I'm trying to write more in this old journal of mine, but some days there's just not that much to report, even if I am back on the writing bandwagon. Ever since some changes occurred at my day job (more on that later, maybe today if I have time), I've been able to start thinking about writing again. But I know people don't really want to read journal entries about word counts and what scene I tweaked or rewrote today.

At least, I should say, I wouldn't want to read those, day after day.

So I'm trying to be more creative with my journal entries, even if part of me balks at this (What? Use my creative juices for journals? I don't have enough to spare! What if I run out?). But I think if I put more energy into these journal entries, I'll enjoy writing them more, and just like any other activity, I'll get better at them, and the entries will flow better. And I'll feel like I'm actually saying something.

That said, I've been thinking about the Perfect Reader lately as I do a final polish on my two novels.

I think a lot of writers have a Perfect Reader in mind as they're writing. For me, when I'm writing a draft, that reader is ME -- I'm telling myself a story and trying to keep myself entertained (I often have the attention span of a fruit fly when I'm reading) and guessing What Happens Next?

But when I'm revising, and especially this final stage of polishing and tweaking, I start thinking about what my Perfect Reader would think of the book. My Perfect Reader is a lot like a friend and former co-worker of mine. Let's call him JB (because, like, those are his initials).

JB is one of those super-smart guys who seem to truly "get" it. He's a techie guy, but he's also got a sharp mind and a great memory for books and movies. I don't think he's a big reader of SF and fantasy, but then again, neither am I.

I think JB would be a Perfect Reader for my baseball book, and so I've been revising the book with him in mind. I'll probably never share the book with him, but I envision him really enjoying it, and I try to ward off his potential questions and complaints by addressing them in the manuscript. I don't want to look like a fool to JB.

And so, with that in mind, I finished up a final polish to the baseball book, and I truly believe there's nothing more I can do to improve it. I'm sure a potential agent would have suggestions, of course, so I sent those chapters out to ten different agents this week (well, to about half of them, since some only wanted a cover letter and synopsis, or in some cases just one chapter). We'll see what happens.

Now I just need to continue that polishing through the rest of the book to make sure ol' JB would dig it. And I've already started peeking at the opening to Sixteen Miles, and I'm not sure I have the Perfect Reader picked out for that one... I have some work to do, I know. Later!