Sunday, August 21, 2011
#ROW80 Check In: "I Like to Move It, Move It"
This isn't a pun about my move to Connecticut, although it works on that level, too, I suppose. No, this is the theme song for the next month, our last month in this round of A Round of Words in 80 Days. It is direct response to my perfectionism/procrastination blog post from Friday. If I'm moving it (getting stuff done), I'm NOT procrastinating. If I'm moving it, I sending a big, fat raspberry to my crippling perfectionism. PPPPPPPPPPPPFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!! ;)
To start, today I am moving over the entire .txt file of my manuscript into the ebook formatting master and fixing the tabs and formatting in one fell swoop. ****TABS are EVIL. NEVER, EVER use them! Use the ruler at the top to set your indentations, TRUST ME! (PSA over)**** Then, I will go back and start making the penned edits into the computer. I still have about 14 chapters to pen edit.
I think the methodology might work better for me. I was going chapter by chapter with the copying and pasting from the .txt file, then editing. It's too easy for me to self-congratulate myself that way without seeing how much work to go. This way, I can see the final page count (200) and still go chapter by chapter editing. I can still be proud of myself when I finish each chapter, but still see I'm only up to Page 36 out of 200, or Page 57 out of 200, etc. This gives me a more realistic sense of a progress bar.
So, goals for today: get whole kit and kaboodle tabs fixed.
Finish making computer edits up to Chapter 7
Work on pen edits tonight, get up to Chapter 20.
THAT would put me at about a full 35% complete for both a clean copy AND an ebook file. Remember, I'm doubling duty. I have two weeks to finish so I can print one more time, and pen edit during my move when I will be without Internet (might be a good thing). Then, I will make last few changes and VOILA! I'm ready to publish an ebook!!!
:Singing:: I like to move it, move it.
"CANCELLED" arriving SEPTEMBER 2011. A robotics engineer asks his business partner to marry him, but a previous one-night stand is having his baby.
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Sounds like we've got a some things in common: not our writing goals, but our personality. (Plus, I often sing a few lines from this song - thinking of this movie - too.) My writing goals blog is Procrastinate No More. :^)
ReplyDeleteLet us know when the ebook is ready.
All the best...
Thanks.... now I can't get this song out of my head! That's a good thing though. Thanks for the motivational tunes and keep up the awesome job!
ReplyDeleteWay to go! I love the song--and it will stay with me today. Great tips about tabs (EVIL!! DANGER!!) and about procrastination. I needed that!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading your book, so definitely let us all know. I'm off to move it, so you have a great week!
Nancy
am formatting for e-book as I write - it being easier to reformat for print copy at end then to do e-book at end - good week hope its good next and keep moving!
ReplyDelete@free2soar Yep, we have a great deal in common! ::giggles:: I am a horrible housekeeper myself and a professional procrastinator.
ReplyDelete@belledamesansmerci and @wordsbydesign I know it's one of those songs that gets stuck in your head. That's kinda the point, at least for me. It keeps me motivated. I use songs for tons of things, including putting me in the mood to write for a specific character for a scene. I.e. early on in my book are scenes of friendship that could be more between Johnathan and Alexis. I often play "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz to get in that emotional mood of wanting a friend so badly. And thank you Nancy for the encouragement about wanting to read my book. Some days that stupid naysayer in my head says "this sucks!" And comments like yours helps me get a new piece of duct tape to replace the one she ate through.
@alberta ross Yes, for future books I WILL format as I go. This is my first, so I didn't know. Won't make THAT mistake again. :)
You are a better writer than me...I outsource my formatting. Yeah, I know its the lazy way and we should learn to format our own books, but I've tried and with two other jobs, I simply can't afford the hours!! So I'm a little envious that you can do that on your own.
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