Elizabeth Otto

I'm so glad no one ever said this would be easy~

Last month, I announced to my friends and family on Facebook, that I'd finally (after 8 years) finished my manuscript. I may have been jumping the gun a little when I said it was finished (OK, I did); however, I felt that just having all the scenes written was a major accomplishment. 

 

Writing 90,000 words worth of scenes took for...ev...er.., as you who write, very well know. I'm finding that this initial writing wasn't really the hard part. That was the fun part. The brainstorming part. The creative blast that soaked my computer screen with untapped, completely pure thoughts/characters/images/places and events.

 

Now the real work begins. A nasty little transition called Line Edits. This is where I take all my nicely squared pieces and patch them together. In a way that reads smoothly AND makes sense. If you understood my brain, you would see why this is not a good process for me. 

 

• It is frustrating.

• It is taking forever.

• I cry daily.

• I hate this manuscript.

  Most of the time I feel like a horrible wanna-be who can't. write.worth. a. damn. 

   

And yes, it is true. I did burn (a few) pages of my initial line edits because I. had. enough.    

 

Did not. OK, yes I did

 

A Quilter I Am Not--But I'm Learning 

 

 

I have friends who like to quilt. I'm talking those beautiful pieces of art that you can hang on a wall or in a museum or something. Those beauties that are much, much to meticulous and perfect to actually be used. These friends intimidate me because I have nary the skill or patience to complete such a long, long process.

 

Clearly, or I would have an easier time creating my novel. Though I don't quilt, I've come to think of this work in progress as a quilt of words. I made all the pieces-cut them just right so they fit nicely. I made sure all the colors and themes and shapes fit cohesively. Now, I use fine stitches to bind all those pieces together and watch the bits become a completed work of art. Once that is done, the artistic quilting will be applied--those finishing stitches that add a layer of beauty, depth and fullness to the quilt. 

 

I have until June 8th to draw my last stitch and show you, and myself, that something amazing can be created from a patchwork of pieces. A dream becomes tangible. Not to be placed in a frame on the wall, but held in your hand--cherished as that special something to chase the chill from the day or bring warmth to a space of nothingness.

 

Consider This a Quilting Bee

 

I'm not in this alone--luckily. If I were, the quilt would be a horrible, half-completed nightmare of loose threads and poorly cut fabric. Oh no. I've got my Betties, my quilting beauties to help me along. These are the critique partners and fellow writers, a cheering squad, to keep the stitching moving along. 

 

So, a big thank you to my writing Betties and hey, let's see if I can get this thing done, huh? You never know--I may be a better quilter than I thought possible. 

 

All the "quilt" pieces just waiting for a steady, stitching hand.

 

June 8th. Deadline. Got it.