pushing back the deadline

Many of you will remember that November 2009 was quite a busy month for me! I participated in something called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and consequently disappeared from view for all of November, largely without warning. The goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I am happy to say that although I started late, I finished early: after only 25 days (and only 19 days of actual writing), I finished. When I was done, I fully planned on having the book printed & available to read by the end of February. I even promised you that! But as it turns out, life-after-NaNo has taken more getting used to than I originally thought it would.

In the space between November and Now, I have edited the manuscript only once by skimming through the pages, and I have let 4 willing test subjects give the book a read through (mostly to see if they survived). Soon, I plan on being the 5th reader and scrutinizing the pages a lot more thoroughly than I did the first time. Originally, I didn’t think I would care that much about making the book better. “It is what it is: I wrote it in 19 days!” …but as it turns out, I do care; months of delays and apprehensions have told me so! Now is the time, however, and I’ve started working this project back into my brain and schedule – so I can finish it before the next November starts.

I currently have the book out for editing in Ontario, in the hands of a beloved friend (who happens to be very intelligent in the ways of English lit). When I get it back from her in a few weeks, I will start my own process: the dreaded re-write. Ugh. I know this is a good thing, but I already gave birth to you; this child had better be twice as pretty at the end of this second labour! Once the book has been made over, reformed, torn up, and re-built, I will be sending it off to the printers (self-publish) and hopefully, to amazon.

So, dear friends, that is the update. Quite a few of you have been asking me oh-so-sweetly-and-kindly when you can give the book a read-through, and I’m not sure I’ve been able to give any of you a solid answer! So I came here today to tell you that you will be able to read it by…(*searches calendar, looking frantically for a deadline*)…Mid-may, I imagine. Late-May, and the late-latest (I think).

In related news: I could really use an extended, paid vacation.