Clattertron

photo by Duboix on morguefile.com.

[dc]J[/dc]ust when editing my novel was going great, my six year old iBook decided it did not want to start up. Perhaps ever again.

For those wondering, I typed this post on my Android phone via the WordPress app.

This throws a huge roadblock in my editing, and I am now two days behind. I am taking my iBook to a Mac shop tomorrow, but I fear the worst.

Luckily, I email myself self a backup copy of the book after working on it each day (a practice I strongly recommend). Either my current laptop will be fixed, or I will buy finance a new in the next few days.

Hooray, more debt.

I was planning on getting a new machine eventually, but I had hoped I could wait until I paid off Steph’s engagement ring.   Oh well.

Not how I expected my weekend to go.

The other issue is, I cannot work on anything else in the meantime: comics, podcasts, update websites, or even pay bill (easily, anyway. Some I can manage via my phone).

The silver lining is, if I have to get a new machine, well, it is about time. I couldn’t update Firefox and certain plugins any more, and I couldn’t install Chrome.

My plan was to use my iBook until it died, and it looks like that day is here.

photo by nacu on morguefile.com.

[dc]A[/dc]fter overhauling one of my main characters and the better part of two chapters, I shared the changes with Stephanie over dinner.

She was one of my beta readers over the Winter. (visit my Clarion Write-a-Thon Writer’s Page for more information)

“Why did you do that?” she asked, after hearing some of the specific alterations. Her expression alone told me I had made an error.

“I thought it would be funnier,” I confessed, “and would make [the character] more interesting.”

Stephanie shook her head. “It doesn’t make any sense with what happens later. How that tied together [with the ending] was one of my favorite parts about [the character]. Heck, it sets up a second book.”

I tried not to think of the hours I would have to spend fixing the changes, but, I agreed. It does help to bounce ideas/changes off people who are familiar with the original draft. It was not all a waste, though. I was really happy with some of the new dialogue I wrote today, which would not be affected by the impending redo.

Stephanie did agree with most of the other changes, adding that she didn’t even remember some of the original (trivial) details about the character in question. The upside is, I will get to cut a bunch of words, which will make the story faster.

Ah, editing.