Finally, it’s finished! The revised manuscript of THE ARCHANGEL PROJECT, along with its CD, is as I write winging its way to New York. An emailed version is already in Hollywood. I’m not sure why this revision has made me so cranky. Perhaps it’s because I know I should be writing the fourth Sebastian St. Cyr mystery by now. Perhaps it’s because the revisions involved adding considerable new material-somewhere between 10-15,000 words (I don’t remember exactly what it was before). Perhaps it’s because over a dozen Hollywood production companies are waiting to see the revised version and that awareness has put enormous pressure on me. Or maybe I’m just in a cranky mood. Whatever, I’m glad it’s finished.
Charles over at Razored Zen blogged a week or two ago about the difficulties of proofing one’s own work. I ran off what I hoped was the finally copy of ARCHANGEL, looked it over, then gave it to Danielle to read since she was coming at it with fresh eyes. Eeek. There were missing words. Sentences where I’d meant to insert a word but put it in the wrong place. Missing quotation marks. After so many rereads, my ability to see anything but what I expect to see is gone. I shudder at the thought I’m going to need to read this damn thing again at the copyedited stage and AGAIN in the proofs. Enough already!
I also have the proposal for THE BERMUDA EFFECT ready, but I’ll be nice and wait until next week to send that to my editor. Now I can hear the clock ticking toward my historical mystery’s deadline. I’m hauling out its proposal today, trying to pick up the threads of a story I haven’t given a thought to for four or five months.
I want a holiday.
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7 comments:
I feel guilty. Honestly, I do. But there's some part of me that is glad to see that others make errors in proofreading. Does that make me a bad guy? LOL
Ack. The dreaded: "But I thought I got all of those!"
I even do this for a living, and I'm still mortified on occasion when someone points out a typo that I missed in one of the training manuals - usually in the middle of a class with senior executives.
But hey, congratulations on getting to the finish line!
Congrats on finishing the revision, proofreading errors or not. And C.S., my friend, I must chide your negativity once again: Look on the bright side--you have a bunch of Hollywood production companies eager and waiting to see it! How cool is that???
Charles and Kate, I think we all like to know we're not alone when it comes to proofreader's goofs. Lacan, thanks for stopping by. And Sphinx Ink, I know, I know; but I'm feeling the pressure here. I just bought a Qigong DVD. Maybe that'll help!
. . .And you still find time to blog! I envy your creative energy. The bit about seeing what you expect to see rings a bell. You have to hope that by the time the proofs are in front of you, all those other projects will have put a convenient distance between you ARCHANGEL. But take off in Hollywood and maybe you'll have to forgo your own proofreading and pay someone else to do it. Yeah, that's a disturbing as well as a pleasant thought to a writer who cares, but hey, some "names" employ other people to WRITE their books!
Sounds like you're going pretty full throttle yourself, there.
Great stuff, but I kind of feel for you trying to pick up story threads that haven't been touched for months. Maybe all that subconscious marination time will be a good thing!
Wow, that's a lot on your plate. I miss errors all the time especially when I have been so close to the work. Don't be too hard on your self. Exciting that tis off to Holywood :-)
As Steve said i am sure the subconcious will have continued thinking about the story even if you haven't. Good luck.
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