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Blogs by Pamela C Labud
Life is good... 9/8/2005 5:26:33 AM
Getting enough sleep and how my motivation came in the mail. Hello gentle readers!
I can't believe the week has flown by so fast. Okay, I did spend an extra day in bed, (Labor Day) nursing the last of my cold and telling myself it's okay to make up the twenty- five or so hours of sleep I've lost over the last couple of weeks. Other than that, though, it's been a pretty productive week so far.
Thank heavens the circle of life has kick started once again and I'm back in my writer mode. To be honest I've been more than a little worried about getting my creativity back on line, but never fear, God and my Editor had my best interests at heart.
The reason I've not blogged yet this week is because on Tuesday, (which I had switched to my regular blogging day because my Mondays have virtually fallen into chaos these last couple of weeks), I received the covers for my second book in the mail.
They're beautiful! Wonderful! Awesome! And, the back cover blurb is based on an early draft that I discussed with my editor, deciding to pitch it all together. I had decided on going with a new angle.
In other words...yikes!
Never fear, however, because I had just recently come to the conclusion that I had really liked that first draft best of all and had been toying with the idea of going back to it. Thankfully the groundwork was already done. Whew.
The last couple of days I've been scrambling to put the story back together, to weave in what I thought were the best elements of both drafts and lo and behold I think I've gotten a much better book out of the deal.
Have I said lately that I love my editor? If not, I should have. She's awesome.
Add to that, I love the cover's picture and it totally matches my first book. How cool is that? Tres cool, believe me.
If you were to ask me what my favorite part about writing a book were it would certainly depend on what part of the process I am in at the time.
In the beginning, nothing beats that initial rush of creative energy. That time when you are pushing to get the words out, when you are propelling the ideas forward and the heck with such things as proper grammar and logical plotting. With me, that's when the emotional story is told and I love it. Yes. I admit it, I'm an emotion junkie. Pass out the hankies and get out of the way.
Of course, during the revision process I love to do the careful molding and shaping that will become the final story. You know, the pinch of this and the layer of that. I think that's where the true artist comes out. The person who stands back and matches the colors and textures to make, who adds something here and cuts something there to make it come out just right.
During editing phase it's always fascinating to see what others see in your work. Whether it's your critique partner or an editor, or even the copy editor. It's the first sign that somebody else actually gets what you're writing about.
Then there's the nervous excitement when the book is finally released. You're anxious because you thought you had caught all the errors in the final edit stage but you're now second guessing yourself. Not only that, but it's that hand wringing/heart wrenching time when the first reviews come out. What if everybody hates your baby?
Next you have the rush of promotion, the push and shove of getting the book out there. There are websites and booksignings, chats and newsletters, all that really crazy stuff.
If that weren't enough to deal with, you have to open your brain, stretch out your twisted arthritic hands (which now resemble two bloody stumps on the end of your arms from all your efforts) and start the whole process over again.
It means trying to write the best book you can while battling your own low self esteem demons. Can you sell another book? Will this one be as good as the last? Is this the end of your career?
Then, in the midst of all of your celebrating and angsting it comes. That tiny shred of an idea the pulls you in, that promises you the bliss that is writing and all it entails.
I think that's my favorite part of the process. That tiny spark of imagination when the story is at its most intangible and its most promising. The potential is there and anything can happen. You can feel it. You crave it. You know it's coming. Heroes and heroines are calling to you, begging you to tell their story, and you can't wait to get started.
Yep. That's bliss.
Thanks again for reading along. I hope you each find that wonderful place, too, whether it's the promise of a new story or the satisfaction of a book that's captured your imagination and left you feeling sated and content.
