Day Ten
Basically, yesterday I was rewriting chapter 4 from the ground up, and swearing because I really need to do some on-site research for certain details (Google Maps only goes so far, even now), and I stupidly set one particular important element somewhere I haven’t spent a lot of time and…argh.
When I’m writing a real place, I much prefer to have had leather-time put in, to get the details right (and before anyone gets the wrong idea, leather-time = walking the site, not anything particularly kinky). Place is so damned important; you can fudge on specific, changeable details, but not the feel of a place, especially when it’s a culture not-your-own.
Fortunately, portions of my own neighborhood have similarities to this location (ex: steep stairs cut into hills), and I have been to that country a number of times already, so I can shift my own experiences to a certain extent. And a late night walking alone and realizing that you’re being followed… well, that sensation is universal….
Meanwhile, there are sections where I had something happen and now I’m realizing that I’ve taken a leap over some other things that need to happen first. Which, y’know, first drafts, the brain gets antsy and does that. But it also reassures me that this isn’t going to be an 80,000 word book, oh no… And because of that, I’m ok with the pace I’m taking. Slow, steady, and not-in-any-damned-rush, this time.
Day Eleven:
Chapter five. The trembling precipice before my two POV character meet collide. I have a better idea of what drives them, now that I’ve revisted their every step, every inclination and obsession.
The last chapter to revise, before I get into the All New Words.
Manuscript currently stands at 35,000 words. Guestimated final length: 125,000 words.