Lots of leaves are falling all over my neighborhood. Big fluffy piles of them.
The lawn guys come every week and take them away. But somehow, there are more leaf blankets the next week and the next and the next. I can’t figure out how to know when they’ll be finished.
Almost…
Sometimes it’s difficult for Mom to know when a story is finished. It’s NOT finished when she writes the last word. That’s a no-brainer.
But what about these?
Is it finished when she reads it out loud 5,700 times and changes the language and order of events, adds details to develop the characters and setting, and deletes every word that doesn’t move the story along?
Is it finished when her critique partner sends her comments and she fixes the things she hadn’t noticed before? Is it finished when it comes back from RYS with a score and some more suggestions? Nope.
Not yet…
It isn’t even finished after Mom submits it to an agent or publisher, because if it comes back rejected, she will start editing like she just wrote the last word all over again.
Here we go again…
Being finished for sure is a tough call….
Cupcake Speaks 
Comments on: "When?" (72)
I do believe it ain’t over till the Cupcake sings..or something along those lines 🙂 loves Fozziemum xx
Thanks, FM. I’ve been meaning to learn how to sing. This is as good a time as any!
Love and licks,
C
I agree Cupcake..sing your heart out! sorry I have been awol and a bit behind..again….yikes! Loves Fozziemum xx
Ha, I think that’s the answer! I want to hear Cupcake sing!
Hahaaahhahah 🙂
Finished. I’d like our house packing to be finished. 🙂 x
Oh, that would be amazing! Finished once and for all! Or at least for a LONG time.
Love and licks,
C
It sure would. My sad weekend news slowed me down a little. X
So many leaves! They don’t have make your fur glow though, the colour sort of makes you stand out and look even more gorgeous (if that’s even possible!)
The Pigs xx
Thanks, Pigs. I think the leaves bring out the gold in my eyes. thanks for noticing!
Love and licks,
C
I agree with you Cupcake…..”finished” to humans seems to mean something different than “finished” to us! All we can do is hope that when “finished” finally comes, we have ALL their attention and get a special treat……right?
Hugs, Sammy
Absolutely, S. LOTS of treats – to celebrate the finishing and all….
Love and licks,
C
Those yellow-leafed trees are NEVER finished, either. 🙂
What’s up with them, SC? Mom calls that tree a monster. Then I hide behind the chair because I am afraid of monsters.
Love and licks,
C
Wow, those leaves look like fun!
xxxx
They are the most fun when I find a piece of bread or a candy wrapper hiding in there! The possibilities are endless….
Love and licks,
C
Aren’t you just the cutest Cupcake – I love all of your clothes 🙂 XOXO – Bacon
Thanks, B. Lately I am wearing dresses all day and all night, on account of my surgery staples. It beats wearing the cone of shame and it keeps the staples clean and dry. Looking cute is a bonus!
Love and licks,
C
There you go my styling friend! PPSSTT can you keep a secret? I saw on mom’s calendar that Houdini is going to be abducted by aliens the day after Christmas. Daddy says he’s going to scar like I have. Can you believe that? The little guy doesn’t know yet. XOXO – Bacon
It’s never finished Cupcake, especially the leaves! At least that is how it seems this Fall.. 🙂
Thanks, Pix. So, I guess the lawn guys and their crazy machines will be back….
Love and licks and yikes,
C
Sounds like you’re NEVER finished!! But it sure looks purdy up there! ❤️👍
Thanks, G. I agree. Mom swears to God spiders are hiding in there trying to bite her ankles.
Love and licks,
C
Always more leaves, more words, more things. Just means more adventure!
Thanks, W. Adventure sounds like fun. I wonder what adventures are hidden under the leaf piles. Squirrels? French fries? So many possibilities…
Love and licks,
C
Squirrels made of french fries!?!?
WE think the leaves have finished falling when….. the Snow covers them over..
Great idea, F and E. Snow! Yay! I can’t wait.
Love and licks,
C
Now THAT is once nifty sweater!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/?s=The+Adventures+of+Fuzzy+and+Boomer&submit=Search
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Thanks, L. It’s actually the first thing Mom bought me the day I was adopted. It was a cold windy day in December and I was shivering.
Love and licks,
C
Love the sweater Cupcake. What a pile of leaves. You must have lots of trees too.
(((Shoko)))
Thanks, S. Tons of trees are around my neighborhood. The lawn guys always make piles for me. That’s nice of them.
Love and licks,
C
All of those leaves and we have almost 5 in. of snow today and bitter cold weather. For some reason I had picutred you living in Minnesota. Guess not!
No snow yet here in my section of NJ. Trust me, P. NJ is plenty cold enough in the winter. Minnesota would be WAAAAY too cold for us.
Love and licks,
C
I think that word finish has no meaning at all. Leaves never stop falling. And stories never end!
I’m with you, R. Things just keep on keeping on. If a story ends, a new one will start. When the leaves are all down, the snow will start.
Love and licks,
C
It’s strange how something can seem almost done, but then the polishing and improving takes longer than getting ‘almost there’ did.
So true, C. The polishing is always the longest and toughest part!
being finished is a goal for sure. We no longer have leaves but lots of snow
Soon we will have snow, too, F. Hopefully, the leaves will be gone before then.
Love and licks,
C
You make the best analogies, C. 😀
Thanks, E. You totally “get” me.
Love and licks,
C
Your Mum sure has a lot of patience buddy!! Do you just play in the leaves whilst all this is going on? 🙂
I hope you’re having a fun day,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Thanks, S. I am not allowed outside by myself. Only on my leash with Mom. We play in the leaves together….until she starts thinking there are spiders in there trying to kill us.
Love and licks,
C
Those sure are lots of leaves, cupcake. Wishing mom all the best with her book ❤
Thanks, M. We have fingers and paws crossed for each new story that gets sent out.
Love and licks,
C
It is a tough thing to know when something is finished. Our leaves are never finished, even after the last cleanup and the last leaf falls, it never seems to finish! I’d say 5700 times reading is pretty good though 🙂
Thanks, K. I like the number 5700, too! It sounds like the perfect number of readings.
Love and licks,
C
It’s a never ending story, Cupcake…well, at least untill there are still leaves in the trees 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Day 🙂 ❤
I don’t mind the leaves so much, Little B. Sometimes there could be hidden surprises in there.
Love and licks,
C
You look so adorable and cute there with the Autumn leaves Cupcake. Mom sure took awesome shots of you!
I don’t know about there, but here we have leaves all the times. Some are green, some are coloured. We don’t even have to wait for Autumn to have leaves. But I don’t mind. I love the trees and the colourful leaves. It surely is a story that has no end indeed.
Mom does have her work cut out for her. She is such a great writer. Please give her my compliments on the lovely post and photos and sending you both lots of ♥ Hugs and Kisses ♥ 😀
Thanks, S. Mom and I don’t really mind the leaves either. Sometimes, the lawn guys scare me though. They have crazy loud machines that I’m pretty sure are trying to kill me.
Love and licks,
C
hahahah! Don’t worry, sometimes they scare me too and luckily they do their jobs quick and leave, before I could start screaming at them for making all the noise. I don’t like the noise either. Don’t worry, I am sure mom will make sure nothing happens to you Cupcake. She will kill them. LOL!
♥ Love & Hugs ♥
It never seems to be done. There is always one more leaf to fall, one more leaf to clean up. One more comma to add…..and then when it’s all done and published you will read it and say, “I should have….” Be glad you aren’t a writer Cupcake!
BTW you look awful cute in that dress. 🙂
Thanks, J. You nailed it about the regrets. As soon as Mom finally says, “This is perfect,” she says the word, “…but wait a minute… maybe….” Yeah. That happens.
Love and licks,
C
I hope you have fallen leaves as long you want or until you sure your are finished with them!
Thanks, S. I’m trying my best to sniff every single leaf before they’re gone. It’s a big job, but somebody’s gotta do it.
Love and licks,
C
MY gosh there is so much TO it that we as non writers know nothing about. I once had hopes for a children’s story that I do have partly written but even I knew there was no chance of real development as an unknown. ”Tell Cupcake I am in LURVE with her and that pink skirt she was wearing in the picture is just adorable!!!
Thanks KI. There’s definitely a lot to it – being a writer. The way I write is simpler. Boom – it pops into my head, I write it, I’m finished and on to the next thing.
Great analogy in this post!! I seriously do not have the patience you have in writing! And when it comes to leaves–I blow those suckers off my lawn!!! Oh that’s when I am feeling OK to do so!
You’re the real deal, A. When it comes to physical work, Mom will wait forever for somebody else to do it. That’s why she has so much practice waiting for things in her writing. I don’t like waiting at first, but soon I forget that I’m waiting and take a nap.
Love and licks,
C
Do you get to play in all those leaves cupcake??
I can play as long as I stay on my leash. But only until Mom decides there are spiders in the leaves.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
We wish you and your Mom a Happy Thanksgiving!!!! You are in our prayers!
Thanks, Chuck and collies! Happy Thanksgiving!
Love and licks,
C
Patience and continuous work in wiping off the defunct things is essential. Our side street was neglected so that it was covered with several layers of drenched leaves on both sides. Yesterday a huge machine came and it worked for hours by making ear-splitting noise till all the goo was cleaned up. I think the same might happen to stories, too, if they are not taken care of by their author.
I guess that’s why Mom stays hard at work. We wouldn’t want her stories to turn to gooey, slimy, slippery, rotten gunk. Yikes. *gulp*
Love and licks,
C
Wishing you a wonderful and yummy Thanksgiving, Cupcake and mom!
Thanks, K. Same to you.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Your Mom is so lucky to have you around to help her tighten up those words and rework those ideas when the silly publishing people just don’t get it the first time.
Your work is so important Cupcake. You also should sing your heart out….bet you’re a wonderful singer.
(((Shoko)))
[…] revision that she’s been doing for a few weeks, now. Her writing group gave her tons of good suggestions for ways to make her story […]