Thursday, January 31, 2008

Yvonna Knightly Project: Day Three

Upon stumbling home at 1:26 AM this morning, I checked my email to find a sassy note to ascertain what time I would be arriving at Angela’s house for our regular scheduled Thursday writing session and if I was OK with “tuna, olive and anchovy sauce for pasta.” With the last remaining bits of concentration I could muster, I sent my reply.

“Feed me anything you like but beets or split pea soup.”

Waking up feeling like someone bashed my head repeatedly and my face’s color looking green with nausea, I went straight for the Tylenol. We agreed 11 AM would be enough time for me to ingest enough coffee and cigs to be able to function enough to drive. I cursed the damage the awful mixture of cheap Chianti and the bevy of Vodka/ Crans downed at a good friend’s Birthday Celebration, did to my senses but found that no lousy hangover would detain me any longer from getting our full days work done. In the past, I believe my head would have never left my pillow on a day such as today but something I couldn’t put my finger on made me overcome my instinctual selfishness. I’d finally had the desire to write not because I felt like it, or was inspired but because I wanted this project to be a success. Which, all-in-all is quite a remarkable turn around considering my prior problems with discipline.

When I arrived, Angela greeted me with her always cheerful self, sympathizing with my series of involuntary groans and peek-ed state. Climbing up her stairs, I could already smell our lunch sautéing. Fortunately, my stomach had stopped rolling and the pleasant aroma of a home cooked meal was just the ticket to my speedy recovery. Her lovely husband joined us for her wondrous bounty and a great discussion as usual commenced as we scarfed down what Angela has dubbed Quick Seafood Pasta.
D-e-l-i-c-o-u-s.

Immediately after, with my newly somewhat restored constitution, we finished the rest of the detailed Outline. Finished by three, we then went head first into our Prologue. I took first helm. I handed Angela my hour’s paltry amount of writing over to Angela. It was frustrating that I didn’t produce more for her to work with but then she proceeded to make an uncut tiny stone of work shine like a diamond. While her miracle work commenced I searched for affordable Hotels in San Francisco for the Romance Writers Huge Conference in August. We went back over her adds and edits, then I did the final dialogue work. Our internet connection went down so we had a chance to discuss how technically we would share writing and decided on a damn fine routine that will allow the best attributes of both of us to be utilized.

Internet returned, I handed in my dialogue, and once again, Angela began to polish. Not to waste any time, I started to write this blog. Two hours passed and a full fledge, definitely not a first draft, 1457 word, 6 page Prologue emerged.

At this rate, if we keep the momentum at a steady chapter per session, we will be done in 20 weeks, leaving 4 weeks to edit. We will be done with our first Novel before the Big Romance Writers conference and be able to schmooze with Agents and Publishers about our completed manuscript. Hoo-Rah!

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