...well, I can't remember the beginning. It was long ago.
Where I am now is 244 pages into a manuscript; properly formatted with Courier New, double spaced, and one inch margins; and about 80 pages left to go before rewriting the thing. It's not a large manuscript as I understand it and I haven't yet worked out how to answer the question everyone asks once they see I'm reading my own manuscript: "What's it about?"
I made it up to 244 pages fairly quickly (about 30 days) and an outline and notes on the rest of the book. It was done at a rate of around 10 pages a day in the morning at a commercial coffeeshop that doesn't deserve mention because it sells drinks with a bitterness factor greater than most paint thinners. However, it had an inspiring enough atmosphere that I could watch human oddities come and go with their lattes and chais and espressos (esspressoes?) and pull ready-made characters from the air to go into the book.
The story developed on its own as the characters did what characters do - grew, changed, and challenged. I thought I would be sending sample chapters to an agent by now considering the speed at which the book was being written... until the unthinkable happened.
I got a job.
The bane of an aspiring writer is employment. I set the manuscript aside because I have a wife and four kids (not to mention a tag-a-long sister-in-law) and the "responsible" thing to do is concentrate on your work so you can be that all important "go to" guy.
Well, now I'm THAT guy. Now I want to get the book done. Somehow, in the middle of working alternating AM and PM shifts as what is laughably referred to as a Probation Counselor (which is code for juvenile corrections officer), I will finish this book. I've reread it to get a sense of where it was going, noticed some plot holes that need not fear terrorist attack because jumbo jets can fly right through, and set it down. I think about writing more. I know what I want to write. I have the time to write a bit into it. I just don't do it.
Why?
...
And there it is. Since I've heard people say that a writer shouldn't stop writing, I'm here at this blog. I've blogged before, but not like this. I'm also not sure what you'll read here. Hopefully this will explain what I'm thinking and get me back to finishing the book.
Anyway, that's what I'm aiming at.
Welcome to my rambling head.
