When I sold the texts of my next two picture books– first Wind, then World — I presumed they’d come out in that order. But instead, it was decided that World would leapfrog Wind.

It was the right decision for a zillion and two reasons, but I have to admit to feeling just the teensiest bit worried about Wind. I didn’t want it to get lost or forgotten or shown up by its younger sibling.

Well.
Never fear.
I’m resting easy over here.

Now that All the World (its real, full, honest-to-goodness name) has been wrapped up and put to bed (for a long winter’s nap before springing to its feet next summer), my beloved illustrator has started work on Wind, and I suddenly have utter faith that it’ll become its own beautiful book.

But the only way that’s gonna happen is if I go back to work on it, too.
We hadn’t finished revisions of this text when our focus shifted to All the World almost exactly a year ago.
So, poor Wind was left sort of one-legged and limping in mid-draft limbo all these many months.
Now that’s changed.

About a week ago I started re-reading old versions (and you’d be horrified to know how many were available to me to read).
I highlighted old phrases I liked and I highlighted new phrases I didn’t like.
I re-read again.

Then, yesterday, I went at it in earnest.

I replaced every article and preposition with other articles and prepositions…
I hand-counted the words in two other picture books…
I added a bunch of stuff…
I cut a bunch of stuff — different stuff than I’d added…
I read it aloud again and again…

In the middle of it all, I took a 1/2 hour nap out of either exhaustion or despair or exhilaration —
it’s rather surreal how similarly those emotions play out in your body.

And in the end, what had been a picture book of 309 words was a picture book of 308 words.

You guys — seriously.

One freakin’ word.

Again with the exhaustion/despair/exhilaration.

I was almost afraid to look at it this morning, but now I have.
And I think it really is a different beast in the same size sweater.
I really do.
The hours were not wasted, I’m pretty sure.

I won’t go so far as to call it "done", though.
I revised the 194 words of All the World for three months.
Can you believe that? I’m sure there are men in white coats who’d come to get me if that got out, so don’t repeat it.

But, in keeping true to myself, I think I’d better admit that Wind will be whipped around a bit more before it’s quite right.
In the meantime, though, at least it’s moving.
Which is, dare I say it, exhilarating.