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Luring the monster from the dark.

After completing the zero draft of FOAT back in September, my co-writer and I spent approximately one week doing a round of edits. I hate editing. I have this compulsive obsession, this love/hate relationship, with editing. It takes conscious effort to restrain myself from performing the task indefinitely. Perfection is unattainable; that doesn't deter me from striving for it.

Being the co-writer with decidedly less experience in the publishing industry (i.e. none, thus far) I deferred to his suggestions for submission location. He sent it off around the 15th of September. Imagine my shock when I opened my email on November 9th to discover an email from the editor at Carina Press, offering a publishing contract for FOAT with a tentative release date of August 2011.

There were a few moments of response lag, during which I stared at the words on the screen, reread the ones compiled into such key phrasing. And then I screamed. Really, really loud.

Let me just clarify, here. I do not *squee* -- I do not possess the psyche capable of such a feat. I scream. And flail. And scream. There were generous amounts of both occurring. I stared at the email. Reread it. I think I screamed again. Then I started laughing. And yelled, "I DID IT."

Well, I didn't do it. Aleks and I did. It was a team effort. The most profitable ventures, the most valuable creations, come about as a result not of an individual striving in solitude toward a goal but of two or more joining their abilities and talents, their strengths, toward attaining it. Synergy.

I see it not unlike the draft pulls at the local farm show each January. Pure horsepower measured by a dynamometer. A pair of heavy draft horses, harnessed together, hooked to a sled holding more weight than either would be capable of displacing singlehandedly. It's a breathtaking display of teamwork, and it gives one a renewed appreciation of how much is involved in creating a team. You can't just lash two random equines together on the yoke without inviting, or even encouraging, disaster. They must compliment one another, be able to pull with equal vigor -- at least one, if not both, must be experienced enough to know he shouldn't out-pull his yoke mate.

Twenty years ago, I elected to take the path less traveled. I spent many years disguising my efforts. There were times, many of them, when I was self-conscious or even ashamed of what I wrote -- or the fact that I did so at all. Things happen when they're supposed to. This first has been a long time coming. I have every intention of feeding this invigorating sensation, this renewed energy, into another creation. And hopefully birthing many more firsts as a result.

Aleks, I'd say you've created a monster, but I think it's safe to say I've been one all along. You just lured me out of the cave and into the light of day. And for that, I cannot thank you enough.

Comments

  1. You my dear, are one hell of a writer. Together... you two will be unstoppable. Awesome team if I ever did see one.

    Congrats again. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, dear. All those positive vibes -- and claymores and hand grenades -- make me feel positively delicious. No idea how else to describe it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. *hugs* and *loves* Nothing like a writer being born. :)

    ReplyDelete

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