Gearing Up for Revisions

Okay, I had my rejection. I threw my Personal Pity Party. Then I had to gear up for the next mega revision.

How?

I ran silly errands. I battled formatting challenges. I sent off queries. I cleaned the house. I made my grocery list (still have to shop). I warned my family--I am revising for 4.5 weeks and don't disturb unless you enjoy growling. I read through other people's writing. I made a plan.

I ignored my current WIP until it started hitting me between the eyes saying, REVISE ME.

I am almost ready.

This weekend, I enjoyed my family. I ran the Liz Hurley Pink Ribbon 5K (okay, I ran the last .2 mile, but I did walk the rest of it). I went and looked at houses for a home show with my daughter (she carried her COACH bag and we pretended to be quite wealthy--that bag opens a lot of doors--we got it on discount at the outlet malls LOL). I ate my favorite pizza and drank wine while hanging out with my hubby. I read through friends' writing and critiqued.

I ignored my current WIP's increasing demands to REVISE ME NOW.

"Now" is arriving very soon. Tomorrow morning I will get up, make my daughter her egg, get dressed in sweats, drive my carpool of teens to school, drive home and race to my office to revise the current WIP.

Ah, let me revise that goal. I will drive home, fiddle around doing things like making beds and ironing (creative avoidance is so glamorous, isn't it?), and then I will turn on my microwave timer and sit down to revise my WIP.

Every hour the timer will beep. I will get up, make a snack, a coffee and load the washer with clothes. Or I will get up and move the clothes to the dryer. I have figured out how to get out of cleaning the house thoroughly, but unfortunately, laundry continues to be my ongoing chore.

I am like Pavlov's dog. When I am 90 years old, I will probably hear a timer beep and get up out of my nursing home bed and hunt for the laundry room.

I will do this every day (not laundry--thank the Gods) during the week and sneak in extra time over the weekend (I have hold a bday party for my DD next Saturday, but once they are squared away, I can write--teens don't need help coloring or playing games--this is a positive of having a teenager in the house), and I will do it all again for the next 4.5 weeks.

At the end of the month, I am ordering an Alpha Smart/refurbished so I can sit in my car and write while I wait for DD to do her voice lessons, dance, go to the doctor, sit in waiting rooms (okay, this is the negative side of having teens who aren't driving yet--you become a chauffeur, often called upon at the last minute to run to this place or that place--usually for projects and shopping), and wait on my own doctor/dentist appointments to commence.

I have until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to get this off in the mail. I am not waiting till after TG. We have to drive to TX to see my FIL--he's not doing well. I want to focus on him, being with him, and enjoying my time with him.

So this is how I work. I work hard, very hard, so that I can enjoy my time with my family and friends when I am not working.

For the next 4.5 weeks, I am busting my chops to make 50 pages golden and the rest a polished brass. Oh, crap. I just remembered.

I have to write a synopsis, too.

Get the nail gun ready.