I sent my revisions back to my editor. This is a load off my chest--literally, since I've been laying on my bed for days underneath my laptop and half a manuscript. In this wave of revisions I changed the main character's home from Avondale, Arizona to Henderson, Nevada which meant that along with everything else, I had to change the roads they travel and the entire time line. Imagine me yelling questions for my husband to Google:
"Do they have a Toys R Us in Henderson? Hurray! One more thing I don't have to change. Where is the nearest Cancer Hospital? Please, please, please let them have one in Vegas. Yes--I love you, Vegas. Can you get an aerial view of I-15 out of Barstow--do they have bushes growing in the median? They do? Yessss!"
Ah the writer's life and the odd things that excite us.
I've read the manuscript probably seven or eight times now. I used to cry in three places--two of which I'm sure nobody else will cry in. (I will tell you where those places are after the book comes out.) The first two I no longer cry in, but the third . . . still, still, after all of the rereads, I still cry there. And it is still weird for me to try and carry on a normal conversation with my kids, "Yes, you can *sniff* have a cookie" as I'm crying over this scene.
On the plus side even after all these reads, I still love the trailer scene. You will know what I'm talking about when the book comes out--which as it turns out will not be until spring 2009. Doesn't that sound like forever away? They don't even have calendars for 2009 yet. Some people who read my book, may not have been born yet. (Okay, I'm just kidding about that--but that's how it feels.)
Oh well, more time for me to write all of those other things which I never get around to because I'm too busy working on deadlines. And maybe I will even get to finish painting my kitchen. There's another thought that would probably only excite a writer.
17 comments:
Google is a writer's friend.
Although ... I had Google maps map out the route my protagonist takes in my novel. This is a book set after the world has collapsed and, well, it's a long, dangerous journey on foot for her and her companions. They nearly don't survive it.
And google maps blithely informed me that this epic journey should take ... 42 minutes. Hah! Shows what it knows.
Hurray for random author things that get excited about... that sentence came out wrong... just... yay for google, I guess. :)
I'm so glad that's all done for you, though. I'm sure it must be quite relieving.
I like that the your characters mean enough to you that their story makes you cry. 2009 is a very long time for the rest of us to wait to have the same feeling for them.
Congratulations and Happy Holidays!
Good for you!
It always cracks me up when publishers make you change things like the location. Sometimes it's needed, but this one?--what? Is Arizona not cool enough?
The location change came about because of a date change in the novel. (They didn't like it that I had the Hollywood people working over the weekend--which my sources assured me does happen when they're behind schedule, but it was just easier to change it than to try and convince every reader of a TV show's work schedule.)
So then the drive time was too long so I had to move the heroine closer to CA.
It sort of drives me crazy how when you change one thing it has a domino effect and five other things have to be changed too.
Ah, the Teary sceens. They get you eberytime. 2009 nine is so far away it hurts my brain to think about it.
Schools out till 2008!!!
The times my husband worries about me the most is when I'm at the computer crying. It really freaks him out.
And yeah, the domino effect of rewrites is exhausting!
Congrats on your rewrite. And boy can I relate to the random things an author needs to know. When I was working on 13 and 0, I yelled down to my husband: "Was the Pittsburgh game a day or night game?" His answer?
"Day, sunny . . . it was a great day for a football game."
Yeah, this is the guy that can't remember to take the trash out. But ask him some minute fact about sports . . .
Ahhh...Google Maps! I once asked for directions from Statesboro to Athens. In Google's infinite wisdom it told me to drive North on I-95 to Boston, drive to the end of some pier, swim 3000+ miles to Lisbon (or some such city) and then on Athens, Greece. Next time I'll be sure to remember to type the "GA" after Athens!
Mapquest frequently tells me to do things that would result in my death. Like take a U-turn in downtown Chicago traffic. Right . . .
Janette, I haven't been to your blog in forever! Silly me! You're hilarious!
I think that's great that you look at things so closely. I'm too lazy, which is why most of my stories take place in fictional settings. Bravo!
It's those little thing that we have to worry about. I'm glad you didn't have to change the ToysRUs, thank heavens for box retailers. They're everywhere :)
Thank heaven for Google earth! Merry Christmas!
MeRrY ChRiStMaS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know exactly how you feel. I have to find out about a bunch of places for my book,(I'm just writing for enjoyment) But it stll gets quite annoying.
I hate google maps. But at the same time...I can actually see my house!!!
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