Sunday, June 30, 2013

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun


I’ve spent this entire week improving CABIN FEVER based on the first-round edits, comments and suggestions from my editor. I’ve known for some time that I enjoy editing my manuscripts, and this week provided further evidence.

Before receiving the communication from my editor, I had been working on the first draft of my next Seamus McCree novel, producing about 47,500 words. To accomplish that, I set daily goals. Some days the goal was to write at least 1,000 words; other days it was to spend a minimum two hours writing. I’m a pantser, so first drafts come slowly for me—especially the first half of a novel when I spend a lot of time thinking about where the characters want to take the story. As I get closer to the end, my writing quickens because I have a better feel for the characters and plot.

The week before this one I took a short break from writing to participate in a bridge tournament. My plan was to return home late Thursday night. On the way home, I ran over some road debris and got a flat tire. At ten o’clock at night in the sparsely populated area north of Green Bay, Wisconsin there are not a lot of places to get a tire fixed. I chose to stop in the next decent sized town, Crivitz, and spend the night so I could get the tire repaired in the morning rather than try traveling a hundred rainy miles on a donut.

Greeting my delayed arrival home was an email with the editor’s comments on CABIN FEVER. The next day I spent eight hours editing. Each following day, with the exception of the day I had to go into town for various reasons, I spent at least eight hours on the work.

I put off weeding the wildflower garden of maple trees and thistle. I put off exercise. I put off reading. I put off long walks in the woods. I put off writing this blog. I focused on the manuscript until I became physically tired and knew I could no longer give my best efforts. Only then did I move to other activities. Time flew while I was working.

This time flying is a key to finding those things we really enjoy. It’s common wisdom, caught in the expression “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun.” Yet, it is wisdom I often forget, and so I treasure this opportunity to recall it again.

What are the activities that cause you to wonder where the time went?

~ Jim

PS - The illustration is the mock-up of the cover I suggested to the publisher. Let me know what you think of it.

8 comments:

  1. I love to be engrossed in writing a story, scene or chapter. Time passes without my being aware of it. The only other activity that comes close is being on the beach. My husband and I have been known to start the day at the beach at 6 a.m. and finish around 6-7 p.m. I wish I could write for as long, but I have to admit that after five or six hours, I'm mentally exhausted after writing--but that's a good thing.

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  2. I know what you mean! I've had huge chunks of time disappear when I'm sucked into my writing!

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  3. Like you, Jim, I'm a pantser and have trouble getting going on the first part even though I know the plot and who did the dire deed, but as I progress I do better. I also like to edit. Every time I reread my work I make changes. I think this could go on forever, However, I could never stare at a computer screen for so many hours without a terrific headache so I break up my writing time with things like weeding in gardening season or a little cleaning or reading in the winter.

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  4. It's a great feeling to get so deeply into a story. I also love the editing phase - sometimes I think I like editing more than writing....
    Cool cover! Did you get to choose?

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  5. Jim, I love the cover, too. The writing can be invigorating, but meeting the challenge of editing, and accomplishing it, can give you the most incredibly satisfying feeling. Congratulations, Jim. Excelsior!

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  6. Athletes like writers can get into the groove where everything gets easier and time passes quickly. Sometimes a really interesting conversation or class when I am learning can go as quickly as the times when writing flows.

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  7. So the writers seem to agree that they can get lost in the work and that's a good thing.

    How about the readers?

    As to the cover: This was my mock-up suggestion for the publisher. No decisions have been made, I'm just interested in what people think about it. If people love it, I can push and if they are just so-so, I can tuck it into my ever-increasing folder of things I've tried unsuccessfully to do!

    ~ Jim

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  8. I can't get lost in editing, but I can in first draft. That's my Nirvana. I don't think I could do that for 8 hours, though. OK, I know I couldn't!

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