Progress Update
In For a Quarter, In For a Pound
It's been what is commonly referred to as "a time," dear reader.
I've been busier than a woodpecker in a lumber yard and, at times, I've had a headache to match (though admittedly the latter has often been self-induced and/or aided by the sweet, sweet joys of whiskey). In any event I've had my work cut out for me keeping this whole "book thing" moving along this quarter and one might be so bold as to ask the question "why?"
Well, buckle up because I'm about to tell you!
First and foremost, I've had some football games to attend. Having a nephew play in his senior year is an odd feeling-on one hand it's a blast watching him make a catch or smoke a running back but on the other it makes me feel like a living fossil since he wasn't even able to read when he came to my own games way back when, but I digress.
Basically How It Feels In Real Time
I've had to adjust my work-life schedule to accommodate travelling to those games and since doing so pretty much deletes my Friday nights and Saturday mornings from existence I've had to compress the rest of my week so elements critical to my continued existence may continue.
But, hey speaking of Travelling: I've also undergone a truly insane amount of travelling the past couple of months on top of going to said games. In fact, over the past few weeks alone I've been dragged across the entire width and breadth of the continental US to partake in manual labor, recreation, and business, with yet another impending voyage on the horizon for a friend's bachelor party (and, yes, my liver weeps at the thought).
Yet, I'm happy to report that, somehow, even amidst my various comings and goings, progress has indeed been made! Like, a staggering amount, quite frankly.
This Round of Beta has, of course, been more chaotic than I ever could have anticipated but while the revolving door of people having to opt out for personal reasons has continued I’m pleased to say it has slowed down considerably and the vast majority of “newbies” have been brought up to speed and are cranking away as we speak.
On the topic of revolving doors it should be noted that the feedback received has actually been good in a perverse sort of way, namely that while it’s bittersweet to have a trusted voice for constructive criticism have to pause or stop their analysis of my story entirely I can take pleasure that none of them have stopped due to actually hating the work. Small victory I know but I’ve heard enough horror stories to be thankful when someone doesn’t actively root for the death of my main character. I’m also partly to blame for those I suppose, if “blame” is be laid, as I knew full well the high stress jobs some of these people had before we began (kinda hard to get mad at an EMT or mother of four when they’re willing to give you any shred of their personal time you know?). And so to those of you who’ve offered to help but have had to take a hiatus of any duration I say: thank you. Take care of yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. The chapters aren’t going anywhere and I’ll sleep better knowing you’re actually getting some sleep instead of burning the midnight oil trying to keep me happy (though of course if you ever want to hop on back in only say the word. You’re welcome anytime).
Coming in as a complete dark horse among the newbies was a certain book club (an entire fucking book club!) that has not only finished reading the entire manuscript but shelled out both an individual and group analysis on each chapter and the story as a whole. Suffice to say upon hearing the news I couldn’t decide whether to pitch a tent or stare in horror at the length of the attached pdf but I somehow managed to find a balance between the two. Getting so much feedback all at once felt like winning the lottery but having to organize and analyze that much data from that many people all at once has been a challenge unto itself.
The analysis of feedback is the unsexy side of writing, dear reader, like if Errol Flynn swung onto the deck of your ship and instead of engaging with you in an epic duel decided to whip on his readers and go over your tax returns. Yet, while it doesn’t have that same pop as the creative side, it’s all arguably more necessary to ensure I haven’t missed the forest for the trees and left a gaping plot hole somewhere or made you hate or love a character/scene you shouldn’t.
How Every Author Fears Their Betas Will React
With more people finishing out and with the book club analysis still underway I’d like to think this Round of Beta maybe (just maybe) might finally be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, with my luck that light just might end up being the headlight of a speeding locomotive but that’s beside the point.
Progress is progress and that’s something celebrate!
The question remains, however, of whether after this round does finally conclude whether I have made sufficient changes to the draft to warrant a Round 3 or whether it is finally time to go for broke and begin the Querying Process to find an agent (which admittedly I haven’t been able to work on as much as I’d like to this year).
Who knows, maybe I’ll even put it to a poll so you can all cast your vote.
But that’s then, dear reader, and this is now. And now I would like to thank you for reading to the end of this update and taking the time check in on little old me and the colossal amount of work I’ve unwittingly undertaken in my misguided attempt to spin a yarn for your entertainment sometime in the (hopefully near) future.
Until next time.
