Weekly Update

This book is driving me batty.  I'm so close I can taste it, but it's just not there yet.  Soooo, I restarted the rewrites again.  This time around I've gone back to my old standby.  When things are going all squonky on me, the only thing to do is what I like to call the redinking phase.

Redinking - when you use your printed pages, a red pen and a notebook for editing.  I mark up the printed pages with red ink until they bleed, and put larger sections of rewrite in the notebook.  It's messy and inefficient, but it shakes my brain loose.  Paragraphs I couldn't fix on the screen - like they were sacrosanct or something - suddenly become fair game.  It gives me distance.  I think maybe the process tricks my subconscious into believing it's editing someone else's words.  :shrug:

Anyway, as of last night, I've bloodied up two chapters worth.  I have a whole new beginning and when I get everything fixed, the story will be so much better.  By jove, I think I've got it.  We'll see how confident I am in two weeks.

In other news, Max the stray cat was sprung from the vet yesterday and went to his new home.  Unfortunately last night his new home called me and she'll be giving him back this morning.  Turns out Max hates dogs and won't quit spitting and hissing at the poor gal's retrievers.  Back to the drawing board.  So, this morning I get a houseguest - who needs his medicine every morning and in three weeks, a visit to the vet for removal of his jaw wires.  Here's hoping my permanent cat doesn't mind having another cat around or I'm screwed. 

Like I need another stressor in my life.  Sheesh.  Maybe that's why I woke up feeling under the weather this morning. I felt about the same way on the drive to Denver to fly out and see my mom after her heart attack, so it's probably stress.  Why stress does this to me, I'll never know.  :shrug:

What's new in your life?  Do you ever get out the red pen and make your work bleed?

How'd you like a cat?  If you're around the Denver area and don't mind driving, and can give him a good forever home, he's yours.

ETA:  I just saw this link to Slushpile Hell on someone else's site and thought I'd pass it along.  It's a hoot.)

(Pic#1: The batty-over-books bookmark can be purchased from Zazzle.)
(Pic#2: That's not Max.  It's a poster from Allposters.com to show what I imagine he'll look like once he's gained some weight and had a bath.)

 *All images deleted to avoid any chance of copyright infringement*