[ Previous entry: "Dedicated to My Mother" ] [Main Index] [ Next entry: "More on the new site" ]

01/27/2004 Entry: "Snow and icebound" We have been home for the last two days. First, the snow kept me here. Then, after they finally plowed our streets, we dug out only to find the streets had turned to ice last night. We can watch cars slide by, since we're on a hill with a bend. Very scary. And apparently, the freezing rain is going to get worse, so we stayed home again today. I have been working from home, trying to learn Sendmail. I also have gotten a lot of writing done. See, at the beginning of this year I had: - A rough idea of the plot - Four rough, rough draft chapters, three in the wrong person, first person - A bunch of short odds and ends Now, at the end of January, I have: - A full plot diagram, complete with chapter breaks (23 chapters) - Two and a half better draft chapters, all in the right person (third person) - One and a half rough, rough draft chapters - More short odds and ends - Name of the second book I am very pleased with myself. I figure at the rate of 3 chapters a month, I should be done by August. Then I will do my first "smoothing" of my work, trying to fix all the loopholes, loose ends, compact things, and so on. Then I will have a few friends critique it. Then I will write a "final draft" after I haven't looked at it for a while, and have a draft I feel will be ready by December, right on schedule. Of course, during this time, I also have to see how to submit to major publishers, which will be a real uphill battle, but I don't want to lose this book to some local press again if I can help it.