fa la la

After ten grueling months I have finally finished the manuscript. Incredible. It only took my social life, huge chunks of my day and the best bits of my personality. My friends have had to keep me accountable in order to not turn into an insufferable grump.

Why is the process of writing such a love/hate relationship? You'd think playing god would be a little more fun. But it isn't. Half the time, I'm plagued with thoughts of what my characters are going to do next (you'd think I know this, but alas, I rarely don't) and the other half I'm wrestling with getting the story down.

Of course I've had help from many directions, in the unlikeliest of places, mind you. The first came from my mother. If I've never written about her, I'm sorry. She could fill up every page of the next book I write. She is a dutiful wife, with all the charm of old Spanish ideals and traditions. My mother is supportive of her daughter wanting to be a writer and has racked her brain of ways she can help. This has included asking me when I'm going to law school, when I will get married and will I please just go to grad school? Or go abroad? (her wanting me out of the continental United States is a mystery in of itself).

Then, one day she tells me she knows a professor at Cornell (or Yale? or Princeton?) and I should write him. He is Bolivian, too! And he writes in English! And he has a cute nephew (probably!). Being a dutiful daughter, I will of course write the professor and go on a date with his probably attractive nephew.

Other help has come from the online writing workshop (this could also explain my infrequent blog postings) called Scribophile. If you're writing a novel and need some objective feedback, gather what courage you have and post your work on Scrib. I have received tons on top of tons of helpful input and advice.

I also have to thank all of my "test readers" (please read: friends) to go through the MS and point out any glaringly obvious mistakes that thwart grammatical success.

And, I confess I am a repeat offender on Amazon.com. I have ordered more books on editing, revising, and query letters than any person really should. I'll pick my top five (one day) and share the wealth.

Now, I have to write the QUERY LETTER which is synonymous (in my crazy mind) with DOOOOOOM.

We'll see how that goes.

Thanks for reading. Whoever you are. :)