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A mad rush
In a mad rush that’s left me exhausted, I spent the last 3.5 hours inputing all the handwritten changes I made to my 610 page novel in the readthrough I finished last night. Yes, of all my readthroughs so far, this one had the fewest changes (progress!), but it was still a lot to get through.
When I edit, I read my work out loud. I catch a lot more errors but it takes a lot longer. My goal for this weekend is to read the whole novel (silently) to get a better idea of flow than I did reading a handful of chapters in evenings spread across many weeks.
Here’s a question I’ve had for myself for a while regarding a chapter in my novel, one I think must sound worse in probably every other context:
Is this person necessary?
Yes, that’s literally a typed note about a character. A character that clearly may not survive the writing process.
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Finished my current readthrough!
I didn’t plan to finish this round of novel editing tonight but once I got started, I was pulled in. Chapters 16, 17, the looong 18, and the Epilogue, done! Feeling really optimistic about the novel right now, like I can fix it and have it be what I want.
I think it’s been years since I wrote this line and I’ve loved it enough to wish it made sense as a name for the whole novel (it doesn’t). It may be my single favorite line in all 610 pages:
The bathroom light is a lie.
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Some strange and alarming things
I edited Chapters 14 and 15. 15’s a long and pivotal one. Might be better split into two shorter chapters. A thing (there are many things) with writing a novel or any extended work is that readthroughs take a long time. At 610 printed pages, mine seems to take ages.
I’m drained from absorbing Chapter 15. Maybe there won’t be a creative blurb today, just my excitement that tomorrow I’m starting on page 566. Out of 610. Almost done with this round of editing!
Also, as a writer you Google some strange and alarming things.
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Maybe lured me from my home
I just finished editing Chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13 of Part Three. As much as some things need to be cut out, other scenes need to be fleshed out. Some of these scenes read very much like skeletons – containing the minimum to get through the events. Like glorified outlines.
Here’s a paragraph from Chapter 12:
It is frightening how easy it is for Chosen to kill, that it can happen without intention. Did the man deserve to be stopped? Undoubtedly. But permanently? I don’t know anything about him, except he attacked me. Maybe lured me from my home. I didn’t provoke him, didn’t threaten him, didn’t know he was there. I’m different and he attacked me for it. But he’s dead and I can’t hate him.
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It’s slightly problematic that we’re identical
Back to novel editing! I must have written Chapter 9 quickly because there were a lot of typos. I’m getting there though. Only about 100 pages left in this readthrough!
My cat didn’t help.
In other news, my thyroid function has been all over the place. My endocrinologist says to eat healthy, meditate to manage stress, and have my bloodwork run again in 8 weeks. She doesn’t recommend medicating while it’s fluctuating. It’s starting to feel like I’ll be getting my thyroid tested every two months for the rest of my life. Yes, I’m being dramatic.
For the Unheired Prince:
“We can’t both ride in there. It’s slightly problematic that we’re identical and you don’t have a twin.”
The prince can’t dispute this.
“I’ll go in through the secret passage.”
“All right,” he agrees.
I don’t understand why he sounds so reluctant.
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The perception of his indestructibility
I’m home from my Thanksgiving visit with my brother and niece, Mari. I’ve prepped all my thyroid test results for my appointment with an endocrinologist tomorrow. I’ll be interested in hearing what she thinks my thyroid is doing.
Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to getting back to my novel (and to watching this week’s new episode of the Charmed reboot).
For the Unheired Prince:
We argue about it for a long time. In interrupted sessions at first, because when he tries to get to his feet it becomes evident he didn’t escape his headfirst fall uninjured. He struggles to stand, then settles for sitting so we can assess how badly he’s hurt. Between the probing spells, and then the healing spells, we go back and forth. He’s unrelenting.
Making the two mile hike to where I camped last night gives us enough time to realize there’s nothing I can say to stop him. So, instead, we shift to planning his return. His head advisor will need to know about the switch, but no one else. That leaves managing the perception of his indestructibility, hunting for anyone else involved in his kidnapping, and rescheduling the coronation. And, of course, eliminating me.
My cat Ianta literally interrupted my writing the above two paragraphs at least five times.
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The war is over
Another fun day spent with my family. Mari got me into a new TV show (Riverdale) and, of course, there’s been more laughter. Tomorrow we’re decorating the Christmas tree.
For the Unheired Prince:
“We need to determine if there’s a larger plot against your life.”
“I need to go home.”
“…back to the safehouse?”
“No. Back to the palace. It’s time for me to lead my people from something other than the shadows.”
“Your father gave his life to keep you safe. If you go back while there’s a plot against you, then…” I stop myself from saying the king’s sacrifice would be in vain, because it’s not quite true. The situations aren’t the same. The war is over.
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The safehouse was breached
Mari makes me laugh. A lot. It’s good to laugh a lot.
I’m enjoying my extended weekend with my brother and niece. Good company, good food, and good conversation. Here’s to more of that tomorrow!
For the Unheired Prince:
“What do you mean?”
“Our link went cold and there wasn’t any warning.”
“I didn’t have warning either. No alarms that the safehouse was breached, or that I wasn’t alone. I don’t know how they found me.”
“Or if they were working alone?”
“No.”
“That’s…problematic.”
“To say the least.”
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My wonderful niece Mari
Happy Thanksgiving!
I do wish this holiday would be moved and disassociated with the pilgrims and Native Americans sitting down to share a meal given the eventual near genocide of Native Americans. I completely support a day that encourages everyone to be grateful for all the good things in their lives, but we could have it at some other point.
Okay, rant done. I’m hanging out with my wonderful niece Mari so this Unheired Prince blurb will be very short (of course, most of them are short).
“What…happened?” the prince asks when he can speak.
“I was hoping you could tell me.”
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But at least he’s not dead
I’m packed and ready to go! Except for the food and other items I can’t pack until tomorrow morning. Planning to get up at the same time that I do for work so that I can leave at/by 8:00am. We’ll see how that goes.
For the Unheired Prince:
The thing I didn’t think about, and really should have, is what would happen to the prince once his captors were taken care of. Naturally, the spell that suspends him upside down is tied to them, and when they’re gone, it ends. So he falls. Headfirst.
Fortunately, he is rather more prepared for this eventuality and manages to extend his arms, tuck his head, and somehow roll with the landing. The grass below him also helps. He ends up on his back, swearing, but at least he’s not dead.
