DONE and DONE

The book is done! Done, turned in, and signed off. Now it goes to a lawyer for vetting. Then to the copy editor. And from then, I'm not sure.

Honestly I don't quite know how I made it. Besides the hard work and prayer and encouragement of friends, and a husband who's supported me the entire way.

My editor gave me some very daunting notes in mid-April. All great notes, but with only four weeks to go I didn't know how I was going to accomplish it all. Then my computer died, then I got sent to NYC for that lunch ... Which was great, but it took a few days out of me. I'd originally thought I'd have a few days to play in NYC, but things changed, and so I sat in my friend Mim's apartment and wrote for about 36 hours straight.

I turned in Draft Six on Monday May 19. I wanted to continue working on the therapy sessions, but my editor wanted to look over the draft. We were running out of time. I waited for my editor's notes, and in four days turned them around. I had time to clean up the therapy sessions. Turned it in and Bob's Your Uncle, it's done and everyone is thrilled.

My editor was a loving slave-driver. Her notes were brutal in the nicest way. She didn't let me get away with shallow moments or brevity when elaboration was required. Or vice versa. When you've been working with material for so long, you may think you've communicated, say, the emotional impact of an event, but you've only detailed the event itself. I had a way of doing that, detailing the events and then moving on to the next event ... Without conveying the emotional impact. A screen writing teacher called it "preparation, event, aftermath." I was good at events. I also edited out emotional impact because most of my emotional aftermaths consisted of WHINING.

So anyway, Anne had a brilliant way of finagling those things out of me, all the while finagling the profanity out of my manuscript. That sly girl!

Like, I had a line in which I called (a certain atheist) an an angry, arrogant mofo. She suggested I think of another word.

Really? Mofo was bad? Okay so I wrote, "angry arrogant turd." Isn't that a great word? TURD? Turd is in, but (the certain atheist's actual name is out because he could sue me for libel.

I also tried to use the word FUBAR three or four times. First I had the almighty saying it. But Anne thought that wasn't a good call. So then I gave it to myself when describing some church experiences. She wrote, "my instinct tells me you might want to use another word to describe a church."

In the end, FUBAR does appear, but not in describing the bride of Christ. (GOOD CALL, ANNE!)

Anyway, I am still pinching myself, marveling how I made it. But I know how. Lots of prayer, lots of encouragement, from wonderful friends. And of course, the best man in the world who's carried me through this whole escapade. LARRY. Oh, no I meant God. God first. Larry second.

Anyway I just wanted to THANK all of you who read my blog and who've cheered me on. The book is on its way!

If you'd be interested in getting me to come and speak at your church or a local coffee house, internet café or bus station, let me know. The book and solo show tour is coming. Maybe to your town!

Susan