Phoenix Living

I think I’m in love with my story all over again. Finishing Chapter 5 seems to have really unlocked the current novel rut. This is the craziest cast of characters I’ve yet invented, and I adore nearly all of them.

I want to be done with the draft RIGHT NOW so I can fix it and make it lovely. I hope that antsiness translates into, you know, finishing the draft. Now now now. Soon.

I have just finished chapter 5, after writing 15 pages in three days (it’s a short chapter, but a more action-packed one–I even managed to finally introduce two more of my antagonist factions, something I’ve been avoiding as long as I could). I have at least a few of chapter 6’s scenes plotted, enough to not get stuck not-writing while I think up the rest of the next chapter.

I’ve also, over the course of attempting to avoid direct work on the story the past few days, got most of the way through inventing yet another member of the ensemble cast of characters, and came up with two great marketing ideas for promoting the novel when the time comes. I’ll need to start finding my artist now, though, since I expect we’ll need as much time as possible to get it right. Plus I helped my housemate Kit critique his latest short story. I know, I’m a terrible catwaxer, I’m far too productive. I’m willing to accept this. And I found the intro to another story I’ve had the idea growing for, and figured out what flavor of story these other characters need and what I need to research to do it, and, and, and. . .yeah, let the brain do what it wants to and it just doesn’t shut up. Not even in sleep!

I hope to remember to post about my latest shift regarding feelings and attitudes toward the first draft I’m working on and its anticipated revision stages. But for now, speaking of sleep, I think I hear a bed calling. . .