Cutting and Pasting and A Poster Board

I did something yesterday that was beyond fun, I sat down and cut into little pieces one chapter of my manuscript. Not because it was bad but for a purpose.

I printed it out and then cut out each paragraph. I moved them around on a poster board ( I had tape on the back to keep it all together. I also began cutting it up into little sentence bits as well moving those around. It worked. The manuscript sounds so much better. I read it out loud as I was doing this.

All the while, I had someone else keep an eye out for “big” mistakes, the type that seem okay at the time, but if read by an observer who is neutral, sees the light of day. This added considerable time to the process. I’d often need to go back to the computer and type something there, print it off and bring it back, to be cut and pasted where it was needed.

Of course after all this I needed to sit down with a good book. Get my mind off all the editing and into a different frame, and I picked up a good book called What If? edited by Robert Cowley. It gave me some new perspectives on military and history in general, and forced me to ask a question of “what if” myself. Not in a bad way, but in a way I never suspected. What if I make this book, a bestseller?

I spent the rest of the evening reading and planning in my mind. I normally don’t do this, but I wrote in my journal in the evening. It was as if I didn’t want to forget it. I found that I’ve been holding me back. I can see where I’ve made some mistakes, and taking my time, but I have a sense of purpose, because I can.

This thinking only really began a few days ago, so you’ll pardon me, if I seem a bit excited about it. I had only thought average. Average sales, average speaking engagements, average book signings… the whole bit. But I am not average, and neither are my books, I just need to show myself and others this.

All because of some paper, scissors, a book, and a journal.