With this gorgeous expanse of time I now have on my hands, Project Numero Uno has been to finish revising the (dang) novel. I have a personal deadline of Presidents Day weekend, as that is when I will be attending the San Francisco Writers Conference. My goal in this (please let it be the last) revision is to add/remove/repair/ensure that were it to go out into the world as is, I would be proud of it. I've had to remind myself on an hourly basis to stop asking "will it get published?" and start asking "if it did get published, would I be proud of it." And I'm inching closer to that goal, but revising a novel is a hefty challenge. And while I had to look up just what the heck a wildabeest actually is (click here for some beautiful images from National Geographic if you are curious), the image in my mind all week has been of wrestling the Unwieldybeest. As if the novel were this enormous, part mammoth, part alligator-like creature that I have to somehow
"In the midst of winter I found in me an Invincible Summer." - Camus ...On exploring strength in its many forms: strong people, strong writing, strong curiosity, obsessions, stances, and loves. Strength as a concept wide enough to encompass fear, truth, vulnerability, and joy.