I can’t believe my last post here was in mid-March. But that is the thing about life, it tends to fly by. I can’t say I haven’t thought about posting, but other things came up that were more of a priority. I’ve had so much I wanted to say about the things I’ve learned about writing and editing, some improvements to the yurt that I’ll have to tell you about soon, and reflections on life in general such as the new journal Adam and I have started at home: our escape planning book.
My only excuse is that I’ve been on vacation, suffered a lovely virus that put me down so that I wasn’t at work or writing, just lying somnolescent on the couch. Ever so much fun! Plus it is spring and my motorcycle is out of storage. I’ve been working on it in my “spare” time on sunny days/afternoons. Plus trying to finish my rewrite on BofW. Oh, and editing some of those short stories and sending them off for rejections. I even played with organizing all the things I’ve learned about writing and creating character voice into a “lesson plan.” I could approach my local Adult Ed with that, but haven’t really taken it to that level. Yeah, the blog just didn’t happen.
But I’d like to say that today I finished the first draft of the rewrite to Born of Water! I’m celebrating with some Assam tea and a brownie. Wahooooo! Of course, I’ve already begun the “next phase”, i.e. draft 2. I’ve gone back and bookmarked each chapter by character. Now to go and see if I kept the character voice consistent. 🙂 I hope to be done with all the editing on BofW by the end of May. In time to think about finding an agent again and the rewrite to Deliberate Actions. That novel has a completely different tone and level of writing. I think I’ll need to let it percolate through my psyche as I take my summer vacation: riding my motorcycle from Maine to Labrador and back through Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. 5,000 miles of percolating.
But today I’m just pleased to have finished the rewrite. And I’m pleased with how it sounds and how much it has developed. I will never approach a novel the same way again – writing or reading. And oddly of all the things that got the words flowing, it was taking a break when I wasn’t feeling well and picking up George R. R. Martin’s “A Game of Thrones.” The writing style and mastery of words was just the kick I was looking for. My hats off to Mr. Martin as that is some of the best writing I’ve read: engaging, the story moves quickly, each character POV is unique and believable. It is nice to have such an example in my library. Of course, I want to read the ENTIRE series now . . . ! Hmmmm . . . maybe I’ll pick up “A Clash of Kings” for the Labrador ride. It will good to have something to do under the mosquito netting. Though I could work on the plot development for Deliberate Actions – soon to have a different title in the rewrite!
But that is still ahead of me. Heck, the motorcycle is only just back in one piece and I have to order a new faring and front fender before we go. Planning has begun in earnest with maps spread on the floor of the yurt and the unpacking of our faithful Big Agnes tent this morning as we set it up inside the yurt. (Yes, a tent in a tent . . . it felt like a life size version of those Russian dolls!) The list of needed items is being roughed out such as researching good motorcycle dog carriers.
For today in the 50 degree rain falling across Maine, it is nose back to the editing grindstone. Time to see how much my writing changed from beginning to end (pre-George R. R. Martin’s book to post). Is there anything better than a book, a wood stove, sleepy dogs, and a cup of tea on a rainy spring day?
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For an update on how that planned trip to Labrador went check out posts at No Map Nomads on the Trip of Trials.