Sunday, March 15, 2009

I have nothing to say but I will say it anyways!

So nothing big happened this weekend - I watched Ava for a little while, and then today, I had a writer's editing workshop.

I really enjoy the workshops because I generally don't get out of the house, so this gets me out there, talking to people, and I get to work on my craft. We did "Speed Editing" where everyone brought a 2 page sample of their manuscript and we moved around the tables editing each piece for 10 minutes. I picked a particularly tense, emotional scene from my novel that I thought would really grab the readers' attention, and it was fairly well recieved - I did have a couple of people approach me complimenting, and asking to read the entire manuscript. We used checkmarks and little smiley face stickers to point out parts we liked, and I got lots of stickers so I was happy. It is the first time I've really tried my writing (well, romantic suspense writing anyways) out in "public" with people that aren't my friends (well, my critical reader, Lisa, is my friend but she does a good job at presenting an unbiased response)... it felt good to get positive feedback. I was so excited to read what people had written that I didn't leave right away but sat in my car in the parking lot reading the responses! I'm sure now I will be a feedback junkie... too bad I can't not get addicted to stuff like this!

I have about 100 pages of manny left to "fine point" edit and then I am going to have a couple of copies printed via LuLu.com and give them to some friends with some questions. I have been so involved in the little itty bitty bits of the novel now that I am having a hard time remembering what it looks like as a "WHOLE" and so I need some fresh eyes on it. After I get the bound copies, I am going to read the chapters back to myself on a little recording device that Susan G sold me today to see how it flows back. Should be interesting anyways, particularly in the sex scenes!

On the way home, I hit an enormous crater in the road. I was sailing along because the road was smooth and clear and then all of a sudden.. WHAM. It was impossible to miss as it filled up my entire lane and I didn't see it til I was right on top of it. I waited anxiously for the wheel to fall off, but it didn't - I thought I might have dented the rim or something because it felt a bit wobbly, but then within another 40 feet or so, it became completely flat. I was really disappointed that I couldn't QUITE get it to my aunt's store - it was about 1/4km away... so I called my dad and got out and started walking. I bent the rim badly, but apparantly all it needed was a hit or two with a sledgehammer and the air compressor to fill it up. I am going to drive 50 from now on, I'm so scared of some of these holes. Some of the roads, particularly on the way to Nackawic are bad enough to write cars off. It's a real shame that the government can't put the money into the roads...

Anyways, my eyes are (literally!) starting to cross, so I need bed.

2 comments:

Vivian said...

Neato, I think you were at the same workshop I was! :D

Vivian said...

In fact, I just figured out who you are. Hi there.