Revision.
Re-revision.
Re-re-revision.
Re-re-re…well, you get the picture.
All that’s finally done. I just e-mailed Bitter Water Blues to an agent who requested the full manuscript. 83,000 words of nasty country noir. I spent the weekend doing rewrites and now Bitter Water Blues has a brand-new ending. I’m happy with it (though happy the ending is not).
Five years. That’s how long it took me to finish this novel. It’s my first and I wanted it to be just right. A well-known writer whom I respect told me to take my time. I sure as hell did that. It went through a lot of changes.
The adrenaline buzz is winding down and now my ass is starting to drag. My eyes are burning from staring at this damn monitor. I’m taking a couple of days off before getting back to work on the sequel, tentatively titled Mean Green. See, I’m warmed up now. No more second-guessing myself. The first draft of Mean Green should be ready before winter.
I don’t believe in luck, but wish me some anyway.
7 comments:
Congratulations, and good hunting. (See how much more manly and bad-ass that sounds than 'good luck'?) It's fucking something, isn't it? You've written a novel. Whatever's to come, can't nobody take that away.
Incidentally, I bummed around for several months after I finished the first one, writing aimless snippets of this and that as I tried to figure out what to do next. This time? I took off one weekend (during which I revamped my website), and now I'm chomping at the bit to start the next one. This weekend, methinks...
Woot! Go Patrick!!!!
Congratu-freakin-lations on getting the novel done and out the door to an agent. You're a talented guy and any one who picks up Bitter Water Blues will be a lucky SOB. What to go!
That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
Thanks.
I told Tonia I'd take a couple days off. The lawn is so out of control, I'm going to need a tractor and hay mower to cut it.
So what did I do after dinner tonight? Worked on the sequel.
Thanks, Daniel. I'm hoping...
Read my blog for an example of fortitude paying off. And the same just desserts to you.
Nice!
Congrats.
VG
Thanks. I'm just now coming down off the buzz.
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