Current Project: AGENT DADDY
Status: Page. 273
Happy Valentine's Day! Before you set forth to celebrate this day of hearts, I hope you take a second to check in and tell us how you're doing. I'm hoping Debbie might tear herself away from the fiords or palm trees, whichever she's gazing at from the deck of her gallant ship, and say hi although I don't know about the time difference. Maybe Saturday is tomorrow where she is. Maybe it was yesterday. I simply don't know.
Leonardo da Vinci said: "Art is never finished, only abandoned." Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing myself to this master in any way, but in as what you and I do is take something inside of ourselves and translate it into something else which we then display on the outside, it's art. And this quote hits very close to home right now as I wrap up this book and get ready to send it. It isn't finished. Not just in that it needs a suitable ending, etc... but in that I could tinker on it forever.
The other thing that always makes me smile as I get to this point in a book is how meaningless all the page angsting was. As it is, I'm going to run long and will have to go back and cut pages -- this happens every time -- and yet I dutifully count pages as I write, fuss about where I am in the story, and worry a lot. I have no learning curve except that I have accepted I have no learning curve.
So, next Saturday, there will be no Agent Daddy living at my house (The book is due tomorrow but my editor kindly gave me a few days to edit, etc... thank goodness I do this as I go, too, because there's no way I could finish it otherwise.) I will be happy to see the end of a long project but a little empty for awhile.
How are you doing? Any romantic plans for the day?
8 comments:
Finishing a book is exhilarating and sad at the same time, isn't it? The good is there is always a new and exciting project waiting to be written. A story to tell, a character to bring to life and have others love as much as you do.
Well, I was supposed to have this weekend to myself. Write, watch movies, but the dh ended up not going on a road trip with a friend due to the weather. So I made him heart shaped brownies and in return he let me stay in the house out of the snow this morning.
I hope the weather clears by Tuesday- I have to visit the blind school in Salem to go forward on my WIP. Speaking of, I'm at page 22. I also finalized the workshop I'm giving in March and prepped for the one I'm giving this month. So it's been a productive week.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY All!!!!
Happy Valentines Day, Alice! And congratulations on getting this book completed in spite of all the obstructions and distractions you faced along the way.
I've started writing again and have a little over 7,000 words on my wip. It's another therapy book, I'm afraid--Letters to My Younger Self (at 13). Spending time with my prospective grand-daughter, 13-year old Meghan, has started me thinking about who I was at 13 and what I know now that I wish I had known then.
I also won a book this past week: The Letters by Fiona Robyn. She's the English author who has the website and books about "stones," the pithy brief descriptions of persons, places and things. I entered a contest she had in which I publicized her book by sending her marketing notice to all the members of MWVRWA. So you all helped me win a copy of her first novel. Thanks very much! I've enjoyed reading it this week and will bring it to Tuesday's meeting so you can all take a look at it.
Paty, sounds as though you're having a good Valentine's Day. I'll be interested in hearing how and what you learn at the school this week. Hope it's great. And good luck on the workshops!
Hey Barbara, good too "see" you again. I'm so glad you've started writing, and your new project sounds like such fun. I have a grand-daughter a little younger than your prospective one, but you bring up an interesting idea. I hope you enjoy revisiting 13.
How neat that you won a book. Genene informed me I won one of her promotion contests. I can't tell you how excited I am!!!!!
Our V-day wasn't that good. The DH and I had a fight about day care for the puppy on the 27th when I leave for the coast. It's all good now, though. Then we went to my MIL's for dinner, so it wasn't an especially romantic holiday for us. :^(
The puppy killed the laptop a couple of weeks ago, but it's at the computer store getting a new keyboard. I should have it in time for the retreat. If not, I'll take a printout of the WIP and work on revisions.
I write my endings slowly and I'm not sure why. Is it because I don't want to say goodbye to the book or the characters? I know I'll revisit it for revisions, so that can't be it. The ending is complicated. And people will get hurt. I'm contemplating killing a few. It takes extra thought when it comes to making my story people's lives miserable.
Hi Alice and everyone! I haven't had much time to go online so far -- I've done the one post on my blog and hope to get to replying to those who left comments soon. Don't know if I'll get to my email today, but I'll try to answer in the next couple of days.
I'm a day ahead of you all (I think it's about 14 or so hours ahead here). I hope to do my post on (your) Tuesday. I've just got to figure out the time difference.
The trip has been amazing so far! We just got back from spending the day in Christchurch. It drizzled on us this morning, but we've got blue skies this afternoon.
My Valentine's Day was pretty special. It was one of the formal nights of the cruise, so we got dressed up and had pictures taken. My sister-in-law bought me a bottle of Dom Perignon (which we all shared) at the Champagne Bar.
I promise pictures when I do my post! :-)
Congratulations, Alice, on finishing AGENT DADDY!
Paty, good job on finishing prep for your workshops!
Barbara, so glad to hear you are writing--fiction or nonfiction, it's creative!
Wow, Karen, suffering and murder! Good thing you have your puppy to give your life some balance. LOL!
So good to hear from you, Debbie! I was wondering how the bushfires were affecting your trip. Sounds like you aren't near them, though.
I'm still doing promo for my February 27 release and launched a blog and contest for the February 2010 Valentine's Day anthology.
Good to hear about everyone's progress!
Debbie!!!!! Thanks for checking in. Your trip sounds like a dream come true but I am not even going to try to figure out when and at what hour you are. Ack!
It just sounds like such fun.
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