Today I printed out the whole book and was quite overwhelmed by it. I went through it with proofs and edits, marked it up, added continuity, etc., but I don’t know…seeing it printed made me queasy.
First of all, I think it’s too short. I could read this in a little over three hours. It’s only about 210 pages right now. I could pad it all out to get another 20 or 30 pp, but then I think it would lose it’s crispness and be even more boring.
I think it’s boring. Or maybe it just bores me because I’ve been looking at it so much and for so long.
I have a few smallish sections to add, but I am getting there. Maybe next week, it will be ready to be published. Now that publication is within sight, I’m feeling like chickening out.
I got to the point today where I couldn’t look at it any more. I’m just staring at the huge pile of pages on my desk. Does each of those pages double-spaced equal one novel-sized page? I have no idea. The file is about 54,000 words and the file is I think 1.4 megs.
I got helpful information from Dan Brown at Cornell this week about latin names of plants and forensic lab procedures. Thanks, Dan.
Josh, the fool, asked to read the manuscript, so I sent it to him.
I think I need someone to do a big proofread when I’m done. For spelling errors, syntax, etc. and also for timelines. Is it December 21st? The 22nd? Did the heroine sleep last night or did she just keep going with the story?
Am I tying up all the loose ends? Do I want to?
I’m going to send the ms to a friend who is a detective in Snohomish County WA and ask him to review the police stuff.
And Mexican procedure – In Yucatan do the police need search warrants to search a house? Do they use/need arrest warrants? Is every arrestee entitled to a phone call and a lawyer? Are there holding cells at the police stations? Which station do they take big-time bad guys to for interrogation? Etc. Time to call the great, the fabulous, Lic. Vanessa Hernandez. (see court article on general blog.)
Okay, I’m stopping now. I have a huge headache. We’re going to a dinner party and I’m going to forget all about this book, yes I am.