Friday Funny with Revisions and a Side of Snail

Hey, guess what everyone? It’s finally Friday. Hit it, George!

Sorry, I couldn’t resist myself. I used to hear this song on the radio every Friday morning while getting ready for school. Years and years later, I still sing it to myself on Fridays 😛

Well, overall, it’s been a calm and productive week. I even managed to squeeze in a little fun. Yesterday I played hooky from work to spend the day at the Denver Zoo with my family and a couple of friends visiting from out of town. It was such a nice break from the daily grind.

On the manuscript front, things have been both frustrating hopeful. Last Saturday, I began revising my first draft. Almost a week later, I’ve only edited two chapters. Two! Yeah, talk about sloooow going.

No, my snail-like pace isn’t because I’m being lazy or unmotivated or distracted. It’s because I’m no longer writing a story. I’m building one. As I revise, I’m constantly asking myself, “Why is this happening?” and “Who are these characters?” and “How can I make this more interesting–more relevant?” It’s no longer about pouring ingredients into a bowl. It’s about baking a cake. That means this draft is going to take time. And these first chapters will take a lot of time. They’re the ones that will set the tone and lay the foundation for the rest of the story.

So, with that in mind, I decided mid-week to send the first two revised chapters to my harshest and best critic: my mom. More than anything, I wanted to know what she thought about my two main characters. Are they likable? Are they worth developing? Or are they annoying, cliche, and/or blahhh? I figured, why dive headfirst into the story if the characters carrying the weight of it aren’t engaging? They need to be yum!, not ho-hum.

 Thankfully, after chewing my nails all day, my mom called and told me she genuinely enjoyed my MCs and would like to know more about them. Woo-hoo! Unfortunately, she had issues with a couple of other things, and she asked me some questions about the plot I had a hard time answering. But, it’s okay. That’s what second drafts are all about–finding the problems and fixing them. And, hey, better to fix them earlier than later, right?

So, in honor of my up and down week with my revisions, and my many “yippee!” and “icky” moments, here is today’s Friday Funny. Enjoy!

How about you? How was your week?

Jen’s Weekly Roundup

In case you missed my posts from earlier this week, here you go: 

Music Monday – Downtown – Petula Clark

Book of the Month: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

How to Write the Perfect First Page