The Manuscript

I made one fatal mistake, and after I had summoned up the courage too, to print seventy-four pages (double-sided)! I’ve been procrastinating on printing out a working copy of the NaNoWriMo story I wrote in November so I could get serious about some editing. I’ve worked on it in other ways, and tried to do some stuff on the computer, but it just came down to the fact that sometimes I need a physical copy in my hands and a cold hard pen, or any pen for that matter, to work with a story. But that’s a decent amount of paper, so I’ve kept putting it off.

I finally “just did it.” The mistake however, was leaving the copy of the manuscript on the sofa. Now bear in mind that I had printed it so I could work with it, pen in hand, cross things out, make notes in the margin, etc., work with it! And, I was hoping to finish by the end of the month, the clock was already ticking, and then I left it in the wrong place at the right time. First one sister picked it up, read it until very late, then Father started on it, stopping himself from continuing it into the late hours, then somebody else got in line, and somebody else, and the line is still waiting.

Days are passing, I’m sitting back, listening to the suggestions that I should have printed it with page numbers, put it in a binder, titled it, etc. and *blink* I was trying to work with that copy. *blink*

And who is complaining? I’m not really, except for in a dry humor sort of way. Sure my goal is being blocked, but so? I think anybody who writes must understand the inner pleasures this hubbub has given me. They like it! I like it when one of them is reading and they keep laughing. Yes, the truth is I wrote a few parts intending them to be funny – and, shock, apparently they are laugh worthy.

Does the story still need work? I think so, but you know what? After all this feedback, I’m not going to be changing some of the things I had intended to, and it’s going to save me a lot of work.

Honestly, page numbers would have been a good idea, if I wasn’t in such a hurry, because, well, I just finished sorting out the chaos that an unnumbered manuscript comes to when it passes between a few hands.

One of my sisters had already read it and she knows I’m trying to use it. She seen this all unfolding and suggested a few times that I might want to just print another copy. But that is seventy-four more double sided pages……and I already will probably have to print off a few more drafts……sometimes being so frugal isn’t so very practical.