I heard this song last week and I can't get it out of my head. It's perfect for a summer Friday!
My Manuscript Is Back So I Cleaned My Closet
My book manuscript came back from my editor with first edits. First edits are the big ones. It's when you see lots of questions, mistakes, omissions and errors. An editor will ask for clarification, additonal research and general - is this what you mean?
I hate first edits. I am sure I will open the document and it will be a sea of red and end with the phrase - you have no ideas what you're talking about.
This is my third book, so I'm a little less neurotic than I used to be, but it is still unnerving. It's also an important and inescapable step in writing a book, the moment after someone else (who doesn;t love you) reads your words and judges them.
My edited manuscript landed in my mailbox around noon. I walked around my house for 30 minutes before I even opend the email, just pacing. I opened it and read my editor's note, she was kind and complimentary, but that's their job, right? I closed my laptop and made a cup of tea. I tried not to notice my husband trying not laugh.
I sat down and opened the doc. There were notes. I scrolled through. There were lots of notes. I didn't drink my tea.
I got up and cleaned my hall closet. I straightened shoes and restacked bags. I had to put something in order that I had 100% control over.
I sat back down and read every single note and query. I didn't die. I didn't even get my feelings hurt. Sure there's a more than a bit of work to do, but I did make mistakes and have some hilarious omissions. Mostly the notes were about seeking clarity in my techniques and observations.
Did I dig in and start my edits right then? Nope. But the next morning (and every morning since) I was there bright and early, writing. I can't wait to see this book.
Christopher Lee Made Me Do It
When I was kid in elementary school I became obsessed with monster movies. My mother hated them with a firey German passion and forbid me to watch them. Of course, that made them all the more appealing.
It was the 70's, there was no sneaking in a Netflix binge in bed on a purloined iPad. I used to sneak out of bed after midnight and creep down to our shag-filled living room. I would turn on the tv with a hammering will-I-get-caught heart and watch hours of creature features until almost sunrise, curled up inches from the screen.
Those were the first movies I remember loving, I would rarely miss a weekend. I loved being scared by them. The big bad would rage and murder, die and angonizing, gruesome death and be back the next week. I watched them all, Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Mummy, but Dracula was king.
Christopher Lee was my favoirte Dracula. Bela was O.K.,but Christopher Lee had the right combination of gentleman and creep. I was terrified of him and still sad when he turned to dust.
I was struck with more sadness than I expected when I heard he had died this week, and then filled with such happy memories of those secret late nights. Rest in Peace Count, thank you for teaching me to love movies.
Finding New Friends
It's really hard to make new friends once you are a grown up (or when people think you are a grown up). It's the busy, the tired, the work, the kids, the siren song of a Netflix binge. I think it's also about the fear of putting yourself out there. I feel more vunerable about friendships now than when I was younger. Because I have such wonderful online friends, I forget how great it is to laugh with someone in person.
The spinning savant's antique wheel
All of that aside I met two women last week who are destined to become friends. Both are fiber women. One is a knitter and is considering a fiber business. Two different people mentioned her to me and I offered to let her pick my fiber business brain. After just a few minutes over coffee it was like we had know each other for a long time. I can't wait to hang out with her again.
Then there is my new neighborhood spinning friend. Her mom recognized me walking in the neighborhood and we had a great conversation about knitting and her daughter who has her own marketing business and is a new spinner. I handed over my email address and offered any help. The short version is she is a fearless spinning savant and a incredibly interesting person. There will be more spinning fun and I intend to drop her into my little spinning group, she'll fit right in.
It feels so good to have have new people in my life, new brains to bounce off of. Huge bonus points that they are both fibery.
Last week I wrote on the PLY blog about getting work rejected, did you see it?
My Favorite Twitter Feed this Week
A Sassy Goat!
I am on Twitter a lot, it's one of my favorite breaks (distractions) from doing computer work.
This week I couldn't stop laughing at @thesassygoats. It's 100% goat picture and Vines. I didn't need anything else to entertain me between emails.
Have You Seen the New Spin Off?
Have you seen the Spin Off yet?
It's an issue devoted to spinning myths. I wrote a little something about predrafting. I almost always predraft. See over their in the Contents , page 78. And the yarn on the Contents page is mine! The fiber is some beautiful merino from Fiber Story.
Maggie Casey wrote about predrafting for this issue too. She's also a fan. I knew I loved her.
Cover Spinning and a Little Neurotic Rambling about Writing
Today I'm working on spinning fiber that might be used on the cover of my book. It's exciting and I'm also sure that I have lost the ability to spin a viable yarn.
A little peek of my maybe-cover fiber.
That in a nutshell is what working on a book is like. Actually what writing anything for publication is like, at least for me.
First, I'm so excited about the writing and so grateful that I get to do it. I still can't believe this is my job. Then I do outlines, research, write and rewrite.
By the time I turn in my writing I'm sure I know nothing about the topic. But when the writing is published, I am proud and show it everyone that crosses my path. It happens every time.
I pressed the big button
On Monday I pressed the big scary Send button on my book manuscript. For those of you that haven't heard me talk all about it, I'm writng a spinning book for Storey that will be out in 2016.
I've worked on the manuscript for over a year, including two extensions (the people at Storey are very understanding).
Now it is in the hands of my editor and I'm waiting for the first round of edits/questions/comments to come my way. It's a little nerve wracking.
While I wait I have plenty to do - samples to spin, articles to write and that deep dark hole of my desk and email to attend to. I let myself fall out of good work habits while I taught and finished up my manuscript the past five weeks. I have three email inboxes to attend to and this crazy pile of paper.
More than 6" of paper. On Tuesday I spent four hours touching every single piece of it and making lists. Today is email day. Wish me luck!