Writing Wrongs

May 24, 2004

I am positively giddy, for more than one reason. On Saturday, I did it. I was up 4,000 words for the week and I completed Accidental Cheerleader with a word count of almost 29,000 words. These are word processing words, which are different from how publishers count words (or rather, they calculate how much paper a book needs).

Once I format it properly and add chapter breaks, I�ll still have a little room to play with. I already have some notions for the revision, but first . . .

It�s on to Cold Comfort. I completed the revision plan on Sunday and I�m excited to get started. Even more exciting, from out of the blue, a notion of how to revise my first book, False Impressions hit me. I�m giddy with all these revision plans.

There are spots in False Impressions that I never really liked, but since this was my first book, I wasn�t certain how to fix them. I never thought it was a terrible book. After all, it was a 2003 Golden Heart Finalist, so it�s not total schlock.

But I knew it could be so much better. I even had an agent revision request in 2002, which I accomplished right before Kyra was born. She (the agent, not Kyra) was unimpressed. I�m not certain she even read the revised manuscript.

While I was cleaning the basement last week, I came across my scribbled notes from that ill-fated phone conversation with said agent. I wasn�t wild about some of the suggestions, but none of them were deal-breakers for me. They didn�t change my vision of the story.

I tried. I really tried. Weeks later, the agent declared my writing �placid� and that was that.

It took me a long time to get over that. In fact, the word �placid� haunted me during the entire time I revised India Charlie.

Last Thursday, I tossed those scribbled notes into the rented dumpster.

Today, I�m breathless with anticipation. I can�t wait to make the changes I have in mind. I don�t know if people who don�t write understand this feeling. It�s more than anticipation. It�s like being in on a grand secret and waiting for the best birthday or Christmas morning ever. False Impressions may never be published, but I�m going to give it one more shot.

Writing Progress: You have to ask?

What I�m reading: Spent part of the rainy weekend with both books. I�m halfway through Bel Canto. The writing is gorgeous. Not as far along with Against All Enemies. I should read this one faster. I need to return it to my parents.

Charity Tahmaseb wrote at 11:34 a.m.

|