Howards Hughes is a Masochist

[greygirlbeast]

It's not bad enough that the deadlines are presently smothering me, I have now apparently decided to hold my breath as well. Last week I wrote Chapter 7 of Alabaster: Boxcar Tales, and dutifully sent it away to my editors at Dark Horse, and they promptly sent it back to me with notes, some of which led to me makes some very minor tweaks. Ah, so at least that's one thing out of the way! Now, I can get to Chapter Four of Red Deicious! No, no, no. Not so fast! Because...see...Friday night, lying in bed, I realized that I'd used two issues of Alabaster to tell a story that needed three issues to be told well. And I'm tired of allowing deadlines and financial worries to cajole me into doing a good job, instead of doing my best (which is, after all, how I got in this situation with Red Delicious). In fact, I realized that this two-part bit of Boxcar Tales should be fifty percent longer, and much more complex. So...yesterday afternoon, instead of beginning Chapter Four of the novel, I sat down and wrote the first half of the NEW Chapter 7 of Boxcar Tales. Then I emailed my editors and explained, promising them the new script come Monday morning. Which means I'll finish it today. And then I can go back to work on the novel tomorrow. The original Chapter 7 becomes Chapter 8, with virtually no changes. It's as if the middle must have been there in my head all along, hiding somewhere, so perfectly does it fit, requiring no rewrite to accommodate it.

Oh, I've also finally - as of last night - figured out the broad strokes for the third (and final) Siobhan Quinn novel - which is not even remotely what I said it would be when I sold the series to Penguin in 2012.

Last night, we finished Season Two of Game of Thrones. I'm very much in love with this series, and I weep for Tyrion Lannister, and I cheer on Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons.

Try Again,
Aunt Beast