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In Process -- Jan 2014



First Draft


“Limering”. Now around 30,000 words. Not sure where it’s going. I mean, I know the story, but the worldbuilding is weak. This has happened before, so I’m not worried. Clearly the second draft is where the magic happens. 

Editing


“Wind/Water/Salt”. Read the whole damn thing with pen in hand. This actually went better than I expected, once I got a plan together. About 11 days from the end of the month I realized I was averaging one chapter per day, and that wasn’t going to cut it, with 47 chapters. So, I made a schedule – realistic, with days I could read a lot, and other days I could read just a little.
Getting through it meant I could throw out the handwritten stuff. I deleted the really repetitive bits I mentioned last month and used up some notes I’d made whilst typing. As usual I found myself trying to move more and more things forward in the story, and revised chapter 1. Then I switched chapter 2 and chapter 1, and now I think I have a start at a good opening, at least. It still needs a lot of work. A good goal for February might be to revise chapters 1-4 completely.
I’ve reached an interesting point with my writing where friends and family have been hearing about it so long with so little progress that they have lost interest. Well, except for the boy. He asks occasionally, usually when we’re in the car. Maybe it’s just to make conversation.
 

Knitting

Hella Fair isle dress in Kauni. The ruffle is blocking now, and I’ve done the armhole edging and I’ve started the neck (which needed redesigning) so all that’s left is blocking the body and then sewing on the ruffle.
“Kaffeklatsch” (self-designed).  Didn’t get far.
“Ribbon Chase” (self-designed). Started a sleeve as a whim, a sweater based on the same principles as the carousel socks. On the 21st I lost this project in the parking lot of the school where my band practices. I even went back looking for it! But I didn’t find it. I checked online to see if the yarn was still available, but I didn’t order it yet, just in case. Mostly I didn’t want to have to start again. And it did turn up! When I got to band on the 28th my ball of yarn with a third of a sleeve was sitting on my chair! Oh joy! Oh bliss! So now I’m renaming this project “St. Anthony’s Ribbon”. He’s the patron saint of lost things.
“Ceremonial Armour”. Ignored.
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