Let the Slicing & Dicing Begin

Well my Nothing Weekend was a huge success. Saturday I slept in. Even my dog seemed content to let the clock hit 9:00 AM before she decided it was time to roust me out of there to feed her. I spent a leisurely morning sitting on my couch sipping coffee until I eventually decided to shower and head to the mall. A bit of a reconnaissance mission before the big shopping event of next weekend. I trolled around for about four hours, taking my time, seeing what was out there. I picked up a few things I needed, nothing major, then schlepped back home to spend the evening doing my workouts and then alternating between reading and watching some tv.

Sunday was even less eventful. I lounged around in bed until 9:20 this time, then spent the morning drinking coffee and working on some knitting projects. Even managed to finish a couple small ones and start a brand new one - a skinny scarf just for me. I napped in the afternoon after my sister picked up her cats, then around suppertime went over to pick up my FD30 book from my brother and zipped up to my parents house to drop off some empty wine bottles and pick up my print out of The Outlaw Bride which Mom had been proofreading for me. They had just ordered pizza so I hung around and had a couple pieces before heading home. The evening was spent reviewing the section of FD30 regarding revising a completed manuscript, then watching a little tv. It was the perfect Nothing Weekend, I did absolutely nothing I didn't want to do.

This morning, I jumped out of bed and started right in on transferring The Outlaw Bride over into scene capsules to create a formatted outline. I think this will be the quickest way to determine what needs to be cut. Already I have some ideas on what I can lose, so I'm hopeful slicing and dicing to lose 100 pages won't be a hideously painful process. I'm eternally optimistic.

I'm also really excited about the prospect of getting this done and OUT. To actually have something completed and sitting on an editor's desk for acceptance or refusal, preferably the former, but if even the latter does occur, (and chances are that's more likely what it will be because who hits a homerun their first time at bat??) just the idea that I made it that far is an accomplishment I'm proud of. It reminds me I'm in the game and not sitting on the sidelines doing nothing more than wishing it were the other way around. I chased after something I wanted, I worked hard and I made it to an editor's desk. If I don't make it beyond there this time out, then maybe I will the next time, or the time after that. Because once you're in the game, leaving it just isn't an option. I've never been much of a quitter. I'm too damn stubborn. To me failure is one of two things - (1) never trying; (2) or giving up. I've already conquered the first and I have no intention of doing the second.

So let the slicing and dicing begin, because within 30 days this baby is outta here!