I heard from Carol, not my wife, but a friend and writing mentor of mine who lives in Washington, DC. Carol has been editing my newest manuscript, Earning Freedom, and the suggestions she is making will help me strengthen the work. I value her outside perspective.

The reason Carol’s comments matter so much to me is that she doesn’t sugar-coat or spare my feelings. If the writing or content lacks vigor, she tells me, offering suggestions and encouraging me to try again. When Carol tells me the work is good and that she likes it, she boosts my confidence, especially since I know her constructive comments will help me improve the manuscript.

While Carol works on her edit, the acquisition editors in New York are evaluating the current version of the manuscript for St. Martin’s Press. One of the editors sent a message to my agent, so I know the manuscript is under review and I’ll receive news soon, perhaps before Thanksgiving. I’m at ease, not feeling pressure for news because this book doesn’t need to come out until I’m home. I’m confident that I’ll find a publisher that wants to partner with me in telling this story. For now, though, I wait in limbo. Carol will finish her edit before the end of November, and in December I’ll resume work to incorporate her suggestions.

This morning I ran 10 miles and followed the run with 350 pushups. My running tally is now 2,934 miles over the past 329 consecutive days.

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