Paksworld

For the alpha readers…a comment below the cut.  For the rest of you, spoiler below the cut.

I’m still 2000 words over my own self-imposed limit–2206, to be precise–but almost-nearly-everything is done.  The giant awful chapter has been neatly split up into logical chapter-like units (it’s not just the size, it’s the structural integrity) and looking at one comment of Agent’s….no, there’s a reason someone expresses sadness at someone else’s death repeatedly.    It would be unrealistic for that character not to be reminded and have it cross his awareness.  Editor will have to weigh in for me to change it.

So…spoilerishness.    The conversation between Arian and Dorrin has been completely redone…attitude shifts and all.   Some of you alpha readers commented on it and I had worked on it before, but with the other changes Agent asked for and got,  those patches looked pretty much like duct tape holding bronze pieces together.   Badly.  And the bronze pieces didn’t look that good either.  Back into the whole creative process it went, and now I think is a much sleeker, more coherent, encounter.    (Yeah, yeah, some of you don’t know who Arian is yet.  You will soon.)

There’s a lot more from various viewpoints about the doings of the elves–including the Lady–including reaction, speculation, concern, etc.

There are now…gulp…thirty-nine chapters.   866 manuscript pages.  172,206 words at this exact moment, though I’m planning more snippage tonight.   I do use slightly wider margins than some writers.

Right now, though, I’m going to eat supper.  (Skipped lunch except for some crackers and dry cereal eaten at the desk.  Safe food.)