I don’t have Showtime. Which blows. You know why? Dexter, Dexter, Dexter! I absolutely *love* this show. And I’ve been waiting MONTHS for the 2nd season to come out on DVD.

Thank you, Netflix, for delivering my precious Dexter yesterday. I swear I only watched ONE episode… because, see, I’m in the middle of this edit, and I’m only 20 pages from the end of it… and I’m not allowed to waste my time watching really awesome shows. Bugger!

For those who don’t know, Dexter is this twisted show about a serial killer who works as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department. And you like the guy. Really, really like him. That is some seriously good writing, if you end up rooting for the serial killer.

I remember watching the very first episode, knowing who this guy was and what the show was about and thinking: how are they going to pull this off? And blammo, inside 5 minutes of the show, you are on Dexter’s side.

The bad thing about watching tv shows on DVD is that you can blow through all 4 episodes on a DVD in one damn day. Especially a serialized show. You don’t have to wait until next week to find out what happens. You can select the next episode and find out. It’s very, very bad for someone who has work to get done, gosh darn it.

I must dole out the Dexter slowly. Savoring each episode. Of course, with new fall TV on the way, I don’t have much time to savor. But I’m gonna try.

I know, it’s sort of weird, but an erotic romance author likes creepy, scary, disturbing stuff. I really do.

Anybody else loving the Dexter?

After a dismal day of editing on Monday, I felt slightly better this morning. I’m closer to the end of the first pass edit. There are good parts, salvageable parts, and parts that got the big old X.

To me, if I keep a whole sentence or paragraph and only change a little bit of the wording, that is considered ‘pretty clean’ by my standards. It doesn’t take a whole lot of work to cross out an ‘and’ and add a comma. Or cut one sentence out that is repetitive or weak.

Some writers may consider my first drafts ‘messy.’ I know some rewrite as they go. Polishing and perfecting before moving on. So when the time comes to edit, there’s only story stuff to worry about.

To me, making the story work is always the harder of the two. I can take a messy chapter and clean up the writing as far as grammar and flow go, but the story part is a lot more work in my book.

I have about 40 pages left to edit. I should be able to finish that today, if I get on a roll. So I am definitely on time with my two week edit! Then comes the hard part…taking all those changes and additions and notes and actually working them into the book. Wish me luck.

So, what do you see to be the hardest part of editing? Editing for story? Or editing for clarity/grammar?

Oh, the edit was going so well, until I got about 80 pages from the end…and ugly stuff turned up. Very ugly. Incoherent plot connections. Too much internal thought. Not enough character interaction and drama. What in hell was I thinking?

I mean, I knew I had work to do. Scenes to add, things to fix. But this latest set of pages has me very worried. Very worried indeed.

I have a solid idea to end this thing. But building up to the big reveals and making everything work together in a coherent way is just eluding me.

FRUSTRATION!

Did I say that I *liked* the editing process? Well, I must be crazy. Pretend I never said that. Now I see all the WORK that will need to be done, and I’m freaking out.

Eek!

The good news: I haven’t given up on a book yet. I’ve finished every single novel I’ve started.

The bad news: I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Um, yeah. Must do some of that relaxing breathing or yoga or ANYTHING to keep the freaking out to a minimum. Any suggestions?

Dee Carney and I were chatting yesterday about movies we will watch over and over again whenever they are on tv. We decided it would be a good blog topic post…what would be your ideal movie marathon if you had a rainy Saturday and all your favorite films were available to view?  So, here’s my list of 10 films I’d watch any rainy Saturday (that would end up being about 24 hours straight of movie watching with a break or two in there to pop some popcorn and take a bathroom break).

1. Bridget Jones’s Diary. First, I adore the fact that they got the grammar right in this title! Second, I can watch Bridget and Mark Darcy ALL day. I swear. Even knowing the movie by heart, there are scenes that still give me a thrill - when Mark watches Bridget wistfully having fun in the canoe with Daniel, when Mark shows up unexpectedly on her birthday and tries to help her salvage her blue soup, the shout from an enthralled Tom to the restaurant goers that there is a ‘real fight’ going on in the streets, and, of course, that final run in the snow in tiger print underwear, sweater, and bare feet!

2. Pitch Black. Quite a shift, I know. This was one of those sleeper films for me. I had no idea what it really was about…but I’m a huge sci fi fan…especially outer space/strange planet sci fi…that I decided it was worth a view. And now I’m happy I took that chance. Great film with lots of suspense and interesting character development that does not follow the book as far as horror films are concerned. So you are pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns presented. And who doesn’t love an anti-hero? Plus, Vin Diesel is mighty yummy.

3. It Happened One Night. Probably my favorite screwball comedy ever. They knew how to write dialogue back in the day, I tell you. This is an early Gable film with Claudette Colbert in the lead heroine role as a spoiled heiress who runs away from her rich fiance only to run into reporter Gable while on the lam. He pretends to befriend her intending to get the scoop of a lifetime. Hilarity and romance ensue.  The pretend husband/wife fight in the motel is frickin’ brilliant!

4. Sixteen Candles. Comedy classic from the 80s. Don’t think I need to say anything else here. Best of the Molly Ringwald teen films, I think. And the hunky boyfriend is truly worthy of her in the end.

5. Ravenous. This is my horror pick. Atypical horror film. 1800s fort outpost in the Sierra Nevadas. Starts out as something similar to the Donner Party, but then goes all crazy nutso from there. Love it. Some dark humor lines. Plus, it has Guy Pearce looking mighty fine as coward-thought-to-be-hero of the Civil War. If you don’t have a problem with a bit of gore, this is a good one.

6. Singing in the Rain. My favorite musical ever! Amazing dance sequences, hilarious story, great characters, wonderful romance. What more could you want?  And you can finally find out why Gene Kelly was singing in the rain in his most famous dance sequence. Tells the story of Hollywood transitioning from silent films to talkies. The mismatched soundtrack scene is probably one of the funniest I’ve seen.

7. The Matrix. This film draws me in every time. This was another movie I saw without having any clue what it was about. What a fantastic surprise!

8. Edward Scissorhands. This is my romantic weeper film. Oh, poor misunderstood Edward and his magic scissorhands. Sometimes I like to cry, and this one does it for me big time. Additional bonus points go to former wimpy character actor, Anthony Michael Hall, for his portrayal of football jerk boyfriend.

9. Far and Away. I always wondered why this film didn’t do better at the box office. I *loved* it. It was the closest thing to an historical romance I’ve seen in the theater. Great romance. Great hero with issues. Perfect all the way around. And the ending was just lovely. Also has a wonderful soundtrack. Poor Irish man meets rich Irish girl. Irish girl wants to get away from overbearing parents, poor Irish man wants a new start in America. The harsh reality of both their choices sets in and love blooms amidst the squalor of NYC. It ends with the exciting race in Oklahoma for free land!

10. Silence of the Lambs. Great horror/thriller flick. I adore Jodie Foster, and this is one of her best roles. I remember when I saw it for the first time…the fantastic editing sequence with Jodie finding the killer’s lair and the FBI coming to save her…at the WRONG house!  Eek!

I’m sure I could rearrange this list many different ways, but these are the movies I choose today. I’m going to challenge Dee to give us her list!

Kris

Yay! Today is the first day of school!!!! Completely silent and kid free home means more editing and writing will get done. No one is bothering me about being ‘bored’ or needing lunch. No sibling fights to referee.

Ah. Blissful, I tell you.

Funny how at the beginning of the summer, it’s fun to have the kids home every day. I miss them during the school because there is so much going on. Plus, it’s nice not to have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get them on the bus.

But something happens in August…even late July. The rumblings of dissatisfaction. The declarations about ‘having nothing to do’ become more frequent. My mind is full of mom thoughts rather than writer thoughts.

So, now I have NO excuse not to finish my edit in a week’s time. Yes, that is the plan. Finish editing the rest of my book for the typing session next weekend. Labor Day is the goal for having something ready to send to the old beta readers.

I hit about page 155 last night. That means 175 to go. And with no distractions…well, very few…the second half should go faster.

Now all I have to do is stop reading blog posts and articles about writing and published writers. They always intimidate me….talking about character arcs and the importance of each and every sentence. Yikes! I try to think these are writers who are detail-oriented. Who work with outlines and notecards and sticky notes. Who use different colored pens to mark certain parts of their story.

Um, ’cause I don’t do that. I look at the book as a whole to make sure it makes sense and is believable. That’s about the extent of it. Does that sound really amateur? Sometimes I think it does. I’m more about the sum of the parts than each individual piece. I’m also more about story than technique. I can’t think too much about how I write each sentence. Gah! I don’t know how a writer *could* do that!?!

Those that fiddle for weeks over an opening line? Um, I so don’t get that. I go more for the opening paragraph or page grabbing you. For that first chapter to thrust you into something.

I’m not a writer who would give valuable information at a seminar with handouts and special Power Point slides. I’d be more likely to give you a five minute pep talk about how you just have to finish a book first before you worry about anything else. How structure in a novel is important, but you shouldn’t be paying attention to it every second of the day.

Yeah, doesn’t sound like I’d be a candidate for an RWA class anytime soon.

Anyway, to sum up…school’s in, writing output should go up. Yay!

The edit continues. I managed to hit 105 pages over the weekend. There are going to be some little bits and pieces I will need to tweak once I get the main part of the edit done. The hardest part is adding in that extra POV that was lacking from most of the first draft.

Today, I’m going to hunker down and see how much I can do. I’m very anxious to be typing up my changes, making my book stronger, and sending it off to the beta readers for comments.

Things I’ve noticed during this edit:

1) My book tends to get stronger after the opening chapters. Or at least, it seems that way in my head as I re-read it.

2) My secondary characters really seem to have great voices. I find them much easier to bring to life than my main characters. I suppose because they tend to be quirky and a little odd.

3) I will never be anything but a commercial writer.

There’s nothing wrong with number 3, but I have to keep reminding myself of that. I don’t do deep, gorgeous writing. Lyrical? Nope. My writing style is clean and to the point. I guess, in my head, I want to be prettier and more lyrical. I do pull that out once in awhile. A nice descriptive paragraph or two. But I don’t like to write that way for a whole book. Just doesn’t feel natural.

I think I’d love to be somewhere between commerical and literary. Like Dennis Lehane or Jodi Picoult. But it ain’t gonna happen. No way in hell.

And I need to be okay with that.

I think for any writer, being comfortable with your voice is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Accepting that you have to follow it and that you can’t copy people you admire. I could probably force myself to write differently, but then there is no way I could finish books the way I have. I’d probably still be stuck in chapter one somewhere, trying to figure out how to get out of it.

So I am just putting my head down and editing…without wishing I were someone else.

Yes, you read that right. I’m in editing heaven right now.

Editing is fun for me in a sick, sick way. Sure, I get a little bummed out having to go over 325 pages of first draft. When you are immersed in editing, sometimes you beat yourself up. Your book doesn’t seem as fabulous as you thought it was when you wrote ‘the end’ on that draft.

But the editing pass is also where you can shine. Add in those details you didn’t want to spend time on weeks or months ago, correct those plot flaws, flesh out those characters. Taking your book and making it better…what can be better than that?

I have set a daily goal for myself: at least 25 pages a day. I don’t want the edit to drag on and on. I want to be finished with this book and be able to query it.

After one whole day of edits, I met my goal. And I’m feeling pretty good about today. It really doesn’t take a ton of time. Maybe a couple of hours…or three, depending on what I need to fix.

I’m a pen and paper editor. I print out the whole thing and set to work with a ballpoint pen. Crossing out stuff, adding in new material (which tends to leak onto the back side of the page)…in other words, making a big old mess of the original document. But the pages go by much more quickly during the edit. I don’t fuss a whole lot over stuff. My philosophy is that over-editing can kill the freshness of the story. There is no perfect book. There isn’t just one way to write something. I am sure, if I had the gumption, I could spend all day on just one page. But I don’t.

So, yes, I’m in editing heaven. Each page I edit gets me one step closer to that final book. My next big hurdle will be the pass with my beta readers. Do *they* like it? That is the test.

Let’s hope I can meet my 25 page goal today!

I have a good friend who is a writer…(if you’re reading writer friend, you will recognize yourself in an instant!)…and she is a task master!

I have mentioned a few times in the last week or so that I finished a first draft of a mainstream book. I need to start work on the edit, which will take some effort, but typically once I get started I cruise through it. My routine is to print out the whole book, set it on the windowsill in my bay window (upsidedown so no one sneaks a peek), and read this self-editing book I love before diving in to the edit.

So far, over the last 3 days, I’ve made a lot of progress in that book. Reading sections I had skimmed before. Making sure I truly ingest all the good info in it. This sets me in the right frame of mind to pick up that printed out version of my book and see it with different eyes.

What does this have to do with my writer friend? Well, she is tough on me. She wants me to be working on something…write something new, get to that edit. The whip is cracking! And I appreciate that, I really do. Because sometimes you need that bug in your ear to get you up off your ass and moving.

So thank you, writer friend!

When working on something so emotional as a book, I think it takes some time to gear up to experience those highs and lows of your character all over again. I have to talk it out, think it through, let it sit for a bit before I’m raring to go.

And my friend has been at the end of that ‘talk it out’ phase. I think sometimes I drive her nuts….I know she wants me to finish things. I know she wants me to start new things. I know she’s probably sick of hearing me say, “I’m still reading my editing book….”

But yet she keeps listening and keeps encouraging.

There is a fear of failure built in to a writer’s psyche. That the finished product won’t be nearly as good or nearly as cool as you imagine it to be in your head. It’s a tough thing to tackle. But with every push from my friend, I feel a little bit more secure.

So this post is a thank you to that friend. I appreciate the time you take to listen to me, encourage me, and kick my ass. It’s working….just so you know.

A new writer friend and I went out to lunch yesterday. We started talking about our favorite authors…and those that drove us nuts. We both agreed that because we both write ourselves, it gets harder and harder to turn off our ‘internal editors’ when it comes to reading. Which really sucks, to tell you the truth.

It’s harder for me to get lost in a book from the very first page, because if I read what I consider to be ‘mistakes’ or amateur writing, that’s all I can see. The book ends up on my nightstand gathering dust or gets returned to the library. I never get past the first pages.

My friend brought up a very well known and well respected author. She had started to read one of her books with an eye toward figuring out how she manages to suck her into the story every single time. What did this writer do differently than everyone else?

Her conclusion? She couldn’t figure it out. Her sentence structure and vocabulary was no different from any number of authors, but somehow she managed to rise above the ordinary and make her writing extraordinary.

My friend then gave me a signed copy of a fantasy romance that she really enjoyed. Telling me how great this book was and how fabulous the series (so far) was. That I should try it.

I was hesitant because I just don’t read fantasy books. I don’t like to figure out detailed worlds that authors build with funky sounding names, places, etc. I think it’s because I don’t find myself lost in that kind of book right away, so I become very aware that I am reading. However, because of her enthusiastic encouragement, I decided to try reading it yesterday.

If I had picked up this book in the bookstore and just read the first page, I wouldn’t have bought it. Not my thing. And it did start out like fantasy books do…with references to a history I don’t know and weird names and odd groups of ‘creatures’ and such. But I stuck it out. Determined to at least try reading the first chapter and giving my friend’s opinion the benefit of the doubt.

And guess what? 2 1/2 pages in, I was hooked. I was a little annoyed with the weird naming conventions, but the moment she described a point of change in the main character’s life I couldn’t stop. It was so compelling. And even though I didn’t completely understand what was going on and why this scene was so important to this person, I wanted to read more.

I wish I understood, too, how some authors manage to do that…suck you in. Make you care. If there were a magic writing formula that I could copy, how nice that would be. Because I don’t think it’s about how you construct a sentence. It’s something else. Something magical. Something in a writer’s voice that makes you want to keep reading.

And you just can’t ‘learn’ how to find that voice.

As we close in on the first day of school (yes, our schools start *that* early), I get excited about the new TV season. With the writers’ strike last year cutting short the run of many new shows and even episodes for the old favorites, I’m dying to get back to enjoying TV again.

I’m pretty addicted to my tv shows.

Although I’ve done a very good job of cleaning up my Season Passes on my TiVO for shows that are losing steam. A few seasons ago I made the move to cut all CSI programs. It felt really good. I wasn’t enjoying them any longer…and, in fact, I was getting irritated by the cases, the characters, etc. Procedurals just aren’t my thing, unless it is some brand new take on it…then I can do a season or two until the originality fades.

Now I’m starting to see ads for shows I loved (”The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and “Pushing Daisies” are two examples) and ads for shows I might just go loopy over (”Fringe” and “Kath & Kim”). And the wish that it was fall starts to take over my mind.

Luckily, the Summer Olympics are here to distract me. I haven’t watched the Games in many years. Mostly because I had small children in the house and no free time except for showering and feeding myself. But yesterday I had a great time watching swimming and bike races and gymnastics.

Then, when it’s all over, I’ll be *so close* to a new season of TV!  HOORAY!

What are your favorite shows? Which ones are you most looking forward to? Any new shows I should know about???