Grrrr!

Song of the day:  “A happy place” by Katie Melua…I know, nutters, right. But it fits rather well with the past few days…

I hear you wondering why, and you’re going to be sorry about wondering, I assure you, because it was incredibly boring for anyone who wasn’t there, but it had everything to do with editing, of course.

To start it off right, I almost ended up killing big brother numerous times! Yes, you read that right. There were times I wanted to bash the computer on the top of his head, throttle him, kick his butt and on the overall just have at him until he shut his trap in a variety of stages during a couple of eight hour sessions on the manuscript. Seriously, allow me to give you an example:

To set the scene, we’re at our desk, have been steadily editing for three or four hours, and it has been going well…

Big brother: You can take this sentence out.

*blinks* Me: What?

I scroll back, wondering what the heck he’s talking about, seeing I was two sentences ahead, thinking the flow was going rather well.

Big brother: This sentence, it can go out.

Me: This sentence can’t go out; the next one won’t work without it.

Big brother: So change that one this way or that.

Me: But if I do that, this whole paragraph won’t make any sense.

He scans the paragraph, and shrugs while I glare at him the whole time.

Big brother: Take it all out. It’s not that important.

*gasps* Me: Not important? We explain how this all started, right there.

Thoughtful Big brother: Hmmm. Maybe rephrase it in thought, or something.

Me: But why, if we leave the first sentence in, it works just fine.

Big brother: But we need to get the word count down, remember.

Me: So we cut it out somewhere else, jeez!

Big brother: Where?

Now it is big brother’s turn to frown at me, making me roll my eyes and throw up my hands in exasperation.

Me: I don’t know. We still have 40K to read through, I’m sure we’ll find something that won’t be missed.

Big brother: We already went through it, and already took out everything we thought could go out.

Me: Which includes this sentence *jabs at screen* because it is a vital introduction into the information we need to convey in this paragraph. We can’t just have a bit of floating information, darn it!

Big brother: But it doesn’t work.

Me: What part doesn’t work?

*jabs at screen* Big brother: This sentence.

Me: But it does. There is no way to miss understand it. This word means this, and that means that.

Big brother: Well, okay, if you want it that much. Your choice. *all nonchalant*

That gets to me, and I’m back to glaring at him while we sit there staring at the screen.

Me: Don’t use that tone.

Big brother: What tone?

Me: That tone of, you’re being unreasonable about this. It is necessary information!

Big brother: Okay, so keep the paragraph, we’ll hear if it’s okay when the editor goes through it.

Me: I don’t get why you don’t get that sentence.

Big brother:  It doesn’t say what you’re trying to say.

Me: Yes it does. I want it to say this and that, like it says right there.

Big brother: Well, that’s not how it reads.

*sputters* Me: But it does. The words are right there.

Big brother: Maybe take out that comma, and change that word into this one.

Me: You can’t take out that comma, it’s not allowed. Remember Eats, shoots and leaves? And that word doesn’t apply!

Big brother:  Sure it does.

Me: No, it’s supposed to convey this and that emotion, not that other thing.

Exasperated Big brother: Why. He can be angry instead of impatient.

Outraged Me: He can’t! It would be out of character.

*sighs* Big brother: It’s not that different.

Me: Yes it is! In this situation he would never do that. He’s a pro.

Impatient Big brother: So think of a different way to say it.

*stares resentfully* Me: It is not that friggin’ easy, you know. I can’t just…*the mind whirls frustratingly, grasps for ideas* I have this thing in my head like I wrote it down, dammit. It’s not easy to just shift stuff around in my head like a bunch of bingo balls, just because you don’t get a simple sentence!

Big brother: I know.

*types on furiously, ramming keys like it’s an old fashioned typewriter* Me: Some things just go the way the go, and that requires those words. They are necessary, not just randomly picked!

Big brother: Right…comma there, yes.

Still typing Me: There are certain sequences, responses that fit the characters. If you don’t adhere to that, the reader will get the wrong impression about said character and everything will be ruined. Ruined!

*period*

Me: There!

Distracted Big brother: Uh-huh. You missed a “the” there, and the ed should be a gerund.

Me: Grrrr.

Big brother: Yeah. This works. I get it now. This is good. Hey, are you a writer? *smirks*

Disgruntled Me: It’s not all that different.

Big brother: Doesn’t matter, now it makes sense, and the whole paragraph works. This is good. See there, and there? Yeah, that’s good, it segues right into the next bit. Yeah. Good.

Me: Hmmm.

Big brother: Let’s read on.

Grudging Me: Okay.

See what I mean? So frustrating! I know that in the end we make it work, and we can move past it just fine, but that doesn’t mean that scenes like this make my teeth gnash. I shouldn’t complain, really, and I don’t, not really. In fact, when I think back of our discussion I can actually laugh about it (albeit somewhat embarrassed) and write it down for a blog like this.

The only thing I regret about this sort of thing that we get stuck on such episodes for a solid thirty minutes, sometimes maybe even an hour if we’re not careful, because things get heated to the point that I have to walk away for a moment. Hah.

No matter, though, in the end we figure it all out, and go on as if nothing bad at all happened. I don’t want to know how our neighbors think of it, though, considering that we can become rather vocal about some things, hehehe.

But enough about that. In regards to publishing, I had to fold at last and opened a Facebook account. I know, bad Sammie for folding in that regard, but what can I say, what has to be has to be. In the end it will turn out that I’ll be using it mostly for publishing stuff, and fans, of course, but not especially for personal stuff. Got email for that, and Whatsapp, which are way more personal for as far as I’m concerned when it is about communication, right?

And I do have to admit that it is nice to check up on pics and interests from the few friends I found on there. Hah.

What else…well, the usual grind stuff have been happen, naturally. Cooking (got a marvelous cauliflower quiche with nuts, it’s yummy!), cleaning house (blegh) going grocery shopping (only once every two weeks these days, so that is not that bad anymore. I love being able to have to go out only twice a mont for the real shopping, and a short trip in-between for dairy, vegetables and bread).

In regard to our present pets…the ducks are becoming downright demanding. When I don’t come out on time, they will actually come toddle right up to the door, looking for food, so I am very careful to be there right on the dot in the morning to give them their snack. They’re  a cute little couple, and I am almost at the point of starting to name them.

Tenant had a bad bout this past week. She was bed bound for a bit, because her lungs had filled up with slime again, meaning that she was in constant air deprivation. Luckily she has improved a little again, and has actually spent two hours out of bed today without losing her breath, so she is on the mend, thankfully.

My exercises have become a steady routine now. Every morning, 45-75 mins of qi gong, boxing and weight lifting. Should put in a rest day soon again, because all the muscles are getting sore, meaning that they need a breather, but for now it feels to nice to have that physical exertion every day.

I’m sure that I am missing something here, but nothing is popping up in my mind, I fear, so I am leaving it at the this. Gotta go…still have some tweaks to do before sending the manuscript to the editor. Hah!