Novelist Experience Vacation Progress Update

by veilwar

Just thought I’d let all you crazy cats know what’s up. So far, I have:

  • Completed a thorough edit and partial rewrite of chapters 1-8. Thought that might be needed right away (reason: secret) but turned out not to be. Still, it would have needed to be done at some point regardless, so no loss.
  • Completed the rewrite occasioned by Ian’s comment, all the way up to where the changes merge back into the normal flow – round about chapter 14. All those chapters are ready to post.
  • Rewrote half of the bonus story. A-10 pilot Chris “Paco” Croninger has had his adventures moved about 70 miles East, and the new adventures make a lot more sense as a result of the changes. Also, nastier. I’ve  figured out how Paco will figure in the story as it evolves, and it’s going to be fun. For me, not him.
  • Wrote 15,000 new words about Gordon Black and his family escaping from just south of the Veil in Virginia.

Tomorrow, I plan to finish Captain Lewis’ big battle. Exciting stuff, I tell you. Peril! Danger! Magic! M1A1 Abrams! Crunchies! Tonight before bed, I’m rereading everything from Chapter 14 on to get my head back in what’s happening and taking notes. After the battle, only a bit more and then that part of the story is complete. Friday and Saturday, I’m going to write as much as I possibly can back with Gordon. If I can clear 30k words by Saturday evening, I will count myself a happy writerman. Then booze, whippets, and hookers to celebrate.

With a bit of hard work and family-ignoring, I estimate that I can have the whole novel complete as draft manuscript by April-ish. Hard to believe, I started writing this thing only last Fall.