It has come - the work commences!

Yesterday morning I got the first two chapters of my ms back from my mentor - filled to the brim with red marks and notations. Totally expected and desired - I am thrilled with how much time he spent on every word. Last night when I got home from work I spent two hours on the first chapter. I felt totally engaged and think I can do this. Many of the suggestions are tightening and brightening types but there are some structural questions too - should I start with this chapter? Do I need so many voices (three) - that I will ponder over the next bunch of weeks. And of course there are the highly expected notations on my bizarre relationship with commas - I swear it is a sort of dyslexia -  and subsequent love for the hyphen, which I'm sure readers of this blog are well aware of.

Mostly I'm going 'duh' and hoping he isn't fed up with how inconsistent I am. Occasionally I'm in disagreement - why should I make double quotations my standard? Or - he doesn't get how teenagers really talk. The main thing is that I'm back in the action - engaged and ready to wrestle this baby into shape.

I was struck down by a flu over the weekend. Although I wouldn't wish it on my enemy I do appreciate what a bout of sickness does to the mind. It is like I was reminded (and not gently) at how precious health and our bodies are. And I need to be healthy right now. I have my work which I love, and this project which I've invested a fair bit of time, as well as my joyous juicy life. So...I will take care...eat less, bike and walk more, enjoy the beauty of this land.

How about all of you and your projects? Mired? Engaged? Treading water?

Here's a photo of the lad and the dog on our trip last year down to Red Bay. Hope to go again this summer...