Any of you who read my weekend fitness blog know I was a little freaked last weekend... sore ribs, small lump... scared me (badly, truth be told). Yeah, though I am an optimist almost all the time, my mind can still dive into dark places, so there it went.
So Monday I went to the doctor, and I described what was up. She asked me a couple questions. And then she went and got me an anatomy book.
In the list of questions, and my volunteering answers and information it was determined that the way I was leaning over the side of the bathtub in this editing process put the pressure on the ribs that caused this fiasco... You heard me... EDITING INJURY. Have I been TELLING YOU this editing business is evil? It has just been proven!
Speaking of Editing
(Do we HAVE TO?) I know, I know... I'd prefer to let it go, too, but it has been consuming my life... Why do I always forget how long this process actually TAKES? And Why, when I have a deadline, do books I mean to read find their way to me, tempting me to read instead of write... Sitting on top of my writing pile is MOCKINGJAY... and waiting at the top of my library stack is The Secret Life of Bees (put on my list for a little southern atmospheric for this cozy thing)
But that aside... I am middlish with the read through (I've DONE the beat sheet: aka, a couple bullets per section so I have the whole book on 6 pages). I've discovered something... wait for it...
I AM INCAPABLE OF READING WITHOUT MARKING UP THE DAMN THING. (and I can edit while walking, though my writing is really atrocious)
*cough*
But I am making a fair few notes on BIG stuff to do, and THAT I have on a separate set of note cards. When I finish reading, I will read all of THOSE, prioritize (as they may not all work together) then mark the beat sheet as to when they go in, THEN will come the big edit...
And FINALLY! Links YOU NEED (because I'm groovy that way)
FRIDAY IS A FREAKING HOLIDAY!!! National Punctuation Day
(Thank you Jane Sutton of Jane's Ride for this tidbit)--Can you IMAGINE!? A day for geeks like us?!
Do you write Time Travel stuff? Sounds like either fantasy or Sci Fi is okay: an anthology for A Glitch in the Continuum is seeking short stories (5K – 9K) by October 15. You hear that? ANTHOLOGY. As in PUBLISHED. Thank you Mark at The Quiddity of Delusions for the link (though he shared it on Facebook *shifty*
Are you PUBLISHED? Karen Gowen at Coming Down the Mountain is searching for the first set of authors for a new multi-author site intent on promoting books.
And the last one is strictly to amuse you... Perhaps it's a good reminder for authors that where you are determines what you think, but it is illustrated in such a chuckle filled way: Mapping Stereotypes
And this just in. Mari, at The Giraffability of Digressions is spreading the news about Peace One Day... erm... it was yesterday, but better to know late than not to know...
22 comments:
I am so glad it wasn't an alien baby after all! And I know exactly what you mean about going dark places when you feel ill one way or another - online "diagnosis" thingies make me a total hypochondriac!
Nurse yourself back to health. That's a religious advice, so you can't ignore it ;)
Oh my goodness that rib thing sounds so painful and more so with the diagram! OUCH!! Please please please take care and take things easy and no more dislodging of ribs from cages purr-leeze! Phew!! It's too painful to contemplate!!!And yes put that table bath tubby thingy on your x-mas list as PRIORITY!!! Wine in glass so not optional but a must too!
GOOD LUCK with your edits!! Another pain in the perennial...!
Thanks for the lovely jubbly links too!
Take care
x
I can't believe you have an editing injury. That's hilarious (cough ... um, sorry, but it is!)
Mari--VERY glad there is no alien baby! I am not ready to raise another being! And yeah... dark places...
Jenny-It only hurts really, when I lean on it, which I am supposed to now be avoiding...
Jessica--yeah... pathetic, eh? *snort* Editing is EVIL!
Yikes! That little bath caddy looks absolutely wonderful. What's a little dislocation of cartilage if you can get something like that? And, now it's just a thought, but if you can hurt yourself in the bathtub editing, perhaps you might want to restrict such activities to times when you're NOT WALKING. ;-)
*snort* an editing inury... I must confess I HAD been wondering how you managed to read/edit in the bath without getting your stuff wet... Hadn't realised you were getting into the uncomfortable position of leaning out of the bath while doing it...
Personally I've solved the problem by grabbing a spare plank and laying it on the bath, just as effective, and no cost at all -- I'll be sure to add the book holder we have lying around in the attic though, after seeing that pic ;)
Note to self - avoid writing injuries. That might be difficult to explain to the guys.
I'm relieved that your injury has a quick fix. You remind me that as I sit in my bedroom lawn chair re-reading and marking (no, I can't stop either), I have to pay attention to my posture.
The editing injury will make for a good story when you're on book tours or at writers' conferences.
And thanks for those links! Very good stuff.
Kimberly- I am USED to reading and walking, so the editing and walking isn't so different... and yes, when I actually have the caddy, and the rib pain is gone, TOTALLY worth it!
Joris-A plank would be perfectly adequate if we had a claw-foot, like we did in Portland. As it is, though, the side against the wall is really narrow, so it needs SOMETHING to hold it in place. I COULD probably make one in the meantime though... just nailing a wedge thing so it didn't slide might do the trick in the short term.
Alex-Yeah--not a very manly injury *teehee*
Lisa--yeah, the posture think can be big. I can't work in a chair unless I have a table or desk, too. (funny that I can walk, but never mind)--and GREAT story fodder, for some day...
Glad all is okay and nothing serious. However, I'm wondering what your insurance company is going to say when they see 'editing injury.' That would be interesting. Have a great day.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
omg--well I'm glad it wasn't a brain tumor. But see, I look at that little tray and I want to rush forward and catch the book before it hits the water... I think you need a hot tub w/a floating lapdesk. Yes? ;p <3 pease out day~
(second attempt. Harrumph)
Tami, I am glad that it wasn't some serious disease.
And how on earth can you get any editing done sitting so close to Mockingjay? I really liked The Secret Life of Bees too, you must have incredible willpower to resist reading those two books.
I used to think the dark places were bad...but now I think its really a by-product of a writers' brain....helps us go places others can't. Hope you feel better soon!
A writing injury?! Now that's dedication. And a new writing pitfall to which I must pay attention, hmmm...
It seems really unfair that along with the pain of editing, you had to suffer a physical injury along with it! Hope you feel better soon.
Oh no! But at least it wasn't worse :-) Who knew editing and bathtubs can be that dangerous?
We have a thick plank over the bathtub to work as a table and a shower chair. :-D Works perfectly and is much cheaper than those dainty, pretty things.
Oh, I never!
Wow! Thanks for sharing that. :-) I wonder if I could manage to collect myself enough to actually write something :-D
Yes, but... er... I just heard today that I could be calling myself an expert and start a person cult. I have been published in a couple of e-zines :-D Very small, very weird and free, but published :-D
I have to say that I'm surprised by that we are known only as the Nokia country... (and the Socialist mosquito land). I would have said that to Italians we are the country with bad food, Italians are Idiots to us. :-) Thank Berlusconi for that. To Germans Finland is the country with beautiful nature... To gays... I suppose Finland is the country of quiet and prejudiced bears... But what do I know :-D I'm just Finnish, not Italian, German or gay :-)
Didn't know about peace day. Wonderful idea :-)
Oh, and I have the Mockingjay on my to read list, and I loved the Bee book :-)
You could get over with the editing quickly and then reward yourself by reading the books :-) Or do half an hour editing and half an hour reading, until all is done.
But I'm sure you already have it all under control :-)
Thank you for visiting my blog :-) It's hugely appreciated :-)
Mason-I figure I am better off with THIS for the insurance company, because who could have foreseen THAT?! (the walking and editing on the other hand...)
Leigh-there is actually a book STAND holding the book up... handy, eh? A hot tub relaxes me TOO much... I can barely even READ in a hot tub.
Maria-it's rough! I let myself read in spurts, and tell myself once I finish reading MY BOOK, then I go to Mockingjay on the commute... so the incentive thing helps...
Carolyn-I think you may be right. I can ignore a lot of stuff though... I just worry about the health stuff--maybe studying people who live with pain has had an impact--the day job can definitely make a person paranoid.
Barbara--Definitely be careful! HAHA--never know where those writing injuries might come from (though frankly, until now, carpal tunnel is the only one I'd considered...
Elizabeth--EXACTLY! I should get REWARDED for editing! Not injurred! Thank you!
You can injure yourself editing? AAAHHHH!!!!
That's it. I'm not doing it anymore. Leastways, not in the bathtub. Which is fine, 'cause I haven't taken a bath in 10 years. What? I shower instead! *borrows shifty from Tart cuz it seems like it'd work here*
Ha! Ketutar, you snuck in there on me!
If you have some published e-zine stuff, you should just look further for the one's that pay, as you have at least something on your resume.
Finnland seems very exotic to me (cold, but exotic), though I confess that I placed Durmstrang, of the Harry Potter books, there--that was mostly about 'few hours of daylight' though, and Finnland seemed more enchanting than Siberia.
Simon--I so badly want to take that approach. I wish I could get away with it... And so long as you get naked regularly, it's okay by me, though I do love my bath...
I hope you're healing and feeling better.
Love the bathtub caddy. I need one for the shower, though.
Oh no! I'm sorry you were injured! I'm guilty as charged. I have done that in the past, too. *gulp* I really appreciate you sharing that with us writers, we really need to hear that. I'll FB it so as to alert all of us fanatical editing writers.
Editing is so much part of my life. I can't get away from it. I really want to publish my Rockstar.
Good luck and thanks for all them coolrific links!
*hugs*
Y'know, I just went to the doctor, and they said that I have a similar thing. I was thinking about it after I left and I was all 'That sounds like what she blogged about last week!'
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