You know how sometimes when you’re approaching the end point everything stretches out and it seems like you’ll never arrive?
I’m there. Please tell me I’m getting close.
One great thing about writing a novel that is waaay too long is that making deletions goes quickly. Highlight. Control X. Boom! Gone.
One casualty of this process was unexpected. I am unable to appreciate the 799-page novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois right now. Editing is too much with me. Every other page I was confronted with details that could’ve been cut without hurting the scene or character development. For now, that’s too distracting.
Spoiled by my editor?
Also, my library card expired. What?
It was cold enough to snow today but did not.
Speaking of wonderful writing (wait, who’s?), please click on Raven and Sparrow and read Dana’s recent post.
My good friend Joan gave me Anne Patchett’s essays for Christmas, These Precious Days, and I have to say that Dana’s essay about woodpeckers is of the same caliber.
I smell roasting chicken. Soon it’ll be time for dinner.
Roasted chicken is worth celebrating and so are these two news bits: Marjorie Taylor Greene has been permanently banned from twitter and two of trump’s spawn have been subpoenaed in the New York fraud case.
Finish LINE! Now that’s a good one, that I did not think of 🙂 I love how Finney is lurking, watching and waiting…for ? Dana’s post was indeed beautiful. You must be excited to be nearing that finish line…and truly, doesn’t everything we do in depth, or for an extended period or ? color our experiences afterwards? I just had a conversation with someone about how hard it is to just relax and enjoy watching dance after a 10+ year involvement with our local dance studio where my daughter and best friend’s daughters danced for all of those years…beside working there for 5 years (at the desk, NOT dancing!! lol). I watch with a critiquing eye after years of hearing the teachers teach. 🙂
Cheers for dancing toward the finish line. I’m using the word “dancing” because dance is joy and it must feel joyous to know that you are almost there…what an extraordinary accomplishment Dee.
Now, onto this month, the first of the year, January. January has always been a month of celebration for us: soon, our 52nd anniversary and R’s 79th birthday BUT this year, a feeling of dread is creeping in as we approach January 6. Hairs on the back of my head are rising, gut is clenching; worry for what may come…I’m pretty even keeled, try not to put out any negative vibes BUT….
Well January 6 has come and gone. Loved Biden’s blistering speech. What’s so disheartening though is to see various GOP condemnations of trump from this time last year and to know how thoroughly they turned themselves into pretzels since then in service of their demagogue. It’s so hard to understand and so, so dangerous.
(((Dee))) yay for your book getting so close to being done and dusted!
I should be clear: I’m near to done with THIS phase. God only knows how long the next phase will take. Still, it’s a big accomplishment.
at least you are close
Yes yes yes. Closer than I’ve ever been before (that’s the kind of joke my husband would make).
oh those ‘laatste loodjes’ as we say in Dutch, one knows one has to persevere until the bitter end and then: triumph! (excuse my language, I’m watching The Crown season 4)
The Crown! Enjoy. We did. I wish I could hear your voice saying “laatste loodjes.” I’m guessing I’d love the sound of those two words.
I can’t remember the last time I roasted a chicken, having long ago decided that rotisserie birds were better than the ones I made myself … you have me thinking otherwise now …
and I confess I leaned it to see what you cut out of your draft … how many words have I deleted I wonder? … how many more never got written? … I am in awe of what you are doing
Do you save your deletions? I do. It makes the process less painful though at this point it’s generally not painful to cut and then cut some more because my motivation to make a readable novel is so intense. Some chunks I will publish elsewhere. At least here. I am curious about your writing — how much? What form? Memoir?
Rotisserie chicken IS delicious. We used to get them regularly at Costco but don’t go there so much now that we’re not feeding two growing boys. A friend used to joke that those birds (which were a steal) cost $250. I could relate because I never went there for a couple of items.
Almost done!!?!! I am so excited. I can hardly wait to read your book. I have mixed feelings about all the excisions because I am sure some excellent tidbits are going to be lost, but editing is like designing…..you need what you need and not a bit more. Thank you so much for your kind words about my writing. Praise from you is flattering indeed.
Editing is very much like design and like visual work sometimes less is more.
I’m so glad that you are blogging again. I don’t think I realized how much I missed you! Not just your writing …