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I Can See The End Of The Road

 Pam and I have been working from home on the line by line edit of my novel 26 Women. When we work, she is at home looking at the latest draft I've emailed her and I'm at home looking at the same version. 

It's like being back in one of Marshall Cook's gatherings. Marshall ran the Writers Institute in Madison for a number of years. Participants would come with a short piece and exchange them with the others. He would moderate a discussion of the entries that would allow the writers to get input on their work. It's always interesting how readers will misunderstand the brilliance of your writing. Or put another way, how your writing will defy explanation. 

Pam will ask me some form of the question, "What are you trying to say here?" We usually ended up rewriting a word, sentence, or paragraph. Only occasionally, the work would stand scrutiny and remain unchanged. I also seem to go into a coma using commas. I tend to sprinkle them like fairy dust in hopes they will do magic. More often they turn out just being dust. We dithered over when we should capitalize mom or dad. What word combinations do you hyphenate? 

One of the issues we discussed was when we introduced a character let us say William and then gave my character's permission to call him Bill was it ever important or necessary to refer to him Willam.

By the time I post this, we will have completed this draft. I have a raft of margin notes to go over on my own. There are points that may need extensive rewriting and then I have to begin my research on how I'm going to publish. 

As I have written before I'm not going to try to get an agent. I'm looking at Kindle because I would have a digital copy for sale and a Print on demand (POD) option. I've been told a better path might be Ideal. If anyone has experience with this I'd love to hear from you.

Medical report: Poppa Jeff will be going in tomorrow (Wednesday 9/2/2020) For hernia surgery. It's an outpatient procedure that is extremely common and safe. My Doctor is comfortable with me going home and taking care of myself.

Bad News: My son-in-law has been diagnosed with COVID. I just found out during a breezy conversation about professional golf we were conducting by IM . One sentence we're talking about Jon Rahm's amazing victory over his favorite player, Dustin Johnson and he writes in a kind of oh-by-the-way fashion, "I had a positive test for COVID-19." I'm waiting for more information.

Comments

  1. SusanSeptember 1, 2020 at 6:38 AM

    Hey Jeff - sorry to hear about your hernia operation. I hope it all goes well. Especially sorry to hear about your son-in-law. Sadly, it's getting to where everyone knows someone. My sister and brother-in-law both got Covid. Both have recovered, but it was tough. My friend Karen and her husband also got Covid. I blame the fuckheads who don't wear masks. Wishing you a speedy recover.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MLSeptember 1, 2020 at 7:42 AM

    Good luck tomorrow, Jeff, it's tough moving around for a week or so Bob says, but you've been through a lot worse & managed. Stay tough!

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:26 AM

    Hi Jeff! I hope you recover soon from the surgery. Bests,
    María Mercedes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeff JordanSeptember 2, 2020 at 4:31 AM

      This is nothing compared to what all of you in PR have been going through. I think of guys often.

      Delete
  4. bcooleSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:42 AM

    Ugh. Surgery. Take care and have a swift recovery!
    Barb Cooley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeff JordanSeptember 2, 2020 at 4:32 AM

      I'll be back kicking ass tomorrow. Thank you for caring.

      Delete
  5. bcooleSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:44 AM

    And I hope your son-in-law recovers quickly as well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownSeptember 1, 2020 at 7:33 PM

    Heal quickly, Jeff, and sending best wishes for your son-in-law.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jeff JordanSeptember 2, 2020 at 4:32 AM

    thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownSeptember 2, 2020 at 6:27 AM

    Good luck today Jeff. I hope feel better soon.

    ReplyDelete

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