I wrote six more chapters through Chapter 31. Word Count: 37,596
I’m about halfway done. Every chapter is a challenge. I can’t believe I completed four previous drafts and each time thought I might be done. There’s so much more here, but I’m mining for it with a pickax and a shovel. Discovering new things as I go along. So fun.
Twenty-five chapters; 30,783 words.
Twenty chapters, 24,997 words
Reasons to live:
Season #2 of Warrior
New season of Billions
Deadwood, the movie
Deadwood, the series
Into the Badlands (Hello darkness, my old friend)
Seventeen chapters; 21,579 words
My friend calls it “the neverending story.” I guess. As long as I believe I can make it better, I’m going to keep working on it.
Let’s hope the fifth draft is pretty close to being finished.
Twelve chapters in to the fifth draft; Word count: 16,206.
Pulling this draft out of the bones of the fourth draft. Tell me I’m not rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Tell me the book is teaching me how to write it. Tell me all my guidelines and admonitions are moving me in the right direction and that I’m not shilly-shallying back and forth endlessly to no avail. Time will tell. Time as Occam’s Razor.
Finished Chapters 6 and 7; Word Count 9,507
Put me in a scene. Something happens to move the story forward. New information, a character realizes something, a character makes a bold choice. Let the scene unfold as if it’s happening before the reader’s eyes (straight out of Aristotle).
Finished Chapters Four and Five; Word count: 6,458
Chapter Four was a deep dive, completely reconstructed along new lines. Chapter Five survived almost intact. Only 70 chapters to go.
Got Chapter Three. Word count: 4,095
Pete Buttigieg! Tiger Woods! Hope for the human race!
Finished the fourth draft and started the fifth draft.
Chapters One and Two; Word Count: 2,774
Had the flu which turned into a viral infection which turned into Pneumonia. Down for a month. Back to work. High hopes for Draft #5.
C’est fini. Ca va.
I finished the fourth draft. Chapters 73, 74, and 75. Word count: 56,604.
Interrupted by a lengthy delay caused by flu which turned into a viral infection which turned into pneumonia from which I am recovering but not completely 100%.
Nevertheless, I finished the fourth draft.
Needs a lot of work.
Onward.
Eclectic Magpie 