The Last Exit 'Director's Cut' Giveaway…

C.E. Grundler

It's been one hectic, exhausting, amazing week, filled with intensive ten-hour days of extensive edits. I've gone on an internet, phone and all-other-human-contact hiatus, locking myself away in my office, dining on canned soup, take-out pizza, and eating cereal straight from the box. At present, approximately 13,000 words have been trimmed away, leaving Last Exit smoother, sleeker and more refined. After last week's post, I received comments and private emails expressing concern that these edits might force me to cut too deep, sacrificing certain characters and scenes for overall word count. As one reader stated: 'Beware of cutting to achieve quantity rather than quality.'

I'd like to reassure you all that is anything but the case. Yes, the word-count has dropped, and it is my goal to bring it down even further. But rather than suggesting wholesale cuts to my story, my wonderful editor has provided me the guidance and insight to recognize where my writing could be better. It isn't so much a process of trimming as distilling. He's pointed out some obvious darlings that did little or nothing to the story as a whole, but more important, he's flagged areas that may have been muddled. But eliminate a few words here, a sentence or two there, (and trust me, they do add up,) and suddenly the true essence of the scene shines. He identified ambiguous passages that were perfectly clear in my head but might not have been so obvious to readers. Sometimes he called for more description — often it was a matter of a word or two, but a few well-chosen adjectives and verbs can make a world of difference. All in all, I'm thrilled by the effect these changes have made. It's still the same story, just that much better.

Which brings me to an odd situation. Not too long ago, I ordered a box full of books, with the intention of sending copies out to various media outlets, perhaps generating some visibility for my writing. I figured I'd aim for any local New Jersey news agencies, as well as various boating publications. And right about the time that box arrived on my doorstep, I received an email from Thomas & Mercer… and the box was all but forgotten. Understandably, T&M plans to market and promote the updated revision. But what to do with these lovely, untouched copies in need of a good home?

So here it is. To all my friends, fans and followers, I'd like to say thank you for your support. I have 25 pristine 'First Edition Director's Cut' copies of Last Exit in New Jersey, and if you'd like one, just let me know. You send me a self-addressed envelope with a few stamps on it and I'll return it to you with a signed original inside. (Just email me at cegrundler(at)gmail.com and I'll give you the specifics.) If you've already read my story, consider it a 'Thank You!' And if you haven't read it yet but were considering, why not now?

Some friends have joked that these copies might become collector's pieces someday. I don't know about that, but I suppose anything is possible… the last year has certainly shown me that. And who knows? This could be your proof someday that you knew me way back when!

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