Much as I hated to, I skipped the Austin SCBWI meeting today so I could work on my revisions instead. I talked with my editor yesterday, and she said, “You’re in the hardest part right now.” I know what she means. There’s so much I want to squeeze into the text of this picture book, and so much I have to leave out, and it’s making me a wee bit panicky to know that time is running out to get it right.

An example of what I have to leave out: Joe Switzer was engaged to be married, but then his fiancee decided to marry the minister instead. Delicious, but totally irrelevant to the creation of Day-Glo, so it’s out. For other terrific bits, it’s not going to be so clear cut.

Then there’s the science. There’s quite a bit to cover for a picture book that’s also biography and history and a tale of two brothers, and I’m having trouble boiling some of it down to a clear, accurate, quick presentation that doesn’t bog down the narrative. But I’m getting closer, and however close I get tomorrow, I’ll be sending a new draft to my editor first thing Monday morning.