I had a plan, a desire to be done with my editing and ready to go with my book by October the 31st.

That is now a few days ago. I done missed my deadline.

I knew I would.

It did, however, make me work and advance my project significantly. Not as far as I’d like, because in the warfare that is editing I keep finding new lines of trenches and barbed wire barring my way, slowing my advance to a crawl. I have not yet developed my version of editorial tank technology to burst through the lines of obfuscation and distraction that lie in wait upon the page.

I think Norman Rush once said that when asked how long until his next book would be ready his standard reply was “six months”, and eventually he’d be right. I’m sure he meant it every time too. It is not as if you want to be wrestling with a book for years on end. I’d much rather be writing the next one, thank you very much. The next one will have fewer trenches built into the first draft.

So. New deadline. If nothing else it shall give me a recurring blog theme. December 31st.