(Which was Chapter 10 until I realized during my critique group meeting last week that I had, once again, misnumbered my chapters, since I took Chapter 6 out completely.)
(I was commenting on one of the other members’ use of fun little news clippings at the beginning of each chapter and how I’d like to do something fun at the beginning of mine, but I had trouble even numbering them correctly. And then I realized I had, indeed, not numbered them correctly–though, to be fair, it was only Chapter 9 that was misnumbered. So far.)
(We all have strengths and this is not one of mine.)
The critique marathon ended at the end of August, so I’ve been working on Chapter 9 since then, and it is STILL NOT DONE.
I was doing a chapter a week all summer–sometimes with MAJOR rewrites–and I can’t manage a chapter in a month? What the hell.
Now, to be fair, Chapter 9 is longer than the other chapters. Somehow, over the many many revisions, Chapters 1-8 have all streamlined to be about 3-3.5K. Some sort of weird magic. Chapter 9 is probably at least 5K, if not 6K. So it’s like two chapters! But not really.
(I did have the thought that perhaps I should break it up, but there’s no clear place and then it messes with my viewpoint rotation which I JUST FIXED so…)
It’s also right at the act change so that probably makes sense.
But it feels like I’ve been working on it forever. The chapter that never ends, it just goes on and on, my friends…
I’ve counted the pages on my paper copy and it’s 18 pages long (double-spaced). The other chapters were more in the 11-13 page range, so it is definitely longer and not just my imagination. I’ve done 12 of those pages thus far and so have 6 left, though the last page is just a paragraph.
But I have got to pick up the pace. Holy crap. A chapter a month! This revision will never get finished.
(Also, I’m through Chapter 8 with my in-person critique group so I will need 9 and 10 done by about the 15th so I can send them out. But maybe the deadline will help?)
To also be fair, September was kind of a nightmare on several fronts. The bigger, mobile one’s best friend’s mom asked about doing a playdate, and I literally could not find a single day ALL MONTH where he was available. October is already better (and also I should text her) just in terms of not having SO MUCH on the calendar, plus most of the house stuff related to the flood and the tornado is in the final stages. The flooring goes into the basement on Friday and the last of the damaged trees was removed on Saturday (God, my poor trees), so then it’s just putting the bathroom back together (caulking the shower, putting the toilet back, installing new sinks) and putting the furniture back, and we’ve got to pick out new trees and get them planted, but the hard stuff is mostly behind us.
Fingers crossed. Also no more natural disasters this year THANK YOU PLEASE even though they’re forecasting some sort of massive weather event this winter due to El Niño.
(Although since the tornado destroyed all my big trees I guess I don’t have to worry about snow taking off any major branches. Yay.)
Anyway. Wish me luck on FINALLY getting through this chapter. And I’ll see you later this week! AND HAPPY OCTOBER, best month of the year, woot woot.
