I’ve always admired the performer who can take three rubber
balls and juggle them with ease, keeping one ball in the air at all times. The
trick can be learned and practice can take you to the next level and eventually
to juggling chainsaws.
I am one of those people who can do many different things,
some of them quite well, a select few expertly. In real life, I think the
degree to which you can juggle successfully translates directly into your
satisfaction quotient and your anxiety level.
I remember when I was writing one thing, tossing one ball in
the air. Like the little kid with a baseball glove (okay, some call it a mitt)
and a ball, waiting for a friend to show up to play catch, killing time, tossing a ball straight up and
then waiting for it to come down, catching it different ways.
Normally I’m carefree about doing several things at one
time. Generally this is when there are no deadlines, I’m enjoying all the
different stuff I’m doing, and there is time for normal, everyday pursuits. I
recognize now, that I get anxious when one or more projects gets dragged out,
sometimes with no firm end in sight, and new ideas and projects present
themselves and I know that I either will not get to them for months or I
realize I might not get to them for…years.
I am at the bitter end of finishing a basketball history
book. I made the bad decision of offering to edit this manuscript, thinking it
wouldn’t take that much time. Wrong. I basically re-wrote the book, in the
process cutting 233,000 words back to 207,000 words. I probably chopped out
50,000 words and then put 25,000 new words back in. The editing is done but now
I’m also doing the book production.
A word about photos: There are nearly 250 photographs in this
book that now, upon closer inspection, are not all usable because they weren’t
scanned. People generally don’t understand photos and printing. So many
pictures are taken with cell phones now that people think just because they use
a high pixel count that they can digitally print in a book. I have seen
fantastic, sharp cell phone shots with less than 72 dpi resolution.
What the heck is resolution? 72 dpi means that the photo is
made up of 72 dots per inch. To send that sort of photo across the web is fine
and the quality will be detailed and viewable. But, to use in an ebook or to
print digitally, it can be a problem. The standard dpi for digital presses is
300 dpi. Many of the photos in this basketball book are of the 72 and 150
variety. I am waiting for a sample printing of a set of low resolution photos
and holding my breath. If they work, I can finish this thing by Labor Day.
If not, then either a lot of the shots will get cut out or
run in a sepia tone to make them look “old timey.” This book might get done by
late September or early October. Adding to the problem is that the source of
the photos is in Baltimore which is nearly five hours down the road. And if
that isn’t enough, the author who has to approve all this, returns to England
the last week of this month (August).
The science publisher who is interested in two different
books about the missing moon rocks and a book I pitched about cosmic impacts
has been very gracious and patient. I told them how I was swamped and committed
to my novel and they said not to worry, they and the moon weren’t going
anywhere. Just hand them in when I’ve gotten them written. Meanwhile, they want
me in their database—that’s a good sign.
The other balls in the air are: a rock and roll thriller set
in China, a historical fiction about George Washington’s real life secret agent
during the revolution set in my town, historic Ringwood, New Jersey, finishing
my Springsteen ebook [95% done], and an ebook memoir of my involvement during high
school working on the Apollo program during the Space Race. I am also wondering
when my primary novel gets published if they would immediately be asking about
the sequel. I’ve given some thought to a sequel but, right now, I’m afraid to
throw one more ball into the air.
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