Losing my starch

Wonderful brunch today with good friends and some visitors. Sixteen of us all very jovial, great food—everybody contributed but the hostess prepared a cheese/chorizo/chilies strata for the main dish. Had a great time, practiced my walking and received a lot of “Look at you!” compliments. But wine and heavy food at mid-day took the starch right out of me. Came home and slept for an hour and a half.

I had to leave for brunch in the middle of editing the last chapter of my work-in-progress, and I did finish going through it when I got home. I still have to fix two minor problems for plot and character consistency. One is that I introduced a cool new character and then couldn’t figure out how to get her back in the action. I think she’ll be prominent in a future book, but I’m at a loss as to what to do with her in this one. I did bring her back for a brief appearance, but I need to insert her again toward the end, and she doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. Maybe my beta reader will help.

I also have to add a title page and copyright page to the front and an author’s bio at the back. Housekeeping chores that I can easily do tomorrow before I send it to beta reader (via a print shop) and editor. Not going to tackle them tonight, because, you know—that starch that I lost.

I laughed at myself, because even in the midst of enjoying the company at brunch I had the feeling I couldn’t wait to get back to the book. And then I had to remind myself that I wrote it, so I know what’s going to happen. It isn’t as though I haven’t read it a half dozen times. Someone suggested to me my feeling of being caught up in it is a good thing, bodes well for other readers.

The book’s title has been problematic too—I’ve settled on Pigface and the Perfect Dog. My small online writers group approves though one person pointed out that it could easily be a y/a title, which it isn’t. I explained the cover art would have to carry the burden of making the genre clear. That and the blurb—oh, dear, blurb. Something else I forgot. When you think you’re through with a novel, you’re not!

I think it’s time to sit on the patio and chill, enjoying the evening. Supper? No, thank you I couldn’t.