It's done. The first draft of Dead Broke is currently fermenting in a dank back corner of the hard drive. In a few months I'll haul it out, clear away the mildew, and very carefully open the file lest it explode.
More likely it will whimper and fizzle, and that's fine, too. As long as something is left to work with I'll be happy.
Once it was done I took a few days off from writing. I wandered around the house bumping into furniture I'd forgotten about while trying to decide which of the other three novel manuscripts needed my attention.
They all do.
I finally decided to go with the first one I'd written. It hadn't been touched in so long it screamed when the mouse clicked over it. I'm pleased to say it's calmed down and I'm able to work on it.
Before it's too far gone in the fermentation here's a bit from near the end of Dead Broke:
"He glided out of the room. His bare, brain-burdened head cocked to one side to avoid the lintel."
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Not writing means more time for reading. I just finished Pharaoh by Italian author Valerio Massimo Manfredi (first published in Italian in 1998. English translation by Christine Feddersen-Manfredi, published, in 2010 by McArthur and Company).
The author is many-times published and an archaeologist whose specialty is the ancient world.
The book is a thriller set in the middle east with plots to cripple the US and take over Israel while a tomb is discovered that could rip the faith from the three major religions.
It's a good page-turner, good for taking readers away, and bits of it read like a reasonable echo of 9/11 despite being put out three years earlier.
Two lines:
" 'Please allow us just a few minutes," said the man with the coat. 'You'll realize that we had no choice.' "
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Thanks for being here. It means a lot to me.
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12 comments:
Congratulations on finishing "Dead Broke"!
Your lines, as always, make me want to read the story.
The book you are reading sounds very interesting - I'll have to have a look around for it.
Thanks so much, Cousin. It was screaming face out on the book shelves at Chapters a few weeks ago.
Congratulations! Celebrate.
Mary
Hats off. You did good.
Do you miss the characters now that you're not in their company every day? Or have you just sent them on a long vacation, like putting the kids in summer camp, while you get a much needed break from them?
Oh yes! Congratulations on finishing "Dead Broke"! I so want to read that one.
I too will have to look out for the other novel, sounds very interesting.
Thanks, Mary. I will.
Ron, thanks. It's not so much the characters as it is the writing. The 1K a day rhythm is hard to break.
Reb, thanks. It's got a few moments where I shook my head, but I really did enjoy it. I enjoy middle east archaeology so was biased.
Woohoo! Happy dance of finishing joy! Congratulations!
Fantastic News about Dead Broke! Hooray!
And, though you may not quite agree, that you have other stuff to work on while it's cooling down is great, too.
Thanks, Laura.
Clare,thanks. It is good to have a fallback ms to work on. My problem was deciding which one.
Congrats, Leah. I have been following your ups and downs this past year and because of that feel like I have finished it with you. The bottle of wine is on me.
Take your time and make it what you really want it to be.
I will be waiting to purchase the finished book with bells on.
David, it's good to know you were along for the ride. I'll let you choose the wine, but if you're stuck you'll never go wrong with a South American red.
Messymimi, I will. I'm so glad I have reader waiting.
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