WRITING

It takes me about a year to write a book.
There's a lot of hardship along the way.
It sure ain't a primrose path.
I write and re-write.
Then my editor gets ahold of my manuscript.
He bitches and moans every time.
I don't blame him.
My work is a mess.
He swears this time that:
"I'm going to charge you extra for every unnecessary comma!"
I use too many of them.
The last time my "quotation marks" drove him insane.
Then there are the damned publisher's templates.
I need to hire out for the book cover.
I hire a web geek for that.
He does the sizing and photography for me.
I am puter illiterate in this regard.
I haven't got a clue.
Vanity publishing is done electronically.
Everything is uploaded and downloaded on the internet.
Gone are the days of "typers".
Gone are the days of "snail-mailing" manuscripts.
I conversed with my writer friend Paul, today.
He lives in Boston and is writing a wonderful novel.
His "Dragon voice recognition system" is re-writing his book for him.
It automatically transfers the spoken word to the manuscript file.
Sometimes it misinterprets what he says.
I told him that maybe the "Dragon" is smarter than he is!
I suggested that maybe it will write a better novel.
He got a chuckle out of my moronic statement...I think.
We writers agonize over every small detail.
No matter what we do, we are never REALLY satisfied.
I edit at least eight times before I submit to my publisher.
I finally ok a proof copy of my book after perusing every one of my sentences.
I've written three books and am working on my fourth.
I guarantee you that there are going to be mistakes in this book!
It breaks my heart to read my finished product and find them lurking on the pages.
It makes me want to break my pencils!
No matter.
I write because I must.
Writers are "cracked" people.
The cracks allow our light to emanate outside into the world.
Writing is wonderful.
Life is wonderful.
Doing this long task to completion gives me great joy.
I am a writer.
Or at least I think I am!