Oh shit. Deadlines.

So in the excitement of signing my first writing contract, I gleefully ignored the bit that said: (b) The Author agrees to return such proof to the Publisher with his corrections within fourteen

(14) days of receiving it.

don't get me wrong, I ain't complaining, and like my editor said,  weather they give me 14 days or 60, i'll use em all. And then he said something nice about how there is little structural editing to do, merely stylistic, so that 14 days should be plenty. But aside from that, 14 days should be fine right? right? I mean look at what can happens in 14 days. You can get to the moon and back, a flea can be born, procreate and die, and god could have made the earth twice... so doing a final edit should be a piece of cake. right?

Problem is, i've lived with this manuscript for over four years now, and never have I once had to consider an end -- a final goodbye. I've dreamed of it sure, but not considered it, actually thought about it as a real thing. And now I'm freaking out. I want to hold on a little longer, have a little more time to worry... but thats' just it, more time = more worry, and if I keep picking at it, it'll never get better. I have to go in with guns blazing for one last slaughter of precious words, and then let it go forever. Oh. Shit.

Got an email from my editor a little while ago, said he almost sent me the hand written markup on an actual physical printout of the manuscript. Dear lord! that much paper just wont fit into my slimline leather man-bag I bought specially for my new macbook air -- the computer I justified because you know, i'm a real writer now.

So thank the gods that in that same email my editor also said his wife reminded him it was his birthday, so he was forced to take a little break from editing, thus giving me some more time to freak out and finish my hand made fantasy map... the project I am using to keep my mind off deadlines, much the same way I used angry birds to keep my mind off writing.

Next post: hand made fantasy maps.

T.B

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"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain