Okay, the hiccups aren't important except I got them just as I came to a decision and came in to blog. Since we all know how annoying hiccups can be, I thought I'd share. LOL My problem with them is that once I've gotten them during a day, they'll come and go for the rest of the day.

Now, on to the editing portion of my blog. I realized, in reading a book on how to edit yourself, that I already know how to edit myself. LOL I don't need to read a book to tell me what I already know. Also, in thinking about the NaNo novel I just finished, and already knew I wanted to edit by the time I finished the last sentence, it was silly of me to be pushing it off because other people tell me I should create "distance."

The program I used to write my book is called yWriter. It automatically helps keep a distance between you and your book because it's written in parts. You can set it up however it makes sense to you. By scenes, by chapters, whatever. I started out with scenes, but realized I blended them together as I wrote them. After awhile, I deleted the scenes as I wrote them in the chapter. LOL It worked for me. Throw in the use of Write or Die where I wrote small segments in 10-30 minute spans of time, and I never saw my work in a single file at any time until I copied the full thing into the NaNo counter.

As I wrote, I will admit that I printed out each chapter as I completed it. Mainly as a backup measure than anything else. The pages went into a 3-ring binder as soon as they came out of the printer and then it went on to a shelf. I only ever saw it off the shelf when my husband "stole" it to read what I'd written so far or when it came time to add more pages.

Though I realized something when I tried to read it earlier tonight. Since I already know I want to edit it, it was pointless for me to read it as a coherent whole. Want to know why? It's because I cut out details as I was working on it in the first place so that I'd have a "complete" book when I finished NaNo. Reading my first "vision" scene, I realized that it was horrible. LOL Two people, as far as I know, have read it as I wrote it. They both loved the scenes, but both said the same thing, "Wow, that was short." Exactly! That's where I cut out the detail. So, when I read my first 'vision' scene that I'd written, it drove me nuts. I couldn't read it because I knew that wasn't what it was truly meant to be! The scene I had in mind was generally recorded in a hurry and then I dashed on. NOW is the time to go back to each vision and write it as it was meant to be. Not perfect, of course, but better than it is now. Once that is done, I think I'll be able to read it as a whole and see how it's working. In my opinion, it's missing the 'zing' that's meant to hold the book together. Without it, all I can think is, "That's boring..." LOL

However... Hiccups. The editing will definitely have to wait until the hiccups are finished. I hate hiccups and they make me mad. LOL NOT a good attitude to take into my precious book to start an edit.

Tomorrow I will begin. I'll grab on to the saying of "Don't let too much time come between you and your project because then you'll get distracted and move on to something else. You won't return to it." That one I know by heart because it happens to me all the time. So, before the joy of completing a book wears completely off, I'm going to ride that wave for a bit longer and begin editing.
 

Well, while I'm waiting for pay day so I can buy another black ink cartridge, and while I'm waiting to get more distance from my book so I can read it like a "normal" book, I went and reacquainted myself with my sewing machine. I feel "sorry" for it. I haven't sewn in over a year! I went from avid quilter to avid writer to an avid... I don't know what. LOL

Anyway, I thought I'd attempt to make a small gift for our Municipal Liaison from NaNo. I created 2 different covers for a mini composition book. Both of them were failures, but I almost have it! The second one was very close, but needs a few more tweaks. Considering I've never done something like this before, and there's definitely no pattern to make a cute cover for a mini composition book, I'm fairly happy with what I've turned out. Besides, I haven't worked with fabric in over a year! I'm doing great.

My sewing machine and I had to have an argument first, but it's all good now. We're coming to an understanding. LOL Now, I think I'll make one more prototype of the cover before I go all nuts and make it fancy. Everyone have a marvelous evening!
 

I started reading my book from NaNo, and my thought when I reached page 14 of my print out was, "Boring..." LOL Whoops! Guess I don't have enough time away from it yet. I want to take up my pen and rewrite entire sections already. Of course, the last book I read was "Mystic and the Rider" by Sharon Shinn, one of my all-time favorite authors. Never do that before reading a rough draft of something you've written. It's not a good idea. It's depressing in its own way. So, I've decided to give my poor little book some more time to sit and collect dust. LOL Then, when I haven't just finished reading a book from one of my favorite authors, I'll read mine. Maybe I'll like it better then. However, I don't know if I'll be able to read it without wanting to mark it up and start changing it right away.

According to my "The Artful Edit" book, I created distance as I wrote my novel. In not reading it while I was writing it, the beginning of it is a mystery to me. I have a clear view of what needs to be changed already. By the time I make it to the end of the book from editing the first part, it will have had the distance it needs for me to see it clearly. I just was hoping to read it all at once to see if it's worth the time to edit it. I personally think that the story idea itself is okay. It could be polished and made "pretty." Though a bestseller? I doubt that greatly. LOL

As usual, I'm confused. I'm starting to think that I live here perpetually. Perhaps I'm being thrown by the fact that this is a book. It's not a "simple" short story that I can have tweaked in a week, if even that long. Perhaps I'll shove my book in a drawer, or back on its shelf, for awhile and work on my husband's instead. Well, that is if he ever finishes writing it. In my little world, you can't force anyone to write. He might only have a chapter left, but it's going to take him awhile.

Not sure what I'm going to do right now. I think... I'll go make a cover for this cute mini composition book to give to our Municipal Liaison at our TGIO party on Dec. 2. Or... I could make one for a larger composition book and just pick up a new book to slip into it. I have composition books around here to use for the "model." Yes. I think I want to go play with fabric now. LOL
 

All day yesterday, I sat around and did nothing. I walked around like I was lost and confused. Actually, I was lost and confused. NaNo for me is over. That massive rush of excitement is over. What's interesting is that I was more excited when I passed the various marks of 35K, 40K, and 45K, than I was when I passed 50K. Isn't that weird? Maybe it's because 50K signaled the "end." It caused me to consider not doing NaNo next year. I mean... That move from such a high level of excitement to nothing is harsh, especially for someone like me who's bipolar. We try so hard to keep our emotional levels calm and on an even keel so that we don't spin out of control. So, I kept trying to think of other things to do, other things I could work on creating to help ease that "pain" of loss from finishing my book. Unfortunately, that mad rush of almost 10,000 words the other day did a number on my hands, especially the right one. Everything else I enjoy doing and creating requires my hands.

You should have heard the "conversation" I had with myself yesterday. It was amusing in a weird way. Basically I was just having a long argument with my hand. LOL I'm right-handed, so I'm sure you can understand that when it's hurting, everything else I enjoy doing is out of the picture. No quilting, no writing, no typing, no knitting, no beading.... Needless to say, I was even more depressed yesterday. To top it off, the only book in this house that I haven't read is the one I just wrote. LOL

I did pick up "The Artful Edit" to get ready to edit my NaNo book. Well, that is if I decide it's worth editing after I read it. You know, NaNo is over for me. I didn't read any of it except to pick up where I left off and get moving again. That was usually to the tune of a paragraph or a sentence. I haven't read it in its entirety at all. To heck with it. I have enough distance. I'm going to go read it!

I'll be back later with my opinion on it.