Day three - reading and more reading

Well, today I polished off Anita's "Flight from Bear Canyon" (very cool and exciting!) and got well into my manuscript.

I only made a few major notes on the sides - I really just want to read this thing once through as a story to see how it settles in my gut, and then go through again with minor changes, and then again with the major stuff (like I said, the ending is going to be TOTally different).

I also had another idea for taking out a chunk of the book about the bullying, which would alter a lot of stuff, and cut it down by about 20 -30 pages. I'm thinking I might write a separate draft to see how it flows, but right now it's kinda central to the main character of Charlie...

Sigh. The trials of the big edit. Writing the first draft really IS the easy part! Heh! But it's exciting to be reading it and working on it!

Tonight was also very exciting because I got to enjoy Anita Daher's launch of Two Foot Punch! She is such an inspiration for all aspiring writers - 2007 has been a GREAT year for her, and I'm so happy to see her soar to new heights! Next stop: her picture on the wall of McNally Robinson Booksellers! (It'll happen Anita, you wait and see). I can't wait to tear into the book.

I've also grabbed a book from the WIWF library (yet another perk of the job) - Frieda Wishinsky's "Just Call Me Joe," an Orca young reader book for ages 7-10, again around the age group I'm aiming for with my Ghostcatcher Club. Although I think right now it is more for ages 9-13, but who knows what it will look like at the end of the editing. My first job is just to create a good story!