Mon. May 20, 2013: The Book is Out in the World

What I wish I was doing today!

Monday, May 20, 2013
Waxing Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Rainy and cool

I’m still fuzzy and exhausted.

That final proofread on Friday? Turned out to be another entire revision. Stayed up through Friday and finished it late Saturday afternoon. I didn’t intend to pull an all-nighter and be up way too many hours in a row, but I also didn’t want to lose the sense of the piece as a whole.

Tweaked the proposal, and sent the third draft (which is the draft I like to send out, earlier ones usually need more work) and the revised proposal to my agent.

It is done.

At least, for now.

I managed to watch the Preakness — my favorite horse in the race, Oxbow, won. Sad we won’t have a Triple Crown winner again this year, happy my horse won, wish I’d been together enough to get a bet in.

Collapsed into bed.

I was out of words yesterday. I’d used them up in the revision!

I spent most of the day outside on the deck, reading. I read Deborah Tall’s FROM WHERE WE STAND, about the importance of place. That’s going to get added to my Recommended Reading List for the “Setting as Character” workshop. Am reading Mary Oliver’s book of essays, LONG LIFE, which is sending me back towards the life and work of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I spun out ideas for two short stories which will serve as palette cleansers. I put aside the ideas for the play I think the producers want in favor of the play I want to write, and should dig in to that today – I have to get out the proposal and first ten pages this week, if I want a shot at the slot. Had some ideas for the second book in the series, and made some notes. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but don’t want to lose momentum, either. Have to work with students, get out some work for Confidential Job #1, get out a couple of proposals, follow up on some LOIs, get going on a media kit for a client, update a blog for another client, prepare the next two weeks’ worth of material for Biblio Paradise, work on the next novel in the queue (LEADING OPPORTUNIES) set here on Cape Cod, and work on the adaptation of BLOOD AND BONE. And get back to the non-fiction book.

If it clears up enough, I HAVE to get some mowing done, since the weather was suitable for it all weekend, and I didn’t do any of it!

Last week of the Manuscript Prep tips. People are enjoying them, which is good. It was a good bit of work to put together and to do each day, but I’m glad I did it.

Devon