Hild is progressing nicely.
The first draft started at 976 pages. About 40% of the way through the rewrite I'd lost 54 pages.
But now 58% of the way through and have lost only 44 pages. You lose some, you gain some.
When I delete scenes (and characters, and plot lines, and places) I get a pang. But it's also satisfying to lose the false trails I'd wandered down while trying to find my way into the heart of the book. Characters and plot arcs are firming up. It's like watching Luke's X-wing rise from the swamp. (Ooof, need to find a seventh-century metaphor...)
If I have time in the next few days and if you all promise to be very, very good, I'll see if I can find a couple of pages I won't be able to use in the final version to post here. Sometime in the next few days. Maybe. If you're good.
Meanwhile, Kelley's latest piece for the Clarion West Write-a-Thon is up:
Jet poked me hard in the shoulder. “That fucking hurts,” I said.
“No swearing on the bus,” the driver said automatically, without even looking in the mirror.
Jet said, “What’s wrong, Cassie? You look like your cat died.”
“I don’t have a cat.”
“I know, that’s why it’s okay to say it. If you really had a cat, it would be completely insensitive.”
I went back to staring out the school bus window.
“So what is it?” she said. “You look like your pony died.” [more]
You can read all of them so far here. If you like them, consider sponsoring her.
