Monday, August 27, 2007

chapter 3 blues. . . .

ok. So I got chapters 1 and 2 off to my tutor and then I made the mistake - not of re-reading what I'd already sent - but of reading comments of a very early draft of 3. And got derailed.

OMG - I have to read at least 4 more authors before I can even HOPE to tackle this one! What was I thinking? No way this is doable in a week!

The thing that really gets me is that the main guy I want to take on in this chapter doesn't bother reading the guys I've read, he just spouts. And he's a Court of Appeals judge! Here's a quote from him about that: "Journalists don't provide support for what they say, why should I?" Granted, it wasn't in a judicial opinion. But he says plenty of things there that aren't supported either, trust me!

The worst bit of it is that he attacks what he calls the "academic moralists" - with no support - and fails to engage them in their own terms. It is likely that those very same academic moralists will fault me for failing adequately to support and justify anything I say against the judge.

Not that he'd appreciate it.

Anyway - I just want to sleep for about 10 hours. Then maybe I'll have a better outlook on all this.

In the meantime, the king made dinner (again!) and poured wine and we sat and watched the hummingbirds and the goldfinches and he let me kvetch and moan and then sent me off for 2 more hours before our chocolate break. What a king. . . .

2 comments:

Lee Anne said...

Oh, dear god -- the reading!

I know what you mean. It never ends. Just when you're ready to write, another author (or four) rises up and bites you on your ass.

Keep going! You can do it!

prophet said...

what a slog. . . . I tried to get some sleep and couldn't even do that! So here I sit. It's after midnight. Actually I am working. One slow word at a time. Going back now. Thanks for the encouragement.