Writing Wednesdays: Just Keep Swimming

As many of you know, I spent the month of November with a group of intrepid writers, revising our manuscripts until we didn't think we could stand it anymore.  For me, it was a great way to get excited about revisions, which I normally hate, and also get to know a fabulous new group of writer friends I never would have met otherwise.

Somehow, November is over. I don't know where it went.  I don't know where all of 2011 went, to be perfectly honest. My son turns two in less than a month. How is this possible?

At any rate, NaNoReviMo officially ends today, and I'm very sad it will be over, especially because I am still waiting for four more readers to send me their feedback, which means I've got a lot of revisions coming up in December. Fortunately, a fair number of NaNoReviMo-ers have agreed to carry on into December - and who knows, maybe even January (God help me if that's the case). This is officially NaNoReviSe (National Novel Revising Season, for those not in the know), and it will be glorious!

Even still, I'm not entirely satisfied with where I'm at right now. I've got query fever - I want to get my novel out into the world and hear what agents have to say. But I know that I have to be patient (not my forte, I'm afraid). I hate when life doesn't have forward momentum - hence my willingness to let John join the Foreign Service. At least I know things will be constantly changing.

Jackie, caught in the wheel of time.  Okay, so it's actually a swing set, but you get the idea.

I think the real trick here is to find another way to move forward. As Catherine Coulter once told me, "A writer writes." To that end, my goal until I get the rest of my feedback is to start the next book, even if it's just an outline. As Nemo would say (or "Emo" if you're Jack): Just keep swimming! And that's just what I plan to do.

Finding Emo, by me (this is what happens when you don't have Photoshop).

To my fellow NaNoReviMo-ers, it's been lovely knowing all of you. Thanks for all the encouragement this past month and for making revising so much fun. And for those of you carrying on into December, I'm looking forward to your daily last lines.  See you tomorrow!