One does not simply

Posted byKatie SullivanPosted inOn Writing, The DialogueTags:, , , , , , ,

D: A? A, are you ok?

A: Grumph!

D: I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that.

A: Harumph garumph!

D: Are you attempting to learn a new language? I know it may or may not be a Pre- Indo-European language, but Pict doesn’t sound like that.

A: Gah!

D: Uh. . . A?

A: Sorry – too much peanut butter.

D: (Starting already?)

A: (Cooking failed today. Cooking failed miserably.)

D: (I see.)

This has no reason to be here, except that Captain Jack is my third favorite immortal, after 10 and River. Oh, wait, I know… walking into Mordor is how I felt about reading my own stuff wholesale. Yeah. That’s it.
This has no reason to be here, except that Captain Jack is my third favorite immortal, after 10 and River. Oh, wait, I know… walking into Mordor is how I felt about reading my own stuff wholesale. Yeah. That’s it.

A: Do you have any idea how difficult it is to read 100 pages (Times New Roman 12pt, double spaced) of your own writing . . . without touching a single word?!?!?!

D: Um, I’m a Pict, remember? We didn’t write down our epic greatness.

A: I’m beginning to see why. I read a great post over at Creative Writing with the Crimson League, and it struck me that I had never read any first, second or even third draft of my work without attacking it with my pen or cursor, or whatever was handy to make edits.

D: Never?

A: Never ever.

D: I’m afraid to ask, but how did you do?

A: okay, ish.

D: Ish? It’s late, A. Could you please spare me from . . . you?

A: Cheers, D. It was tolerable. I didn’t hate what I read, and while there are about ten million pages of edits to attempt, it was worth it. It was excruciating, but it was worth it.

D: What doesn’t kill you, A–

A: Might end up killing you, D.

D: Right, no platitudes. Well then, shall we get to it?

A: Be my guest!

The Druid Tells the Tale

Charles of that fantastic world of Windemere has a cover art update – check out the Prodigy of Rainbow Tower. It looks stunning – my kind of story, as well.

A: You only wish you could shoot flames out of your hands, D.

D: And what makes you think I cannot?

A: You only shoot fire out of your hands if rainbow sparkles also come out your–

D: Moving right along! A, don’t you have a tale to tell?

A: Well, isn’t that tempting. . . I mean, yes!! I do. Head over to Ionia’s Readful Things Blog to catch the last (boo) installment Harry Steinman’s series on Marketing and Publishing. This post covered cracking Amazon’s Top 100 Paid in Kindle store. The entire series has been excellent; I can’t say enough about how helpful it’s been to me as a newbie.

D: (no comment.)

A: (shut up, D.)

A Invites the Audience’s Participation

What is the hardest part about editing for you (aside from the editing itself)? Do you have to sit on your hands and banish pens from your sight in order to read what you’ve written without making any edits the first time around?

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Published by Katie Sullivan

Descended of pirates and revolutionaries, Katie Sullivan is a lover and student of all things Irish. Born in the States, she is a dual US/Irish citizen, and studied history and politics at University College, Dublin – although, at the time, she seriously considered switching to law, if only so she could attend lectures at the castle on campus. She lives in Milwaukee with her daughter, two cats and a pesky character in her head named D (but you can call him Dubh). Her first series, The Changelings Saga, a young adult historical fantasy trilogy is available on Amazon. She can be found writing with said character at her blog, The D/A Dialogues.

24 thoughts on “One does not simply”

  1. Pingback: One simply did | The D/A Dialogues

    1. And if by picture, you mean colossal pain in the arse… I mean, powerful Druid who still would like to have fancier powers than he already does (personally I’ll take time travel over flaming hands… that could go wrong in so many ways! Especially for me… I set my oven on fire with startling regularity!)

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      2. Chronologically he is 1300 years old. He was born in 670AD. However, he “stepped out of time” when he ventured into the sidhe mound (fairy hill) when he was between 25-30 (I don’t have my timeline handy). Time moves differently and he really only aged 6 or so years by the time my book opens in 1958. The D in my head is older though – I’d put him at 40ish.

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    1. Thank you, John. You are very kind, and I really do appreciate that! And you’re just in time – I’m taking my evening (I have no life – or rather, writing is currently my life) to revamp the blog a bit and acknowledge the awards.

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  7. I can never leave my stuff alone, darling. As much as I loathe he-who-will-not-be-named, but let’s just say his name rhymes amazingly well with Leorge Gucas, I fear that I would constantly be revising and improving and re-editing my work. But that’s why I, unlike George, er, Leorge, will write more than ONE thing and not coast on that success for forty years. Moving on to the next thing is the only way to let the last thing rest, I’ve found.

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    1. Oh that Leorge. I’ll never forgive him for messing with my Ewok song.

      It’s really difficult to leave it be! I knew it would be, but I didn’t anticipate *how* difficult it would be. Of course, as I move through each part of the series, the urge to go back to previous parts and edit and revise gets less intense.

      Now to ensure I have ideas forever to keep me from obsessive compulsiveness. . . .!

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      1. It’s a mix of living and then writing and then living some more, and then writing. Otherwise you end up a hermit in a cave trying to write stories about the moss growing on the wall…

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      2. Hermit in a cave… sounds familiar. Must remind myself to leave the house for things other than work!

        And I do agree – living life is the only way to get outside our own skins, so to speak, to see life (and our writing too) from different perspectives. When I’m particularly stuck, I go for a walk and wave at all the dogs (their humans sometimes, too) along the way. It always seems to work.

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      3. I hope you find time this weekend to read my LOOONG post. I’m particularly proud of it, as evidenced by my follow up advert.

        And then, after the events of last night (which I’m writing about now) I believe I am taking the weekend off!

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      4. I did read it – the one with the billboard, and the boy and the boy being an ass – as they tend to be on occasion – right? I read it last night when I was supposed to not be online and actually doing that sleeping thing that I fail at. I loved it! I’m just horrible and haven’t commented on it yet (see failing at sleeping = bad brain late at night, not suitable for commenting intelligently)!

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      6. No way! I just started reading and was immediately drawn in. The way you write, it doesn’t seem like it’s long at all. I know bloggers aren’t supposed to have long attention spans, but I think among writer/bloggers, it’s a little different. Once you have my attention (and I’m about as focused as a flighty butterfly), I’m there. And you, my dear, tend to grab my attention right off the bat. I love reading your stories!

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      7. Well, do you remember reading about Cheyenne & the Accidental Plagiarist?
        Guess who came to dinner last night?

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