Long Time, No Life

Hi there,

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, and to anyone reading this, I apologize. I've been very caught up in the rewriting of Farro's last couple chapters. Additionally, I've begun studying for a test I have to take for my grad school applications. Additionally, additionally, I've been working extra hours at work while a new server is being installed. My anniversary is this month, both my little siblings' birthdays, and well, Farro is alway a pressing chore. It weighs down on me day in and day out, reminding me, "Arreana, look at me. Arreana, work on me."

And Thursday I worked on it all day, and I finished two chapters (approx. 10,000 words). Friday I took the day off thinking, "I did twice as much yesterday, so I deserve it." Today, Saturday, I'm frantically working to extinguish the guilt my day off has occasioned me. I'm plotting the last two chapters (Yes, I'm down to only the two), because so much has changed in the rewriting to render the original ending completely obsolete.

I've changed so much these last couple months; I've added scenes, extended scenes, cut scenes, softened characters, hardened characters, etc. I've even added a character. I'm gone through and refined my underlying themes and my characters' underlying phobias and traumas. I've coaxed from my main character, Khensa, affection and sorrow, and I've fought tooth and nail to bring out Bomani's anti-social awkwardness. It's been an adventure, but even after the rewrite my to-do list is three typed pages long. Most of my problems are formating issues -- things I need to correct so they're uniform throughout the entire novel -- others are more tedious: plot tweaks, repetitious word removal (ugh, my least favorite), fact checks, etc.

Now I'm just further stressing myself.

I'm going to try to end this post on a positive note. I'm going to address those things I feel confident about; the common problems authors face that I feel I can currently mark as 'done':

1. Pacing - my scene extensions have added depth where it was needed, my careful cuts have removed the fatty lag.
2. Dialogue - I've removed redundancies and shortened the length of most conversations. They flow well and connect better with the story.
3. Overarching plot - when I approached this rewrite I knew I had some huge plot-related issues to fix, those have been dealt with. I now feel that from beginning to end Farro adheres nicely to its story.
4. Characters - if there is one thing to take away from my readers' responses and my own personal feelings, it's my characters are exactly where I want them. They are likable and flawed and have overhanging histories and quirks that propel the plot. They ARE the plot. If I'm proud of anything, its my characters.

But enough horn-tooting. I have work to do!

Love,

Arreana