I’m currently editing chunk 21 of “A New Day” for submission to my review group. We typically meet on the third Wednesday of each month. I like to imagine myself sending out my submission by the first of each month so as to allow my peers plenty of time to ignore my submission before rushing through it at the very last moment.

Did I end that above part with sarcasm?

I mean it is what most people typically do, right? I’m guilty of it as well, or at least I try not to be. I’m one of those people that review their submissions with a fine-tooth comb. It’s like I’m hunting for lice eggs on their scalp. Do I do a good job at it? That’s debatable.

Still, I want the option of having the time for doing this. Do they afford me this same early submission, not entirely. Some of them do, others do not. Pobodies Nerfect, I know.

At the moment I’ve run away from home and am sitting in a local McDonald’s sipping my unsweetened tea. It’s 8:30 am right now. I finished my early morning errands over at home despot. I had to pick up some paint for our bathroom remodel that is still going on.

So the chunk I’m working on is number 21, I’m not sure if I mentioned that above or not, nor do I care enough to go back up and look. LIFE HAPPENS IN THE FIRST DRAFT is my motto for a reason. You get what you get, no do-overs in life. I do “try”* to spell check this thing as it’s being written but that’s as much as your gonna get. I mean I can’t ignore all the tiny red underlines. THEY GET TO ME!

*(I am a despot myself)

So in chunk 21, (did I mention that already?), the story picks up and winds back into chunk/chapter/page 1 of the story. It is essentially where the whole thing begins. I’ve got to go back and copy/paste/edit/tweak that first section to match what is now taking place in the now, which was back in the chapter/page 1 stuff.

Have I lost you?

Let me explain. Page 1 is the current timeline and from there the characters go about moving forward in the story. At some point, Jessica falls into a coma and begins reliving her past (life flashes before your eyes as your dying sort of thing). So in a sense, the next part is where she makes a recovery and the story moves forward again.

I have lost my review group. They can’t seem to grasp that the story is jumping backward only to meet up with itself again.

So this keeps bugging me with the burning question… does this mean it’s bad writing or the wrong audience?

I keep CIRCLING BACK on this question.

Ha?

(taps microphone) Is this thing on?

Hello?

Sooo… what else is new that isn’t new.

I’m taking the crotch goblins out to the roller rink later today. Talk about going around in circles.

Thank you very much, you’ve been a great audience, and please don’t forget to tip your hosting staff.

Yeah… I went there… again. You could say “I circled back”.

I recall my own youth and the countless hours I spent at my local roller rink. That was the 70’s. Yes, I’m old. The world had just invented color for everyone to exist in. Prior to that everything was in black and white.

Side note: I’ve never seen the movie Pleasantville. I hope to see it someday.

Okay Dave, enough fidgeting around, it’s time to get back to editing your stuff so the older peeps don’t throw my papers at me yelling “Back in my day, stories made sense! Huckleberry did none of this flux capacitor Biff stuff! Now get off my dangling participles!”

Tootles all

😛