I'm going to work on Monday.
I'll be writing two short scenes (Jon plays with Gabe; Jon goes to the library), which are intended to show what a nice guy Jon actually is. I haven't figured out where to plop them, but that's a Monday job also.
But I won't work on Saturday or Sunday or Tuesday for that matter. Tuesday morning I'm going to buy $45.00 worth of groceries, because I have a coupon that will give me $3 off if I do. And then Tuesday afternoon I'm going to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, because on Tuesdays, the movie ticket only costs $6.00 if you're old enough (and I am and then some).
So just by not working, I'll be saving $5.00. Pretty darn impressive.
On Wednesday, all short scenes having been written, I'll start the actual rewriting. Of which there is a great amount to do. I've read the manuscript twice now, and neither time did any descriptive writing show up. Believe me, I looked. There might have been an adverb or two (I seem to recall someone smiling ruefully), but not an adjective to be seen.
Personally, I like nouns and verbs, with the occasional adverb for seasoning, but editors seem to favor adjectives. And when one is writing a book without a contract (my decision, I grant you, but nonetheless), it pays to please the editor.
So, for all of you having a more traditional three day weekend, have a splendid, lazy, sunny, pleasurable, safe, meaningful, enjoyable, relaxing time. And for those of you who don't get Monday off, please send me some adjectives. As you can see, I could use some help!
6 comments:
Oh I'll be wasting my Memorial Day in New Jersey enjoying a four hour cold layover in Newark. So whenever you pause at the keyboard I want you to think of me, navigating some landscape of soulless airport twilight, between a name-brand coffee shop and a brand x newsstand, on rows of leatherette pews--too short to quite lay down--with a Belgian Malinois shoving his black nose into my messenger bag. Every now and then an officer who has confused brusque with businesslike and who wears blue rubber gloves will tell me not to let my luggage out of my site and that joking around in line could get me prosecuted. The only food will be something that looks a little bit like pizza and a bag of TGIF Potato Skinz for seventeen dollars, and the only place to eat it will be across from a dozen other layovers staring at me dully from an eight-by-twelve glass smoking lounge.
I like 'mistily'. But I've never been good at the parts of speech, so I can't be sure that's an adjective. I know how to use them all, just never been sure what to call them.
I'm not helping much, am I? Sorry about that.
Sympathies to Mr. Cavin and thanks to Friendly Neighbourhood Bookseller-
Adverbs are easy. If the word ends in "ly" like "mistily," it's an adverb. Except for "really" which ends in "ly" but I'm pretty sure is an adjective. Either way, I use it entirely too much.
And I'm really really sorry for you Mr. Cavin. Long layovers are a total drag. I recommend long involving novels (not necessarily of high literary quality), clever gadgets that let you watch movies, and most importantly, bringing your own food. I find Panera peanut butter and jelly sandwiches work best, although I get the chips rather than that nasty yogurt thing.
Have a safe journey, and try not to be too bored!
Just in case anybody is reading this, I realized really really is an adverb!
It really wasn't all that bad in the long run. Sure, Newark is like taking a capsule back to the nineteen seventies--when the fifties buildings were already getting crusty--and, sure, it was about a thousand degrees in New Jersey yesterday and I had to take a monorail between badly adjacent hangars. But it turns out the international concourse is pretty quiet on Memorial Day and has a wonderful little Mediterranean place with felafel and stuff. Of course, I'd already blown all my US cash at the pasty Chili's in the lobby because I never do trust these places to have anything good past the TSA hood--and really it's better to stay safe than be sorry when it comes to folks with badges and backscatter radiation devices.
I'm glad you got to your destination safely, Mr. Cavin.
Travel used to be a lot more pleasant than it is nowadays. Now, the best thing about it, is when it ends!
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