Back to Work

Cape Cod Weather Today: Sunny and brisk, 21 degrees, with cotton ball clouds floating by. The sun is rising brightly, and I have high hopes that by the time I need to walk the dogs it'll be warm out there... but that's what I thought yesterday too, not accounting for the chilling wind... brrr... c'mon springtime...

The edits finally came back at the end of last week, during school vacation, so they are still languishing on my computer, waiting for me to open the document and read through what the editor has changed this time around. (I had to get the kids back to school first, before I could think about actual writing work.)

The process is at times painful, but they are minor little pains, not as bad as paper cuts.... a phrase here, a small scene there, add and expand this part... her notes say that I "fixed"most everything in the last round of edits, and this time it's a matter of repeated words or overused adjectives...

But hopefully I'm nearing the end of the path on this process. As my first time through it all, everything seems to take longer than I had imagined. Just like when I finish a manuscript and say "Okay, I'm ready for someone to love this!" and then the rejections start trickling in, slowly chipping away at my sense of self.

For anyone reading this who has experienced this kind of rejection, there's a great website for inspiration called the Write Attitude, at www.writeattitude.net . There are quotes from famous authors and stats on how many times award winning books were rejected before someone finally saw the potential. Plus there are great photos and inspiring music. So if you start getting down on yourself and thinking about quitting, check it out. Or join a writing group to encourage you - everything's easier when you can share your pain.

Winter is hard enough without a big dose of rejection on the side. With the warmer weather approaching, hope springs eternal. Whatever that means.

Enough rambling. I need to get to work.