Posts Tagged ‘revisions’

What if I have to go to the bathroom, and I can’t find one, and my bladder explodes?

Yesterday I got a casual email from my editor asking how I wanted to approach revisions for ANTIGODDESS. It was very casual. Breezy, even. But as I replied, blathering on and on, my head started to turn about how I was planning on starting book two this week, and how I guess I should just start revisions, but how I really wanted to get started on book two, but revisions, but book two, but REVISIONS.

And once you start thinking like that, it can quickly branch off into all the things you wonder about new projects. There was a definite moment of my old standard, "What if I have to go to the bathroom, and I can't find one, and my bladder explodes?" (That's from What About Bob?)

Or, in writer speak, "I think I've got a novel, but what if I don't, and the words run out, and my bladder explodes?"

Needless to say, I abandoned my laptop for a few hours and comforted myself with A WANT SO WICKED, which you are going to want, trust me.

In the end, I started revisions. The plan is to juggle the two chapter by chapter. So I should be ready to start book two, perhaps even tomorrow. I don't think it's premature to say this plan will be foiled, but what the fuck. Here we go.

Is that a raincoat?

Why yes it is, Paul.

The movie quote today is courtesy of Dylan, who came running at me yesterday buck naked but for a pair of socks, screaming and hacking at the air. I was extremely put off for several seconds before I realized he was doing the scene from American Psycho.

The work on revisions finally hit full swing yesterday. I think it’s going well. I read some of the major changes out loud to Dylan and he seemed to like them. Usually a good sign. It’s been surprisingly easy to slide back into Cas’ mind and voice. Probably because after a few months off he’s ready to talk again. Chatty bastard. The changes that have been requested are good ones, necessary ones, and I think are going to be integrated into the story pretty easily and seamlessly. There are one or two that I disagree with for various reasons, but I don’t think my editor will mind too much.

It’s a strange thing to go into a piece of work that I deemed as done months ago and find that there is still so much to DO. Stories beyond stories within stories. So often it seems to me that writing is magic. It used to scare me back when I was studying the craft in London, the idea that I would learn too much of the tactics, of the mechanics, and then I’d be able to see all of the puppet strings. But it isn’t true. There’s always more mystery. I don’t even know if it is possible to take the piss out of the whole thing.

I’m considering listing Sleepwalk Society with reader’s circle groups. I was also considering taking it to the Seattle Anarchist Book Fair, but I don’t know if I am to be considered radical. Sleepwalk Society is the kind of book that questions things, that examines things, but it has a strong undercurrent of apathy for most of it, and somehow that doesn’t fit with the theme of anarchy. Other than that though, I think it fits quite well.

Went to see Shrek Ever After yesterday because apparently I wanted to get bent over a pole. The theater prices are outrageous. It is a good thing that there is nothing that I really want to see coming to theaters. Including Shrek Ever After. However I did enjoy the evil goose. And Puss in Boots. He’s the only thing that can make Antonio Banderas attractive.