Animals on the Hilltop

The wild animals have totally taken over the Gill Hilltop.

My grandkids from Bakersfield are actually pretty wonderful children, rambunctious of course, but we have a great time together.  Of course, the menu for lunch has to include Grampy Burgers.  And that's a tale all its own for another time.

The Wednesday night reading of the book, Fire on Black Mountain, got a very positive thumbs up from the ladies.  As is typical following the critique, the suggestions proved to be most helpful in making the story read better, and be more correct in presentation.

I am told one of the major reasons manuscripts are rejected by publishers, is they are not punctuated nor structured correctly.  Long run-on sentences which should be broken into two or more much shorter sentences, are also a common mistake.  So the value of reading my work to this experienced group, is immeasurable.

The process of re-writing and re-re-re-editing the story, is ongoing and seems continual.  But, Chapter 3 was read this week, and there are only (?) a total of 15 chapters.  So, obviously, another dozen to go.

The ladies of the group have commented on my improving writing skills, which is very gratifying.  I too have noticed a positive difference in the way I build the tale.  But any improvement is a direct result of the learning process of: reading to this group, listening to their suggestions, then practicing what they suggest as I write a new piece.

The key is going to be to get it sold though, so a publisher has to take a liking to the story as well.  Obviously, that is a good 12+ weeks away, which makes the finishing date on the book about mid-February if one assumes we won't meet every week.

Time for Grampy to pay attention to the young'uns.  I have a wedding to officiate on Saturday afternoon, with a rehearsal this afternoon, so the kids will be going down with me.  Mom will pick them up at the rehearsal.  Ah yes, busy times around here.