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In process -- March 2012

First Draft

“Fairfax”. I’m on Chapter 28 now, with something above 70,000 words. A couple of days ago one of my friends asked me what it’s about, and my elevator pitch absolutely failed me! It wasn’t there! So I should work on that, I guess.

“Lucky Kate”. Short story, just a pile of notes right now. I get to write this when I have an actual main character, rather than just a situation, and once I do Draft 4 of Chickpea (Done, why doesn't this place have a strike-through?), a final draft of Apophis, and get XTree on OWW. Totally doable, right?

Editing

“XTree”. (short story) Started the month part way through the third draft. Finished that... Next I want to get it on OWW.

“Chickpea”. (short story) On March 12, I went through my piles and files until I found the current draft of this story. At first, I couldn’t believe what I’d found was the current draft, because it’s not at all close to the version in my head. After a couple of pages, I set it aside and filed for two hours. Ed asked me what I was doing, and I got to explain about “waxing the cat”. But the filing was productive, in that now I have better files (!) and found the comments to Apophis, so I can go back to that and maybe do a last draft and ship it out, and also, I realized that what is missing is backstory. I have this great main character, Savannah, and a great situation for her, and I know where she’s going, but I have no idea how she got there.

So on Friday night Ed and I were driving around and was lamenting the fact that I get stuck editing, and he suggested I try a “scene commander” approach. So I did that, and on March 26, I managed to get a fourth draft of this story, and I know how it ends, even though I have to rewrite that ending so it has some flesh. Turns out the ending I’d written was actually completely wrong and backwards. Amazing.


Being reviewed


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Knitting


“Joy” from Rowan Vintage Knits. All the knitting is done. I’ve even bought buttons! Now it just needs to be put together.


“Bome” fair isle. Sleeves done.

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