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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Passage Sneak Peek!

Okay, in the rundown to publication (now that we are roughly a month out according to my optimistic schedule) I want to post from time to time little sneak peaks from the text of The Oracle. Here is one of my favorite passages from Chapter 19: The Unwilling Participant:

It was then that she noticed the large raft that served as the ferry. An ancient man was clinging to a long, gnarled pole as though it was an extension of his arm, staring at them; one eye was completely obscured by cataracts. He looks like Charon, Darcy thought with a shiver, ferryman of the dead! She hoped that she wasn’t being prophetic.

I worked several hours on revisions today. I hope to be ready to order my proof by the first of October!

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Slow Drag

Right about now is the time that I realize how much of a slow drag the revision process actually is. I'm arguably about halfway through, and the end is not nearly as close as I would like it to be. If I did not have a full-time job, I would certainly be done with revisions by now, but I DO have a full-time job (and it is a job that I love) that requires my time and attention. I have a student reader all lined up to do a revision for me once I get my first proof copy put together, but I have to finish my end first. She keeps bugging me for the book and I feel badly because I keep putting her off. But it's all good; it will come together in the end. My release date of late October should still be achievable. Here's what I have completed thus far:
-My first complete read-through/revision.
-My rough draft has been edited for grammar and content by two experts.
-Half of the above-mentioned edits written in to my paper rough draft.
Here's what I have yet to complete:
-Finish entering the last half of edits to paper rough draft.
-Enter all revisions into the computer draft.
-Submit revised/edited draft to receive proof copy.
-Give proof copy to student reader.
-Make changes suggested by student reader.
-Submit and receive second proof copy.
-Perform another read-through revision.
-Make all necessary changes.
-Submit and receive third proof and okay for publication.

Okay... so maybe I'm not quite halfway through. What can I say, I'm an optimist at heart!