Friday, April 8, 2011

Time is Running Out

I'm going to have to make it short this week. I got Behind the Seams back for revision and about two weeks to do it in. I didn't think it would be a problem as my editor only had a few concerns, so I let it go a couple of days. Then when I began to read the whole thing over, I started to freak out. I wasn't happy with a whole scene and sentences were awkward. It's not changing the plot or anything drastic, but lots of little things. All my plans for going through 50 pages a day went out the window and I spent two days working on five pages.

I have until a week from tomorrow and I have another 200 or so pages to go through. Needless to say, no more two days on five pages.

In the meantime, the moderator for the panel I'm going to be on at Malice Domestic in Washington DC at the end of this month has been communicating about our panel. We're going to be discussing holiday books, which should be interesting. One of the challenges of writing You Better Knot Die was to make it a holiday book, but then be able to sell it all year. One of the things Berkley did was to keep the holiday touches on the bookcover subtle.

And the plans for Printers Row in Chicago the first weekend in June are coming together. I'm going to be in the Mystery Writers of America booth again and on a panel with some of my writer friends Julie Hyzy, Kate Collins and JB Stanley also know as Ellery Adams. You never know what the weather is going to be like. In the three years I've taken part in it, it's been hot and stormy, cold and stormy and just plain chilly. Who knows what it will be this year.

I was so busy this week, I didn't even get back to my last week's blog to comment on Planner's comment. You are right, Planner, I do manage to enjoy most things. I certainly enjoyed the trip to Santa Fe.

That's it, back to my manuscript.

4 comments:

Linda O. Johnston said...

Our travel schedules are similar, Betty! I'm on a pet mystery panel at Malice and will also be at Printers Row for a day and will sign at the Mystery Writers of America booth.

Planner said...

I guess the word deadline is appropriate for a murder mystery!

May the rest of the editing go much faster!

Betty Hechtman said...

Great that you'll be at Printers Row, Linda. Be sure to bring an umbrella and a warm sweater - just in case.

Betty Hechtman said...

LOL, Planner. I didn't get the deadline connection, but you're right. Thanks for the good wishes. I'm going to try for 50 pages a day.