The Secret!
I couldn't write about this here before today as a few of my local wrimos read my journal here and I wanted this to be a total surprise at the TGIO party today. Having been and surprised said wrimos, now I can share my news!
We all know I entered Nanowrimo this year. It was pretty good that I wrote the first 50,000 words in 7 days. It was even pretty impressive that I finished the book on day 20, having written over 111,000 words.
I still had ten days to go in the month, and as the book was going to be a christmas present I had to get down and edit it.
On Thursday morning at 2am I finished editing my book.
I then began to format it ready for binding.
And scan the photos I wanted included and add information details and print them.
Then it was time to print the entire 376 pages that I had just hand-formatted one page at a time (not at that time knowing Microsoft Publisher would have done it for me).
I ran out of ink about 7am Thursday morning. Tygrr was nice and went out and got some more so I could continue formatting the rest of the book.
About three-quarters of the way through printing I began to wonder if I shouldn't have asked her to get another ream of printer paper too. In the end, I had exactly enough - EXACTLY. Not one sheet spare, not one sheet short.
At 2.30pm Thursday Troll and I drove down to Adelaide and delivered it to a professional binder. It was to be bound in midnight blue leather look hard cover and it shall have its title in gold on the front and the spine.
I collected it the following afternoon at 3.00pm.
That afternoon was Friday 30th November.
In short, folks, I have written, edited, formatted, printed and bound - utterly completely made an entire book - all within ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!
I've finally come back down to earth a little after Friday but am still pretty excited about it all. I've actually felt tired over the last couple of days - surprise surprise after a two-day marathon to get my book bound in time for the end of November!
I don't think words can express how I felt seeing it bound and literally 'a proper book'. The stationer handed it across the counter to me and all I could do for a moment was stand and just look at it. When I finally screwed up the courage to open the cover and look inside, this is what I saw.
I can only say it was one of the greatest moments in my life so far.
I know some might think I'm waxing lyrical and getting carried away, but the writers among my readers will understand what I mean when I say I simply cannot describe the feeling of seeing my name on the title page of a book. It's a moment I doubt I shall ever forget.
All in all I am very pleased with it. I think for writing, editing, planning and formatting a finished book for the very first time I've done not too bad a job. Here's what it's like inside.
There's writing of course.
(Notice the speckles on the outer surface of the pages?)
I also included some family photos
The cover is midnight blue with gold lettering
And yes, that's my name printed there on the spine of the book - for the first time ever, although hopefully not the last!
If ever I had any doubts about whehter I am a writer, my response to this has answered them all. The way I feel right now, I can honestly say it leaves the best sex I've ever had - and trust me, it was really HOT sex! - totally for dead!
The binders do academic binding of thesises. (How DOES one spell the plural of thesis? It looks like it should be thesii or something...lol!)
So their outer lettering is very basic. Of course if the book were ever sold and published properly it would have a fancier cover.
This particular copy of the book I shall keep. Already I am far too attached to it to give it to anyone. Also, as it is a binding service and not a printing service it was my own paper that was used and I am not happy with the quality of it - not enough to give it as a gift.
As I don't usually print anything important I use cheap paper and I think it will wear over time. I want this book to be something passed down from generation to generation so today I bought a high quality paper to do my daughter's copy and have it bound at the same time as I do one for my brother.
As a writer I am totally thrilled to have a book I have written actually made into a proper book. As a person I am totally chuffed that I have managed to do all this in one month. As a mother I am very pleased to have a record of our family history to pass on to future generations. Not only are there stories, but photos so that family resemblance can be seen as well as a deeper understanding of the people from which we come.
In short, I'm rather pleased all round.
And... she still doesn't know I've done it for her... *grins*
Red.
We all know I entered Nanowrimo this year. It was pretty good that I wrote the first 50,000 words in 7 days. It was even pretty impressive that I finished the book on day 20, having written over 111,000 words.
I still had ten days to go in the month, and as the book was going to be a christmas present I had to get down and edit it.
On Thursday morning at 2am I finished editing my book.
I then began to format it ready for binding.
And scan the photos I wanted included and add information details and print them.
Then it was time to print the entire 376 pages that I had just hand-formatted one page at a time (not at that time knowing Microsoft Publisher would have done it for me).
I ran out of ink about 7am Thursday morning. Tygrr was nice and went out and got some more so I could continue formatting the rest of the book.
About three-quarters of the way through printing I began to wonder if I shouldn't have asked her to get another ream of printer paper too. In the end, I had exactly enough - EXACTLY. Not one sheet spare, not one sheet short.
At 2.30pm Thursday Troll and I drove down to Adelaide and delivered it to a professional binder. It was to be bound in midnight blue leather look hard cover and it shall have its title in gold on the front and the spine.
I collected it the following afternoon at 3.00pm.
That afternoon was Friday 30th November.
In short, folks, I have written, edited, formatted, printed and bound - utterly completely made an entire book - all within ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!
I've finally come back down to earth a little after Friday but am still pretty excited about it all. I've actually felt tired over the last couple of days - surprise surprise after a two-day marathon to get my book bound in time for the end of November!
I don't think words can express how I felt seeing it bound and literally 'a proper book'. The stationer handed it across the counter to me and all I could do for a moment was stand and just look at it. When I finally screwed up the courage to open the cover and look inside, this is what I saw.
I can only say it was one of the greatest moments in my life so far.
I know some might think I'm waxing lyrical and getting carried away, but the writers among my readers will understand what I mean when I say I simply cannot describe the feeling of seeing my name on the title page of a book. It's a moment I doubt I shall ever forget.
All in all I am very pleased with it. I think for writing, editing, planning and formatting a finished book for the very first time I've done not too bad a job. Here's what it's like inside.
There's writing of course.
(Notice the speckles on the outer surface of the pages?)
I also included some family photos
The cover is midnight blue with gold lettering
And yes, that's my name printed there on the spine of the book - for the first time ever, although hopefully not the last!
If ever I had any doubts about whehter I am a writer, my response to this has answered them all. The way I feel right now, I can honestly say it leaves the best sex I've ever had - and trust me, it was really HOT sex! - totally for dead!
The binders do academic binding of thesises. (How DOES one spell the plural of thesis? It looks like it should be thesii or something...lol!)
So their outer lettering is very basic. Of course if the book were ever sold and published properly it would have a fancier cover.
This particular copy of the book I shall keep. Already I am far too attached to it to give it to anyone. Also, as it is a binding service and not a printing service it was my own paper that was used and I am not happy with the quality of it - not enough to give it as a gift.
As I don't usually print anything important I use cheap paper and I think it will wear over time. I want this book to be something passed down from generation to generation so today I bought a high quality paper to do my daughter's copy and have it bound at the same time as I do one for my brother.
As a writer I am totally thrilled to have a book I have written actually made into a proper book. As a person I am totally chuffed that I have managed to do all this in one month. As a mother I am very pleased to have a record of our family history to pass on to future generations. Not only are there stories, but photos so that family resemblance can be seen as well as a deeper understanding of the people from which we come.
In short, I'm rather pleased all round.
And... she still doesn't know I've done it for her... *grins*
Red.