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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Row80 Check In: My Brain, It's Storming

It's Sunday check in! And I'm happy to report that I'm making progress on my ROW80 goals.

The revising phase has been slow-going for me, but every time I get through a section or a draft, my manuscript becomes more book-shaped. This week my goal was to work on pages 1-25 - the dreaded beginning.

I spent a long time - months, actually - revising the first 30 pages of my book. My critique group was probably ready to kick me out on the streets if I showed up with another new beginning, the poor dears. Revisiting the beginning was more satisfying than I thought it would be. I still like it - though I know it needs more work.

Luckily, the muses love caffeine. While I rifled through my pages in a favorite coffee shop in Union Square, an idea sprung in my head. This idea would fix a problem my critique group kindly pointed out in our last session. Then, as I ordered another green tea lemonade, the idea grew into another idea.  And on my way to the restroom, the perfect solution popped into my head.

Now that I'm on draft three, it's like I have a pretty nice looking puzzle, but important pieces are missing. Those are the pieces that will connect things together, or clear up the image painted on top of it.  My writing excursion this week found a few of those pieces, and I couldn't be more delighted.

My only other writing accomplishment this week was editing my niece's college admissions essay. Remember those days?!

11 comments:

  1. Hello Gina,

    I'm glad things are going well with ROW for you. Yes, caffeine loves company. ;-) I'm glad you had an epiphany on your start. That's what I'm talking about. Rock The ROW!!! ~clink~

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  2. Yay for progress! I'm excited to join you at write night again this week. :)

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  3. Green tea lemonade--sounds tasty! Congrats on your progress this week--seems like your puzzle is starting to come together so yay!!! Good luck this week on your goals!

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  4. @kerry- *clinkclink* thanks much!

    @ghenet - yes! i wasn't so productive without you and jodi last week, but i ended up cleaning my apartment... so... that was something ;)

    @kat - good luck to you, too! thanks for stopping by

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  5. Don't you just love those moments where it all comes together! Nice work on your goals this week. You'll have the puzzle put together in no time.

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  6. Well done on finding a solution to your problem! I wish I was doing revisions...or do I? *muses*

    Hope you have a productive week!

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  7. Green tea lemonade. I'll have to give that a try. Hope your puzzle comes together. I'm still trying to figure mine out. Hubby says it's because I don't like to edit. I say it's because I'm not sure how. Learning on the job. So much fun! Have a great week.

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  8. @komal - revisions are a certain kind of awful, mixed with a certain kind of awesome. or something. i was jumping to revise during my first draft, and now all i want to do is write. go figure!

    @robin - scrappy! i like it. i learned a lot on the job, too, and it's hard work, but worth it.

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  9. Love it when pieces start falling into place :) Sounds like good progress. Good luck in the upcoming week!

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  10. It's great when ideas and solutions come together like that! I'm smiling for you. Keep up the revising, you'll get there.

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  11. @erin - thanks much!!

    @raelyn - good luck to you, too :)

    @nadja - i freaking hope so!

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