Pedal to the metal

Why am I always late on a book? It makes me insane, ruins my sleep, makes me eat too much? And yet I do it every time. This time it wasn't my fault. My computer crashed with no backup and no second computer to work on even if I had backed it up. Fortunately Saint Jon at Small Dog Electronics saved the work, and I bought a second laptop (mine could be saved but I'd lost my second one right before Christmas) and now I'm keeping things in Dropbox plus backing up (or, er, I will back up, I promise). But that threw me off. And the book is just that kind of book -- needing time. Hell, I figured out the ticking clock part of it (an important thing in books and movies where there's a reason everything has to be done within the set period of time) at the second to the last chapter. So now I have to go back and weave that in, plus tighten tighten tighten.

So today (and tomorrow and Wednesday) I spend curled up in my chair doing revisions. Mind you, I've been revising and rewriting like crazy on this already, planning, taking notes, writing new scenes, so it's not as if I'm just diving in. I know what I need to do; I just need to do it.

Writing is such an interesting profession. I'm usually a very instinctive writer -- I sit down and the story flows. Sometimes it flows so beautifully it's like it's being dictated by my muse/god/the girls in the basement. Sometimes it stops and starts. And sometimes it's a real pain in the ass, like with this one.

But the funny thing is, the pains in the ass are challenging, and I like that. I'm enjoying the challenge of making this sucker work, when I used to believe that only the easy books were the good books. And in fact, if the idea is brilliant and it soars, then those are the best books. But you can write a damned fine one by rewriting and fine-tuning.

I've never seen anyone revise and rewrite as much as Jenny Crusie, and you certainly can't argue with the brilliant stuff she turns out.

Now, no way am I ever going to revise and rework like Crusie. The very idea makes me head for my fainting couch. But you know, sometimes hard work can be fun.

I've got my iPod set, my red pencil out, my Tab by my side. I'm ready to rock and roll.

Onward!