already know that I’m revising the last few paragraphs, which I just wanted to get down, but which aren’t doing what they need to. I’ve already written notes about those revisions. But I was so happy to write that final page. For fun, I had in my original notes for the book a possible coda chapter and I did write it and it’s pretty good, but I don’t think that a) the book needs it, and b) that it’s right for this particular book. Of course, I’m hoping Muse Margaret likes it but if she has any issues, I’ll have to address those. I made certain decisions about certain things, and I hope they work for her. I feel I made the right choices, but I’m sometimes too close to it to see things. I did have quite a bit of fun writing this one, even though some of it, like every book I’ve written, was a struggle to get right in terms of tone and plot. And I do really like the new title I came up with. So, in the morning I’ll futz and finesse for however long that takes, and then I’ll send Muse Margaret a PDF of the new pages, all 144 of ‘em. I really only took one real break and that was for about forty-five minutes where I finished watching that movie about the Night Stalker killer. It was a TV movie but a really badly done TV movie, with inept direction, a horrible script, and some truly awful performances. Add to that a wretched all-synth score, the kind that plagued any number of 1980s movies (this one was 1989) – but this was one of the all-time worst, I must say and have said. And then it was just writing until I crossed the finish line. If I were writing a book about Finland, I would have crossed the Finnish line. We don’t allow groaning here at haineshisway.com.
Yesterday was a day of writing. I was up at eight-thirty and surprisingly got just about eight hours of sleep, since I was in bed by twelve-fifteen and fell asleep pretty quickly, so that was helpful. I was out of her by nine and went to Hugo’s for a bacon, cheese, and scallions omelet, with some of their home fries. It was very good. Then I picked up no packages, after which I went to Gelson’s to buy a chicken Caesar salad to eat later in the day, along with a few other items I needed, especially Diet Coke.
Then I came home and did about ninety minutes of futzing and finessing, at which point I began writing new pages. I started with three, built that to seven, got to ten, took a tiny break, then went to fifteen. Then I went back and changed something I didn’t like. I ate the chicken Caesar and that was pretty good. Then it was more writing, the forty-five-minute movie break, and then straight on to the finish line. After that, I celebrated with some Sparkling Ice and a few potato chips and onion dip. Go know. And then it was time to write these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll futz and finesse, and then I’ll make a PDF and get that to Muse Margaret. Then I can just relax and rest and await a call from Muse Margaret. At some point in the evening, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow we begin our Kritzerland rehearsal week. These are longer than usual rehearsals, because there are eleven kids performing, rather than our usual five people. I think we start around two and end around seven – something like that. Then I go back to writing the screenplay on the project with David Wechter that evening. The rest of the week is more of the same, and on Thursday we have our second Kritzerland rehearsal, which starts later because there’s school that day. On Friday, I think Robert Yacko and I are going to see Cindy Williams’ one-person show up in Palm Desert – I’m just waiting on confirmation. Saturday is our stumble-through, and then Sunday is sound check and then we do our show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, futz and finesse, make a PDF and send it to Muse Margaret, eat something light but fun, hopefully get a call from Muse Margaret, and then at some point, watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, thrilled to have finished the new book in our ongoing yearly series of Finishing the Book 22.