Still trapped underneath my revision, just checking in...

Well folks, I just thought I'd post a quick update to let people know that I haven't actually suffocated beneath hundreds of pages of manuscript. It feels like that at times, but only figuratively.

Here's a quick update:

I finished all the prep work for the revision on Tuesday night at around 9:30pm. It took longer than I had hoped but I am very excited about the revision plan. This book is going to be so much better when I'm done with it that I'm starting to get embarrassed about the existence of the second draft on the internet. Oh well, what's done is done.

Yesterday I started the overwhelming endeavor of actually rewriting the novel. I have ten days to do it (well only nine now) in order to make all of my deadlines. Holy cow this is going to be intense. So many things are changing. If you've read the Jukepop serial you'll probably be surprised at just how different the two drafts are. It's little things like the name of the world and the different types of people in it, and much bigger things too (like the disappearance of most of part one and part two). Still, I got a lot done yesterday and will get more done today and every day until the 24th of this month. I will take it one page at a time, but I predict that there will be a number of 12 to 16 hour days in my future. That's ok. When all is said and done this book will rock, and I can relax a bit in November... Maybe.

I should be getting sketches for the cover art on the 20th. That makes me incredibly happy and a bit giddy. I really can't wait to see what Juan Carlos has come up with for this cover. I'll get more than one sketch and then choose a direction from there. It's honestly one of the most exciting parts of this whole process, to see what a visual artist does with your words... Squeeeeee!

And one other thing that makes me wan't to do a crazy happy dance: I will officially be having a book launch for Blade's Edge at McNally Robinson's on Friday January 23rd at 7pm in the Atrium. Mark your calendars. :-) More details coming soon.

Ok. I desperately need to get back to that whole revision thing. Days are going to be way longer than 16 hours if I spend them on things that aren't this revision. Here's a picture of Artemis enjoying a lovely fall walk yesterday:

(Walks count as revision time because a. I solve all of life's -and, more importantly, fiction's- problems while walking and b. exercise for me and the dog are always on the approved activities list.)