Editing a Manuscript, Saturday, and Journal from 8/7/96 and 8/8/96

I'm having a great day.  This morning I got semi-caught up on my jewelry making tasks for the weekend and afterward I folded 3 loads of laundry and started a new one. I even went for a run with the dog right after I woke up...the run was more of a walk because I feel like I've got lead legs lately when I try to jog, but it was still worth the effort.  After the laundry and jewelry, I still had some time while the hubby was out with our daughter running errands, so I used 15 minutes to voice record another chapter of my book.  Doing the voice recording has really made me think about how well or poorly the story I've tried to create flows.  And when I have a bad chapter, I get red in the face while I'm reading out loud...but when I have a good chapter, I get a surge of confidence that lingers for hours.  It's still lingering now and I feel really confident that my writing (up until chapter 4 at least) is sounding the way I want it to sound.  It is getting me more excited to do the second round of editing.

I can't wait until Scrivener releases their iPad app.  I know I still have a while to wait, but it's nice to know it's coming.  Hm...maybe I shouldn't be so hasty to say that it's good to know I have it to look forward to...because I've lately been using that as a crutch and excusing myself from editing because I know it'll be easier when that app exists (my whole book is written in Scrivener, so to be able to read chapters and edit right on the page with my iPad sounds so convenient).  But getting this resurgence of desire to see this thing through and get an agent and (oh god, it's like my go-to fantasy daydream) sign a book deal needs to start somewhere.  And polishing this book to the point where I feel confident on every chapter instead of just every other one is what I need to focus on now.

So the editing must continue.  I'm still following through with my daily writing regimen, but I haven't actually gotten back into editing the manuscript.  I've decided though, that I'm going to pick up where I left off...the edits I've made so far are still marked in red all over the pdf of the whole book I've been reading through Goodreader on my iPad and, for the most part, they're legible, so I just need to continue making those edits.  Typing them out on the actual computer is the scary part.

Back to the journal...

Diary, I don't think David likes me anymore.  I went ******** and he only talked to me once!  Than he asked my ************** to watch a movie!  Didn't even ask me to go to so I had to sit ****************** :'(
                                         Millie

PS The worst part is, I think ************(someone I didn't like had a crush on me)**************

8/7/96
Diary, last night I was watching "Little Rascles" and the one kid said all these names of people that make a team. ***************** I know it was just a coinsodence, but it could come true!

Also, yesterday night I was helping my sister clean her room and she gave me something called a "monkey's fist" and a pez dispencer, a lot of clothes, and a really neat pen! llllllllll <--it ran out!
Oh well!

                                          Millie

PS This morning me and my brother and sister went for a run.  My brother beet me and I beet my sister.

8/8/96
Diary, I think he likes me again!  Yesterday when **************************** but he asked me instead (which he never does)

I ran again today!  and I kind of ran with my sister so no one really won.

***************
                                         Millie

Diary, I haven't been hearing the footsteps outside anymore.  Maybe the ghost decided to go haunt someone else for a change.  I really wish I could tell you something more exciting But there's nothing else to write about but boys!  I know that's the most boring thing I could write about but oh well!  I guess I just have as normal of a life as it can get!

I wish I can write to Kathy but its her turn to write to me!  I guess she just got bored writing to me!  Diary, should I write to her and remind her to write to me?  I'll give her 2 more weeks then I'll write to her!

      I have to go feed my chameleon
                  Millie

Sorry about all the blued out words.  I really censored these ones a lot.  They're just as embarrassing as before.  I am getting numb to it.  I just don't want any identifying information showing up...you know, in case I become a famous author some day and people actually read this blog.  I guess by then an editor or agent will probably force me to take this blog down.  Ahhh, there I go, daydreaming again.

Anyways...we're all just trying to avoid the crazy heat here in Arizona.  It's expected, but this is my first summer in the desert, so I feel like I'm allowed to complain for a while.  Plus, I'm pregnant, so that gives me double reason to complain.

Off to writing the paragraphs for my Synopsis in Six Sentences :)

Writing a Synopsis and the Next Journal Entry (date unknown)

I've been thinking about re-querying agents (well, not exactly 're-querying' so much as sending out my query to a few new batches of agents).  Unfortunately, one thing I hadn't anticipated after writing my original query back in March was writing a synopsis.  I just didn't see that as part of what I would need to do in order to try and persuade an agent to represent me.  I was wrong, so I tried writing up a quick synopsis and found out...yea, not so easy.  Today, for my 'do something on Earths Project' part of my To-Do list, I decided to research again how to best write a synopsis.  I easily found this blog post:

http://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/how-to-write-a-synopsis

There's also a cool image attached to the blog (and I think this blog post is reposted from the original blog, so I apologize that I was too lazy to track down the original poster).

Immediately, I started applying this tactic to my book.  I am up to the third sentence and I'm finding it to be a much more helpful way of turning this arduous task into a much more manageable one.  Hopefully I'll be able to come up with the last few sentences for this and turn them into paragraphs without much trouble.  That'll be the goal for my weekend? 

On to the next journal entry...I block out a lot from the second page because I'm pretty sure it's for the next day, but for some reason, I stopped writing dates for a few pages.

Diary,  My mom just went for an interview.  Wish her luck!  She has a lot of experience so unless they pick family, she's in the bag!

I might bring you with me when we go to hershey on the 22nd.  If I don't bring you, I'll fill you in on the details when I get back.

I never had a diary that I enjoy to write in and kept this long.  I hope no on ever finds you and reads you!  Unless I'm dead!  Then it won't really matter!  I wish I could write about more exciting stuff but it would be more dumb if I lied!

I hope when I grow up ***************************************
I want an interesting job like being an archeiologist!  Now that would be fun!  I'm not sure if I want kids?  Maybe when I get older I'll change my mind!

                               Millie

Diary, It's so HOT!  I wish my neighbors would invite me down to swim!

I can't wait until my dad and I finish the tree house!  Then I can hide you out there!

                               Millie

I definitely remember wanting to be an archaeologist.  I think it was because of the movie 'Jurrasic Park'.  In fact, I'm sure of it.  I think my mother got that job she had interviewed for...not positive though.  I also think my neighbors invited me down that day.  The only reason I kept that part for this entry is because it's supposed to be 119 degrees in Phoenix today...the hottest day of the year so far.  It's about 2pm, so I'm assuming it's pretty bad out already.  I'm staying inside as much as I can today.

I remember not wanting kids through most of my childhood.  I didn't really decided I wanted a baby until I lived in Louisiana...about 4 or 5 years ago.  When that baby fever came on, I couldn't look at a baby without wanting one of my own with an intensity I've never before experienced.  So I guess there was no way of knowing at 13 that I'd get that innate urge.   

Guess that one wasn't so bad as far as embarrassment goes. Also, it's funny that I am totally screwing over the younger version of myself who wrote this and was so adamant about no one ever reading it (because, as you can see, I'm not dead).