The first derisive comment has arrived.

And it's freakin' BRILLIANT! Ha!

Oh crap.

I think I'm on the verge of completely rethinking the last third of the manuscript.

Oy vey.

Whatever you decide, Barb, may it go well.

Well, didn't need saying twice.

Well, didn't need saying twice.

Yes. Yes it did.

I'm sitting here pulling my hair and with some added wailing and gnashing of teeth.

And a good GAH for added emphasis.

[link]

“Bob Dylan was detained by police in Long Branch, N.J. last month, when a young officer failed to recognize him, police said. The officer proceeded to go to earnest lengths to ensure the hooded, disheveled, rain-soaked music legend was, in fact, who he said he was.”

Guilty of Not Being Bob Dylan

Raggedy Man wanders where the rich folk thrive,
Arrested for dressing down too far from slums and dives
Cop says “you don't look like no celebrity to me”
“It ain't legal being poor in the land of the free.”

Stopped on the street for breathing while black.
Charge: resisting arrest cause he talked back.
Judge says: “No cop would ever say a thing he did not see”.
“This a good clean bust here in the land of the free.”

White thug goes bashing Indians on the Rez.
Jurisdictional tangles keep him free and fresh.
And cops say “the vics don't look like celebrities to me”.
“Got more important crimes to solve in the land of the free”.

Cart by her side, she sleeps in the street.
All her stuff gets trashed by the cop on the beat.
Cop says “you don't look like no celebrity to me”.
“It ain't legal being poor in the land of the free.”

Good luck Barb, a super professional like you will do the right thing.

BWAH!

Thanks, Gud. And I have to say, this is where having a great critique partner is absolutely invaluable. I brainstormed with mine yesterday and she not only reassured me that I hadn't completely lost my mind (at least, not more so than usual), but pointed out where what I was thinking not only made perfect sense, it made perfect inevitable sense in that the story had already been morphing in my proposed direction for some time. It's just that I've been so bloody close to it, combined with not being able to steadily work on it (we're on 2 1/2 years and counting on this one, but not continuous) plus a ton of professional upheaval.

Basically, she slapped me upside the head and told me to cut myself some slack.

I just picked up a person to swap betas. Partly just because critiquing other people seems to help me out looking at my own stuff.

This is what the first page of her first chapter looked like in my word process (blurred to protect the innocent).

[link]

It's not bad, it just needs a lot of tweaking. She didn't freak out and was very appreciative when she got it, so that's a good sign.

We'll see how this works out. I appreciate the beta readers. Beverly in particular has helped me find some rough edges.

Beverly is great. She's a marvelous beta.

I, however, suck. But I swear I have comments commented, I just need to send off to you. I'm sorry!