The Grind.

So. THAT was a long time between posts!

Italics and commas.

Grr to them.

Over 360 pages of Grammar-grind, and an eternity of comma hunting. Like sniffing out ants from timber.

Maybe next time, I’ll be able to hire someone to do the proofreading for the final copy. Doing such things oneself makes one want to put one’s head through one’s kitchen table and weep and Never Write Again.

And thus, this:

The final hard-copy manuscript, ripped apart, revised, Beta-shredded, rewritten, gouged, red-inked and mercilessly edited.

That was about a week ago.

Then, the arduous page-by-page change entries, edits, double-checks on the new edits, finding new errors because of the new edits in places I didn’t edit, and next proofread.

Then, going back and doing all the military edits, as directed by my military editor.

Then, the science edits as per my rocket scientist.

Then, back again to check for all the missed grammar after those changes.

No wonder people don’t do this.

Tired? Yep.

Frustrated? Yep.

At any point willing to give up? Oh, no, my friend.

I would rather be doing no other thing in the universe than making my novel better.

So far, we are still on track for our November release. (He says this looking at the calendar with one raised eyebrow).

Just gotta kill those commas.