I Will Survive

Gloria Gaynor's lyrics are echoing through the vast empty space that used to be my brain. (Recognize that from Marina's Bane? Love that line.)

So, here's how my weekend went:

Linda and I were discussing her work, and a manuscript she's toying with rewriting. Casually, off the top of my head, I said, "Yeah, I would love to sit and rewrite parts of Wait For Me, up the suspense, etc." After all, it's THE story that got me writing, not my first manuscript, but the one that has been in my head the longest, the one I always come back to. Of all my work, it's probably my favorite, but my least suspenseful. I have grand ideas of ratcheting up the suspense, adding more intrigue. BUT, I'm in the middle of Science of Silence, so those grand plans will have to . . . Wait . . . For . . . Me . . . and a better time.

Sound like a plan? Sure.

NOT!

This whole conversation took place on Sunday. Monday morning I got a request for a partial on Wait For Me. Could have knocked me over with a stick. I sent out queries on this last fall. Had a few partial requests, but nothing else. This particular agent (big one in NY) apologized for the delay, but said she really wanted to read it. Um...ok. Now I'm in trouble. I'd decided to shelve WFM for the time being and come back to it when I have more time. Lo and behold, this request comes in and now I'm faced with the dilemma...rework it now, or . . .Wait . . For . . . A better time.

Well, what do you think I'm doing?

Mmhmmm...reworking until my eyes feel like they're going to explode. After basically rewriting the whole first three chapters, I'm seriously thinking starting over wouldn't be a bad idea. However, now that I'm into it, I'm determined to keep going. I will get through this...I will get through this...I will get through this.

Unfortunately, Rita's going to hate me because of this rewrite. She loved the original version (all 150K words of it!...Ok, let's be honest...the very first version was more like 174K words - See Linda, 125's not looking so bad anymore, eh?). But what she's really going to hate is that I've taken a good guy and turned him into a bad guy. Not only that, but he dies in chapter one! (I'm really, really sorry, Rita. But he had to go. I hope someday you can forgive me!)

So, all is well here. I made a decision to rework WFM and put SOS on the back burner. Sam and Ethan are not happy about this, but they're just going to have to deal with it for the time being. I will get back to them.

Unfortunately, it won't be for awhile. Tuesday I got a request on Marina's Bane. An agent wants to see the first half of the book. Two requests in two days on two different manuscripts...ay ya ya. Feeling a little overwhelmed here. Not that I'm complaining, but...

So, over the past few days I've been bugging my cp's, over-stressing, yelling at my kids, and basically pulling my hair out by the roots. Remind me again...why did I pick this career?

Oh, yeah. Because it picked me.

Now, get off the darn blog, Elisabeth, and get back to work!