Hmph, even with me adding in more of Tommy, the Aussie, it's still at 116 pages. I guess the script's decided what length it wants to be. I'm going to try and reduce it to between 105 and 110 just by trimming back my descriptions and condensing a bit of the dialogue. But the latest draft is done. Now I'm letting it sit till I get back from NYC. I want some serious space so I can look at the dance number I put in and see if it's really working.
Create Space is having a competition where the prize is a publishing contract and $50K against future royalties. You have to submit the first 5000 words of a book you've written. I'm going to submit "The Vanishing of Owen Taylor". There's no way in hell I'll win -- I'm pretty sure commercial prospects are a prime factor in determining who gets the contract, and I'm nothing like Patricia Cromwell -- but it gives me an impetus to get the book done and ready to show in time for the next phase, after they do their initial cut.
I can work on that, this coming week. It's an 8 hour train ride, each way, but in cars that provide electricity. I'm not crazy about the time I have to be at the station -- 7:30 am -- but I can live with it. I'm taking food with me, and Dr. Pepper; it's appalling that no one treats that soda with the proper respect, up here. This way I can stay focused on the work.
The last time I read through the first chapter, it didn't feel like I heard Jake's voice telling the story yet. It was too measured and easy, had too many softening words mixed in. Which is more the way I talk, really. And write these posts. So I'm pushing to let him work it out in his own vernacular. I did that with Adam, in A65 and it worked better...because he changes his use of certain words as the script progresses.
For example, in England a lot of the people use "Sorry" as a question, meaning, "Excuse me" or "Say again". Adam does that a lot at the beginning...but not at all by the end. And I didn't even realize it till I was glancing through it one last time.
So now it's Jake's turn to make OT all his and nobody else's.
Create Space is having a competition where the prize is a publishing contract and $50K against future royalties. You have to submit the first 5000 words of a book you've written. I'm going to submit "The Vanishing of Owen Taylor". There's no way in hell I'll win -- I'm pretty sure commercial prospects are a prime factor in determining who gets the contract, and I'm nothing like Patricia Cromwell -- but it gives me an impetus to get the book done and ready to show in time for the next phase, after they do their initial cut.
I can work on that, this coming week. It's an 8 hour train ride, each way, but in cars that provide electricity. I'm not crazy about the time I have to be at the station -- 7:30 am -- but I can live with it. I'm taking food with me, and Dr. Pepper; it's appalling that no one treats that soda with the proper respect, up here. This way I can stay focused on the work.
The last time I read through the first chapter, it didn't feel like I heard Jake's voice telling the story yet. It was too measured and easy, had too many softening words mixed in. Which is more the way I talk, really. And write these posts. So I'm pushing to let him work it out in his own vernacular. I did that with Adam, in A65 and it worked better...because he changes his use of certain words as the script progresses.
For example, in England a lot of the people use "Sorry" as a question, meaning, "Excuse me" or "Say again". Adam does that a lot at the beginning...but not at all by the end. And I didn't even realize it till I was glancing through it one last time.
So now it's Jake's turn to make OT all his and nobody else's.
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