Hello. I suppose I'm not blogging often enough these days. It's interesting how after a while it seems that only monumental news is worthy of posting. Little things seem less significant. Not that we don't have monumental news. I suppose we sort of do! But it's not in stone, yet. Michael and I are getting remarried on our 20th anniversary, it looks like. That's big news, isn't it? Except not so much, as I view it as merely dealing with issues of my illness. Kinda straightening things back out, you see?
Also, I'm busy with working on my Homespun edit. But that's still in process, so I'll let you know when it's officially e-published. Editing has actually been like that for all my books. I couldn't bear to acknowledge quite how many times I needed to go through them at first, so each time was seen as my last on each book. Once I finished a go-thru, I could conceive of another go-thru--just not multiple times... It's really interesting how different I perceive my stories on paper (vs. on the computer screen). I wonder if that's well-known in the editing world? So that's my process...a read-aloud helps initially, after one on-screen go-thru. My BFF/editor goes thru at this point, too, generally, though she hasn't gotten through Homespun yet. Then I print it out (or Michael does for me!) and go-thru it again. Then he goes-thru the printed version. Then I generally have a final go-thru... Yep, that's seven times. Seven? Yes, I didn't mention that I usually proof the previous day's writing before going on to write more, in the midst of the writing process. I can't imagine just going on without reviewing the previous day's work. And I also generally re-read my day's work at the end of the day--so maybe it's more like eight edits! But you'd be surprised how you can find an obvious typo on the eighth go-thru. Really? Yep. Even if you found virtually none from the get-go. Strange, that. Just tiny things, like homonyms--'phase' for 'faze' and 'it's' for 'its'.
I'm still not as fond of Homespun as I am of the first two books, but I believe it's because I don't identify with the characters quite as much, and the book is darker than I prefer (maybe, in part, due to my illness). I adore the audacious Vivian, but she's far more jaded and worldly than I am. Hmm, maybe I'm jaded, too, but I enjoy characters who are a little more hopeful and inspiring. Gaynelle is there, but she takes a rather small role.
Okay, well, that's about all I have to say. Just wanted to post an update here, even though I didn't know what I'd say. Writing is often like that for me. I heard J.K. Rowling say the same thing not long ago--that you just sit and write. If you wait for inspiration, it simply won't happen. You just do it, and the inspiration comes in the process. I think that's true.
