A fully revised draft, line-edits and all…was completed tonight. Halleloo.
This short story, like I wrote about the other night at length, has been an exercise in figuring out my process. I haven’t re-written something to this extent since…probably 10 years. 15 years, maybe, if we’re talking creative writing. I’m rusty as fuck. It’s scary, intimidating, I didn’t want to do it, I put it off…but I found myself these past couple weeks and I buckled down and did it.
I hope to god it’s good. At least now I think it’s readable. It’s submit-able…after another round of notes and a spelling and grammar edit. I have to do the latter myself, I’m afraid, I don’t have any time left to try and have someone else do it for me. That’s certainly a risk…I know there are going to be some errors here and there I won’t catch, but hopefully that’s okay. I think it will be. I refer to the contest, of course.
I’m also trying to temper my enthusiasm and day dreaming a bit about getting into the final anthology. It’s the 50th anniversary this year, I realize, and Pocket Books hasn’t run this competition now for five or six year, I think…there are going to be SO MANY entries this year. I have literally no idea if my story will stand out or stand up against so much competition. And, you know what? That’s okay. I’ll be disappointed, sure…but I will forever be grateful to this contest because it gave me the deadline I really needed to get this ball rolling on figuring out my writing process. I need that process for my novel, and everything else that I will write that follows.
Work was a bit of a struggle today. I was tired. I’m definitely still adjusting to this new wake-up-at-the-ass-crack-of-7:30 schedule…had to take a 20 minute snoozer today when I should have been working…not ideal. But, I will adjust. It’s just going to take time.
And, you know what? Speaking of when I’m waking up…it’s time for bed 😛 My Tom’s shoes came in today. I’m so excited! I finally have some slip-ons again…should have taken care of that so long ago 😛 Thanks bear!
Good night.
Artwork tonight courtesy of the always-talented David A Hardy.