Suspended animation (waiting for Godot)

[pbray]

Last night I woke abruptly from a dream in which I was reading the revision letter for the manuscript I'd sent in earlier this month. In the letter, my editor gently pointed out that I'd inserted a huge chunk of fanfic in the middle of the book, and I should be prepared to cut that section. She didn't think that we could get licensing rights for that property--particularly since I'd killed off one of their main characters.

I called my editor to discuss and informed her that the character in question NEEDED TO DIE. The ever-patient Anne agreed, and then pointed out, once again, the issue of licensing.

I awoke half-convinced that I had indeed received that revision letter and it took a while for me to realize that it was all part of a dream. When the heavy plow came down the road on its second pass, I realized that this was probably what had originally awoken me.

I can't remember which TV show the dream referenced--it might have been Heroes or CSI. But I'm pretty darn sure that there isn't a chunk of fanfic in the manuscript I sent, and I know I haven't killed off anyone else's characters. Despite how much they need to die.

I suppose it just goes to show what the mind will come up with when it's fretting. There's nothing quite like that awful silence between the time you deliver a manuscript and the time you get your first feedback--especially when it's a project where you're not sure if it worked or not. It's a bit like that moment where you slam into an obstacle and you're waiting for the pain to register to figure out how badly you're hurt. Now just imagine that moment stretching out for weeks....

Optimism. It's for other people.

Comments

[larryhammer]

*falls over laughing*

No no, I'm laughing with you, not at you.

*snicker*

---L, *snortle*.

[sylvia-rachel.livejournal.com]

I know exactly that feeling (well, OK, not exactly). I send my chapters out to a group of long-suffering reader-friends, two of whom in particular are always superlatively helpful. One of these two always sends the chapter back within 24 hours, while the other often takes up to a week; the reason is that, duh, she's busy, but every single time I don't hear from her for a few days after sending a chapter, I start thinking ohmygod it sucks it's terrible and she's afraid to tell me oh no what am I going to do. But, and here's the part that's supposed to make you feel better, it always turns out that most of said chapter, at least, did not in fact suck, and my friend was just really busy.

Once again you make my day by demonstrating that Real Actual Published Writers have the exact same neuroses that I have ... so thanks for that.

And, having just finished Devlin's Honor, I am fairly certain that you should be more optimistic about The Current Project.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

There's nothing quite like that awful silence between the time you deliver a manuscript and the time you get your first feedback--especially when it's a project where you're not sure if it worked or not.

It's the same when you think it really, really worked...only to learn that no, it didn't. Because the brain shut down the Eternal Tweakage of the Overworked Mind section because the book was already, like, fine. It took me three months to gear up that section of my brain again. mizkit could have written two books and a graphic novel in that time.

[davidkeck.livejournal.com]

In keeping with the infinite interconnectedness of the modern world, your editor may have been chuckling indulgently at your posting.

(Eye witness report).

~D