Hello from Manuscriptland!

Happy Labor Day, folks. Hope you all have had a nice weekend.

I have sequestered myself in order to finish my manuscript revisions. After some much needed encouragementand feedback on Friday and Saturday from poet friends, I did nothing all day Sunday but work on my manuscript. And now it's nearly complete. Woo hoo!

With the kids away this weekend, I really had no excuse but to finish the damn thing. How long have I been talking about revisions? Since May? Well, part of yesterday was about forgiving myself for not doing this sooner. I also had to give myself to be a big ol' slob and let the day unfold without any pressure to do housework or errands.

Here's the rundown of Sunday's revision marathon:

  • Wake up at 6 a.m., work on m'script until 9 a.m.
  • Watch CBS Sunday Morning (because I never get to watch it uninterrupted with the kids around)
  • Work on m'scrcipt from 10:30 a.m.-noon
  • Lunch (tilapia with sweet potato fries and yellow squash)
  • Work on m'script from 1:30-5:30 p.m.; take breaks to watch the Red Sox lose to the Texas Rangers (*sigh*)
  • Stop to mow lawn, my only chore for the day (also, first time out of my pjs)
  • Shower and dinner (made best pasta of my life: angel hair with shrimp, tomatoes and basil from my garden)
  • Watch Bourne Ultimatum and work on m'script 7-10 p.m.
  • Drift off to sleep in an uncomfortable position
  • Get up and watch the Bourne Ultimatum again. (sad)
Once I freed myself of the bazillion other things I needed to do, it was easy to gain clarity on individual poems. Looking at the tone, making sure I'm conveying the right emotion, and tweaking the language has been paramount for me. Going back into this material is like opening a vein every single time, but the work now is stronger for it.

Today I will print it out and work on the order, which I think will be harder than the revision process. I've rewritten some poems and replaced others--and now the arch has changed slightly. But by the end of the week, I'll send the work out to a few friends for quick feedback. Then, off to the publisher. Fingers crossed.

Working manuscript title: Little Misery

Comments

Jennifer Jean said…
congrats on the progress! and, ps: i was watching Bourne Ultimatum too :) for the trillionth time :(
Anonymous said…
Awesome sort of day, sounds to me! Yay for you!
Cindy Veach said…
Are you sure you don't mean "Manuscript Ultimatum"? Congratulations - you are inspiring!
January said…
Thanks Cindy. Manuscript Ultimatum has a nice ring to it!

Hope you are well.
January said…
Thanks for the support, Marie and Jennifer.
Jennifer said…
That's the kind of day I dream about - having it, and then actually making good use of it.

I like the working title.

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