A beautiful thing happened this week. I finished typing in my handwritten revisions for Draft 3 of my surfing novel!!!!!!
Really, this is a small thing, and probably doesn’t deserve six exclamation points. Because I’d already made these revisions by hand on a printed-out copy, all I had to do was type them into the Scrivener document. So maybe it’s not that big of a deal.
But when I was having a crisis of confidence THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS TYPING, thinking THIS IS TERRIBLE with every keystroke, then, it starts to seem a bit bigger.
And when I was (not so) merrily type-type-typing away, I came to a note that said, “Need scene for such and such,” and I HADN’T WRITTEN THE SCENE. It’s a bit of a smack in the face to have to halt all the (easy?) typing work and actually create something from scratch. Even harder when, as I’m writing it, I’m thinking OH WAILY WAILY THIS IS TERRIBLE with every word.
So maybe it’s still awful (actually there’s no “maybe” about that), but now I can print the [expletive] thing out again and revise it once more.
That’s progress, my friends.
Also, how totally perfect is it that right after I finished typing, I had to pick up Z at school, and when I started the car, “Never Let Me Go,” by Florence + the Machine was playing – and the lyrics are:
In the arms of the ocean so sweet and so cold
And all this devotion I never knew went on
And the crashes are heaven for a sinner released
But the arms of the ocean delivered me
…which is absolutely awesome and goes with the surfing book SO WELL. It was unbelievably cool.
So big thing or little thing, typing up those changes feels big, and it’s gotten me excited again about a book I’ve been struggling with from the very beginning.
Beth Hull 
Your drawings are getting better! Progress in multiple ways, my friend.
Thanks, Val! I spent WAY too long on that wave, though.
I hope gophers are going to be on your biz cards? They are unforgettable! This one is especially superb and good job on that wave. Revising is always progress, hard/weird/challenging as it is/can be. Look at all you discovered! Ha ha! Now go have a margarita, it’s Friday, lady. It’s Friday.
Ooh, yes, Friday! Margaritas!
Sorry, no gophers on the business cards. So far they are without decoration. Boring, yes. Easy, DOUBLE YES. 🙂
Sounds like a “love/hate” relationship! LOVE the gopher pic!
Thanks Mom! ❤
Those lyrics were a gift they were so opportune! Keep writing/revising.
Thanks, Linda, will do! And congratulations again on your recent book deal!
Ahh, that voice, QS! I just blogged about that today for Weds. blog then here it is as I read yours. Love it when the Universe syncs up to help us out and what I’ve found is that the ones you struggle with are the ones that most need to be written. Keep riding the wave!
Ooh, I’m looking forward to your Wednesday blog!
As far as struggling – thanks. Sometimes I worry I’m banging my head against the keyboard for nothing. 🙂
Whether you think typing up the revisions is a big or small thing, the fact that it got you excited and feeling reinvigorated about the story is HUGE. Congrats, Beth!
You are totally right. Thanks, Natalia!