DUNE 7 BLOG

Saturday, January 7, 2006

Getting Back to Business

Every year during the "holiday season," the publishing world and Hollywood go into a strange sort of funk, like hibernation. Between Thanksgiving and New Years, woe to the author who needs a contract issued, a payment check cut, or a list of editorial comments on a manuscript. Nobody's around to make decisions, to sign papers, to issue an offer on a new project. Many editors, publishers, agents, and all their staff disappear like a puff of smoke.

That means, for once, an author should have uninterrupted time to get work done on a book manuscript or two. At least until the hordes of relatives arrive for their annual visits, like a tribe of thirsty Fremen.

After Brian sent me his Draft 4 of HUNTERS on December 20, I put in several ten-hour days of editing just to make some headway, knowing that "holiday cheer" was impending. (Yes, I do have a Grinch t-shirt and Grinch lounging pants, just so I can stay in character.) Before the first relatives arrived, I was averaging 60 pages a day. During the ten days of enforced sociability, I got up early and vigorously fought for an hour or two of work each day; even so, I was able to edit only about ten pages a day. All momentum lost, it was like slogging through quicksand.

We played games, saw NARNIA and KING KONG, went on several hikes, even took a day for spectacular snowshoeing to a pair of frozen mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. A good time was had by all ... But "relaxing" is a lot of work.

By January 2, the house was free of guests again and I was able to get back to HUNTERS with my full attention. Since then, I have gone through a significant part of the manuscript and may even finish in a few days. I speak with Brian at least every other day on the phone, and he expects to send his completed Draft 4 of SANDWORMS by the middle of the month, and he'll have Draft 5 of HUNTERS. Each iteration brings us closer and closer to the target.

--KJA