Back to school

Since my last post in late December, three people have read Any Color You Want and have provided excellent feedback. While I wait to hear from more readers to get a more well-rounded and consistent view of the book, a couple booboos in particular have become apparent. I have decided not to start editing again until February 1st (to give other readers time to respond), but I am going to pick up a couple classics to see how the pros addressed the mistakes I'm making. In particular, I'm going to read Vladimir Nabokov's Pnin and bits of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote (Edith Grossman's translation).

Yeehaw!

A little over a year ago I started this blog with the goal of finishing a book. Tonight, I put the 73,026th word on the book's 200th page. Other than some basic housekeeping and the retitling of the 19 chapters, I am done with the book's second draft.

For as happy as I am, I am just as excited about the next project which will begin soon.

Till then, I will continue to post regarding the progress of ACYW so stay tuned.

Thank all of you who have checked in over the last year to cheer me on, provide comments and kick me in the ass. It all paid off.

G'night!

Light at the end of the tunnel

Tuesday, December 23, 2008. The book will be done (or, at least, the second draft will). I have 14 pages to edit and then I'll take a day to give each chapter a name. Looks like I'll clock in at around 195-196 pages and a little over 70,000 words.

It's snowing in New York today and when not editing or sipping hot chocolate, the Counting Crows and I sing A Long December. And I have many reasons to believe this year has been better than the last, if not one of the best.

33 to go and blessing SUVs

Despite distractions (Davidson beating NC State & West Virginia at MSG; the Yanks signing CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett; sugar, booze, birthdays and the beautiful women of NYC), I have only 33 pages of editing to go. 156 of 189 done.

The following appeared in this week's Economist:

'INVEST IN AMERICA', screamed the front page of the Detroit Free Press on December 4th. Copies of the newspaper were sent to Congress, begging for a bailout for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. 'You can help them,' the paper urged, warning: 'And if you don't, make no mistake: there will be bleeding throughout the land.' The prospect of a collapsed car industry was so terrifying that a church in Detroit placed three hybrid SUVs on its altar and prayed for divine intervention."

Ironically, a character in ACYW is a staunchly pro-American reporter for the...Detroit Free Press. So, thank you, DFP, to playing up to my stereotype.

At the same time, I question the "bleeding throughout the land" bit. As I noted before, there have been more casualties from Black Friday (1) this year than from all the financial carnage of September and October's financial meltdown (0). Maybe this fall was too early for people to really comprehend the damage done and the need to revolt or at least protest. Maybe it'll come a little further down the road if things become more dire. I hope not, but right now it's Violent Consumers 1 Public Outrage 0.

Last Third To Go; Michigan in the press

I'm now about two thirds of the way through editing. I've found a good rhythm lately and hope to keep it up while in the boonies the next few days. Keeping it up when back in the city will require particular fortitude as New York in December is nothing but sugar and booze, at least, usually. This year may be more subdued. Then there's the Hot Stove and Davidson b-ball (big games against NC State, West Virginia & Purdue) that beckon. Whatever, I gotta bang this puppy out. The hardest parts are over, I'm in the home stretch and hey, have you noticed how much press Michigan's got lately?

The performance of the Big Three on Capitol Hill and on Wall Street only justified a scene in the book where bored Ford execs prank call the guys from Botswana looking for business tips. The Batswana turn around and tell them to short Ford stock. I wrote that this past winter. If only I had taken my own advice...Fuhgedaboutit.

Where the riots at?

Here's a question, why were there no riots during the onset of the financial crisis (let's say September 7th through October of 2008)?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there have been more casualties over the nascent holiday shopping period (the Walmart temp who got trampled by discount hungry shoppers) than there have been during the financial meltdown.

Where's the outrage?

The Halfway House

I've officially hit the halfway mark in editing. This feels good, but there's plenty of work ahead. I'm definitely filling in blanks that previously existed.

Working at my Mom's (aka, the igloo) for the holidays will do me well. My sister will be leaving town soon so even fewer distractions although I have taken to hitting the gym once a day to shoot hoops. The local college students are currently out of town and the court's all mine. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm also getting some good background reading done. I finished Muslim Women in America by Haddad, Smith and Moore. Did you know there's an Arab doll called the Razanne? Good stuff. I'm now working on Douglas Brinkley's Wheels for the World about Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company.