My dearest work in progress,
I do not know how to tell you this, so I will be frank: This morning I cheated on you with another, older manuscript. I know that this is a shock, but let me explain.
We spent an entire summer together several years ago, and although our relationship died after 350 pages and several fruitless attempts at revision, I have thought of it with fondness ever since. It wasn’t the book, it was me; I just wasn’t ready. The timing was off.
Heartbroken and disillusioned, I tried to begin again, but my job kept interfering. And then, finally, my schedule slowed. Around that time I found you. You were perfect: fresh, funny, interesting. I loved you from the start, and it seemed as if you liked me, too. Even at my busiest, my crabbiest, you did not go away, but simply waited for me to return to you, begging for forgiveness.
We’ve been together for a while now, and although we’ve had our moments, things have been great. Really great. But you and I have been going through a difficult time. I’d begun to lose my faith in our future. I knew that if I stuck it out our relationship had potential, but another part of me yearned for something new. And then, this morning, it came back: the manuscript I had loved so long ago.
What had seemed tired and worn so long ago now appeared fresh and new. We’d both matured, learned so much, since we last met. I found myself excited again. I couldn’t wait to write. The characters began to chatter in my head, demanding my attention.
I couldn’t help it. Before I could make myself turn away, I had typed nearly a thousand words, examined the characters’ goals and motivations, and begun to rework the plot. Meanwhile, you languished away in my hard drive. I returned to you, yes. I even added 408 new words, but then I cast you aside once again.
I make no excuses. Shortly after you and I met, I vowed to stay true to you until the end, forsaking all other manuscripts. And so I have done, despite occasional temptation. But now that my former love has returned to my life, full of the potential only time and maturity can give it, I know that I cannot give it up again. The thing is, I love you both. You are so different, yet you each intrigue me, demand my attention and affection.
And so, with your blessing, I will continue seeing it, just on the side, and just on occasion. You, as always, will be of utmost importance in my life. And when you leave, as I know you must, this one will be here, waiting for me. Please say that you will agree to this arrangement, will not abandon me to my fickle ways. Please?
Love,
Your Writer
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terrillbodner said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Excellent! I loved your letter. It made me laugh. You are not alone. I do this too! Good luck with your writing.
Cheers,
Terrill
mle08 said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Haha! This sounds just like me!!! The reason it takes me forever to finish my stories! What a unique perspective! Thanks bunches!
LaDonna said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 5:13 pm
LOL! Yep, they have a mind of their own, and we love them so! Good luck juggling two loves.
Liane said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 5:27 pm
What can one do when the heart is torn in two? You had no choice, you did what you must and you were honest. Good luck with your love triangle.
Janet said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Love!!!!
Janet
Christina Phillips said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 6:52 pm
oh my gosh this struck a chord. At the beginning of Feb I rediscovered a ms I started just over a year ago and had finished 2/3 of before I got sucked into something else. But I do so love that story. I really want to finish it and send it out into the world. I fully intended to finally finish it this month… except as I was reading it it prompted a much darker, sexier idea for Nocturne Bites!
Stacy said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 7:01 pm
I’m undecided as to which project is “the other woman.” Let us know how literary promiscuity works out for you.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
bookmom said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Your letter made me giggle. Good luck juggling the two!
jd said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Balance. what an interesting point of view. Good luck.
c said,
Saturday, March 1, 2008 at 10:45 pm
My 2006 NaNoWriMo story is that old love for me.
Time passes and we can see these old manuscripts with distanced eyes and they’re like new again.
i think your letter is clever. i’m sure Winifred will forgive you.
Dru said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 6:56 am
I love your letter. Good luck with both your stories.
Joanne Rendell said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 6:58 am
you know, not wanting to make you even more of a promiscuous cheater (!), but this would make a wonderful first page of a novel!!
so funny!
Elizabeth Crisp said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 7:27 am
Oh the guilt of duplicity! I smell a plot line here.
Patricia Wood said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 11:00 am
hahahahahaha. Okay now I feel guilty. I occasionally cheat but I still come home to my current WIP…I just can’t settle down…I need my space…
Barrie Summy said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Loved this post! And I must admit now that I’m planning to do a little cheating on my current wip too.
Around May.
Susan Sandmore said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 12:40 pm
This is great! What’s so much worse is when your manuscript leaves YOU. All the sobbing its title, wondering why you weren’t good enough for it. Picturing it with other writers (nooooo!). And then you have to go out looking for a rebound manuscript.
Conda V. Douglas said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Hilarious, booklady! And so true–I need to write a letter of apology to my w.i.p. as I have “dated” a couple of short stories lately…
Robin said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I love this! And admire your ability to juggle two loves. Best of luck with both!
Heidi the Hick said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Oh boy, I have three going on right now… I wonder what that says about me…!
Ashley Ladd said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 7:35 pm
LOLOLOL. Love it! That makes me a cheater, too. Big time!
Thanks for the laugh.
Kwana said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I love it! An open manuscript relationship.
Thanks for visting my blog today, Book Lady. I really like yours too.
Christa J said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Book lady across the hall. I to do revisit themes of the past, but mine our visual. There are times I went to go back and feel I have to move forward. Some day I will revisit my baby buggies.
Adam said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Brilliant! I have a couple similar letters I need to write to my unfinished work. I also have a manuscript that I need to send an “It’s-not-you-it’s me” letter to… I fear what the response will be.
pjd said,
Sunday, March 2, 2008 at 10:10 pm
See, I think you and I differ a bit in this. I do have a bit of a wandering eye, but it’s always for the next thing. Those old manuscripts… once we part ways, I think fondly of those times but don’t feel like revisiting them. Instead, I tend to be seduced by that new idea, the new character with the clever twist. Maybe one day I’ll return to a previous manuscript in that way, but the world is so full of new opportunity!
Angela said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 2:06 am
Great!!!!
Good luck with your many manuscripts!!!
Erica Orloff said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 4:40 am
Wonderful! I loved this.
And all I DO is cheat on my work in progress. I am a manuscript whore.
E
lainey said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 6:38 am
Ha! Here I was, scrolling down reading comments, patiently waiting for my chance to tell you I was a ms whore and Erica beat me to it.
So I’ll claim a harem. That wicked ms that calls to me when I feel sarcastic. The lighthearted ms that allows me to flex my funny-bone. The deeper ms I can turn to when in the mood for introspection and the vigilante ms that allows me to pretend only the characters have violent tendencies…not me. :0
Ah, yes. How I love them all. When I’m in the right mood for them.
The Muse said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:28 am
I’ve had so many loves that I’ve forgotten, I can’t even count them on my ten fingers and toes! Unlike you, I never let them down easy, I just dropped them like a bad habit. I’m sure all will be forgiven when your WIP reads this.
You have a great blog! Thanks for visiting.
the daring one said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 9:34 am
Sometimes all it takes is a little shakeup to get your groove back. I’m glad you’re dabbling in other projects to keep your mind fresh.
Kristi Holl said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 9:50 am
This was hilarious–especially as my first thing on today’s “to do” list was to revisit a former proposal and see what could be resurrected. Even the term proposal is suggestive! Thanks for a good laugh this morning. Now, off to keep a date.
Melissa said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 10:50 am
You can cheat on your mss…well, hell, I’m a repeat offender.
Lol. Great letter.
Alyssa Goodnight said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I think I must not really have the soul of a writer. I can only work on one manuscript at a time, my characters don’t chatter on in my head, I can walk away from the writing and not think of it almost at all for days…
But I still love it! And it works for me.
Glad you found new hope in an old manuscript!
Chandra said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 5:19 pm
High five for multiple projects.
After I faithfully meet my daily word goal on this paying project, I tuck it into bed and sneak off to see bad sci-fi movies with my YA manuscript.
Larramie said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Without question, Caryn, honesty is always the best policy!
Caryn said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:20 pm
By the way, for those wondering why I’m not responding to comments on the blog as usual, I’m doing it in e-mail today. Thought I’d test that option. Not sure I’ll stick with it, though…
Ashley said,
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I envy you for being able to stick it out so long! 350 pages is what I DREAM about writing! I think I’ve only ever done a meager 30, if that. Keep going, it’s an incredible journey I’ll bet!