With this revision, I almost feel like I'm writing a draft again, though there are places where I actually work on existing text.

I'm sending out chapters in two waves right now. Wave one to the generous, kind, and wonderful beta readers and wave two to my beta exchange people. When I read over the chapters and incorporate some stuff from wave one, I've just started trying to fix flat bits here and there.

Stuff like ------------------ They continued on their way to the archives in the majestic Church of the Isle, located on an island in the river that cut through the Park District. The Church looked stunning against the background of the park's gardens, tree, and winding paths. The Park District was the only place in the Empire where priceless empty land was used for such beauty.

The Church itself was impressive. The cathedral rose at least one hundred feet high and was made of a white stone that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Other Church buildings stood next to the cathedral, but they were far more utilitarian in nature. Aimee remembered how beautiful the sight was in full daylight. She hadn't visited this island in years.

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Into this

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They turned off the great boulevard to take a wide and winding path into the Park District. Insects chirped and clicked among the plants and trees that lined the path, and buzzed in swarms around the indigo light of the park's glow lamps. Sweet smells drifted in the warm breeze of the summer night to remind Aimee of the flowers now muted in color by the moonlight. In no other place in the Empire did priceless empty land get used for the simple display of nature's beauty. A big maple tree that Aimee liked to read under stood nearby; she stared at it for a moment as they passed.

A river sliced through the great park and divided around a section of land to form an island. Their path led to an old stone bridge that crossed over the river and onto that section of land, taking them to the majestic Church of the Isle. The cathedral rose at least one hundred feet high, made of a white stone that shown bright in the moonlight. Other Church buildings stood nearby, but their square construction and dull stone paled in comparison. Aimee could remember the grand sight of that white stone in full daylight although she hadn't visited in years.

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I think I might still do that since I can't help it when sending out the second wave. Shoot, just reading that makes me want to change stuff.

I've gone totally incoherent in the post now. Ah well, I don't know what I'm doing, but hopefully I'll learn eventually. For the most part I think I'll take the advice to advance, I know I'll come back around to the beginning again.

I've learned to do it. But there's nothing I hate more.

I'm a whack job. I always loved it, at least until the Carmen book, when what the editor wanted seemed change with every pass through. But revisions as a whole, I really enjoy.

::holds out arms for white-jacket fitting::

I don't have enough experience to know if I like revision or not. My goal right with this revision is now just to nail down the plot and characters. Next stop, make things more vivid.

Gud, your second pass there is much richer in detail. Great work. Although you want "shone" not "shown" in the second paragraph.

Also, I lie a little. I like to tweak sentences, paragraphs. Ask me switch out scenes or add scenes or change a storyline and I freeze. Because I'm, um, lazy.

I like to tweak sentences, paragraphs. Ask me switch out scenes or add scenes or change a storyline and I freeze.

::SNORT::

Man, what they had me do on Carmen would have driven you straight to the loony bin. Which, as we well know, it nearly did to me.

Oh, it would have.

The last time I was asked to that, I scrapped the book and started fresh.

Darn errors that the spell checker can't chance. Thanks.

I made it sound like my beta exchange people aren't good and wonderful too, they are, especially number 2 beta exchange person. I'm just a bit annoyed with number 1 beta exchange since I've been timely with turn-around and NSM the other way around.

Ask me switch out scenes or add scenes or change a storyline and I freeze.

I'd say 80% of the scenes in my current revision are completely rewritten. I knew my first two chapters would be complete rewrites, but I'm a bit shocked at how much has been ended up rewritten. The overall plot is staying mostly intact though.

You know what I REALLY hate? Waiting. Waiting for my agent to have the time to get back to me, waiting for editors to read and send feedback/rejections, waiting for notes, waiting waiting waiting.

Slow day at work. It's a little bit on the heavenly side after last week, but it's making my paranoia grow.

You need to chill, babe. It's going to be days, if not a couple weeks, before Kate gets back to you, I bet.

Try to focus on something else. Get into a new book (to read) or something to distract you.

That's not how it works, through, Amy. I figure, Kate will get back to me in early October, then if we're good to go, she'll try and get it out before publishing goes hibernating for the winter. And even if all goes well, I don't expect to know one way or the other until the new year if anyone will buy it.

But, you know, I STILL HATE WAITING.