manuscript

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Status: Somewhat exhausted, after four years of work, I delivered the manuscript for my second book to acquisitions editor Kerry Webb at UT Press today. I still have an illustration to finish, but that will happen. Drawing is easier; so easy even a caveman can do it. Humans have been drawing for millennia longer than we have been writing books. Pick up a stick with a burnt end and you can draw. If you have a little ground red ochre, you got color. Does anyone have a cave wall they need decorated? I'm pretty good with aurochs.

Drawings are quick, energetic dashes. They're left-brained.

Books are hard, long, slow, tedious, grueling marathons. Time consuming, especially if you write non-fiction. (You know, if you write fiction, you can make the whole thing up.)

Books are whole-brained, plus kidneys, heart, liver, spleen (so that's what that is for), cuticles, follicles, curlycues, muscle, sinew, bone.

Speaking of bone: my head-bone is tired. I've used all the words I know, some of them more than once. I'm ready for a long winter's nap. No more getting up at 6 a.m. Why am I sitting here at the computer? I have shopping to do.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

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