rachel speaks
Monday, July 02, 2007
New week, same old same old
Saturday:
Sunday:
Today:
Me:
This week I read a review of a book that features an uber-manipulative secondary character, and the review complains about the heroine's inability to recognize her "mechanizations." Say it with me: machinations.
No-brainer of the week: from a local news story about rain and its effect on fireworks: "If fireworks get wet, they aren't much good."
Pisser of the week: desperate for something to read that's very different from what I'm currently writing, I skimmed the bookshelves at the grocery store Saturday afternoon and found the newest Sunny Randall paperback. I love Robert B. Parker's Spencer books, watched the first two Jesse Stones in the last week or so, and have enjoyed the previous Sunny books, too, so I picked up the new one. First thing I noticed was its size -- it's that new taller-than-a-regular-paperback but not-as-wide-as-trade-paperback. I don't know the reasoning behind that particular size, but I don't like it. It doesn't fit well on the shelves, doesn't fit as easily into my purse. And it was $10.95. Eleven freakin' dollars for a paperback??? No wonder book sales are down. I'm an avid reader, but no way I'm paying thirty bucks for a hardcover or ten bucks for a paperback.
I set only one goal for myself last week -- to finish the current manuscript -- and didn't make it. In fact, for the past three or four days, I've been "just" thirty pages from the end. And the sad thing is, I have been writing. Whole bunches. Just not stuff I can keep. The problem is that pesky word count publishers insist on these days. I've run out of book while there's still story left to tell. So now I have to tighten and skip and gloss over some stuff so I can get the ending in. I hate feeling like I have to rush a story. It's like there's this big neon arrow pointing to various spots saying, "Motivation simplified," "Characterization short-changed," "Plot cut." And I'm pretty sure those arrows show up in the readers' copies, too.
Rach, preparing to rig up a boat if it doesn't dry out soon!!!!
