My Writing Process, Part Four

In every building project there are times when things go wrong and progress

slows to a crawl. Maybe delivery of insulation doesn’t show up on time or the client has

to wait for a plumbing permit to be approved. Even when shit happens, the job

continues to stay alive as tools are serviced and trash is taken to the transfer station.

For me, it is the small details of my writing process, often left undone, which need to be handled before the next step: SUBMISSION.

Whittlin’ and Ditlin’

Back at it after a break, I have put all the pieces in order and read the text for the

third or fourth time. If what I read pleases me, a DIY edit begins. There are obvious

typos and lousy sentence structure to be rectified. Names may be misspelled. Incorrect

times of day. These seem like small details, but making small changes will save me

money when the real editor goes to work. This is also a good time to visit with my artist

neighbor to come up with a cover design.

Seth’s crew… (Seth is my firewood vendor) … isn’t idle either, while their

mechanic is working. More trees are being cut into rounds. The site is a mess, so some

guys are assigned to clean up all the bark and chips piled up around the conveyor. Not

really busy-work. These things must be done now or eventually. They are important

tasks, but everyone is anxious to get back to the real work.

I keep wondering when my firewood will arrive.