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(GRUMP: just erased the whole post I was about to send. My right little finger hit *something* (I wasn’t looking at it, so don’t know) and it all disappeared. So this is not the post you would’ve had but the post’s general gist as I remember it after that moment of shock, useless attempts at recovery, and then writing a GRUMP.)
This week has been about reorganizing the POV sections into chronological order and writing connections when the lack of them became apparent. I’ve also been noting places were cuts could be made later, to accommodate the additional material that will bring the book to the conclusion I’m trying to achieve…for which I need a LOT more room. Right now the book’s just under 163,000 words, but it changes daily up and down as this is trimmed slightly and that is added for connectivity and this other bit now turns out to be wrong, and here I’ve added a chunk…etc. There’s a lot of front-loading in this book, so anything trimmed there has to be carefully done so the plot-threads can run smoothly on, without fraying to nothing later.
This is fairly slow work. I hoped to do it faster, but of course the week had other complications–life intrudes, and a good thing, too. Tomorrow we start rehearsals for the Duruflé Requiem (performance first week of November) and that will slow me down more. Among other things, all the women (yes, including altos) are going to have to sing the written-for-solo-soprano “Pie Jesu” which has a high (for any alto) F#. (This is not the famous “Pie Jesu” everyone’s heard.) The intermittent voice lessons of the past year have opened up some of my higher range (proving that I’m not a true contralto–I really am a mezzo) but the gap since my coach went on vacation in summer and then Stuff Happened in his family has led to backsliding. So I’m starting voice lessons again next week.
The Duruflé has another disadvantage–I will need to listen to the good recording I have at least once a day as I work on the music, but I can’t write to it. Like some other pieces, it just does not synch with my writer-mind. (Bruckner, for instance, who wrote some gorgeous stuff but it stops my writer-mind dead in its tracks.)
I had hoped to be past this point before now, but…not. So, I’m going to be spending even less time online, but not less time working on the book…music will eat up some of the online time and more time on the book will eat up the rest. I’ll be here at least twice a week (unless something happens) but hope you’ll be patient with me. The book will get done.
Both Arvid and Stammel have POV sections in Book III, by the way, for those of you who are looking forward to seeing those characters again.
Comment by Kip Colegrove — October 8, 2010 @ 4:45 pm
Arvid and Stammel couldn’t be more different, but they delight me immensely in their individual ways. The one thing theys seem to share is competence at what they do…though life surprises even the competent and experienced.
By all means sing, write and trust us to know that taking care of such things takes care of your fans.
Comment by Diana — October 8, 2010 @ 4:45 pm
Yep, have done that too and chuckled when you described the aftershock, right on target! Glad to know Stammel is in future book, he’s a favorite. Good luck with the massive amount of work you are doing!
Comment by Nicole — October 8, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
It’s good to know more on Stammel is coming. He’s one of those supporting roles which help the main characters flourish. After the shock in ‘Oath..’, there’s definitely more to tell. Good luck with singing, writing, etc. We’ll be here.
Comment by FrancisT — October 9, 2010 @ 10:55 am
Always glad to hear a progress report. Many thanks for doing it even though you had to do it twice.
You probably know this but for future reference: depending on the browser and exactly how you are posting things, a right click may bring up a menu with an “undo” option. The trick for the most part is to do this immediately instead of something else first.
Sometimes the back button on the browser works but it’s better to try undo before you try going back a page.
Comment by Rachel — October 10, 2010 @ 4:38 pm
This is kind of random, but…I don’t know if you heard about Cybermage putting together a list of the formidable female protagonists in SF, but several of your characters made the cut. A final summary went up recently and I thought you might like to see how others perceive some of your characters http://www.cybermage.se/formidable-female-protagonists-in-science-fiction-afterword/. I LOVE that Ofelia is the top of her list 🙂
Comment by elizabeth — October 10, 2010 @ 4:40 pm
Francis: I tried the “undo” button immediately, but it didn’t work. That was the moment of internal “NO!!!!”
Rachel: How very cool!
All: Thanks for your patience & support.
Comment by Tina B — October 10, 2010 @ 9:40 pm
Music is for chopping vegetables and working on soup parts. It might even be for collecting trash and making things straight.
Comment by elizabeth — October 11, 2010 @ 7:26 am
Ordinarily, yes–I do use music as background sometimes (and often for writing.) But when I have a performance coming up, music is for working on. This may not be true of all singers, but I must be able to hear the entire sequence in my head, and know every note and marking on the score.
Comment by Ray — October 12, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
I tend to write long posts in notepad and then copy/paste into the web browser. Less likely to lose a good bit of writing to “glitches” and accidents.
Comment by Rolv — October 13, 2010 @ 4:17 am
Ah, the Durufle “Requiem” – it’s heavenly! Of course you can’t work while listening to it, it’s far too beautiful, demanding full attention. Clearly inspired by Faure, but even more expressive, and with a flavour of antiquity. The “Pie Jesu”, as the rest, is in a FAR diffenrent class than the Lloyd Webber one (I assume that was the one you hinted to).
I’ve sung it once (tenor, plus supporting the bass parts) and would like to have the “In Paradiso”-part sung in my funeral when that time comes; only that, sadly, I may not be able to enjoy it … Maybe, if I win big in “Lotto”, I could take the trip over the Atlantic to come and listen? 🙂
Arvid and Stammel POV’s! What a treat! I like reading Wheel of Time, too, but there the persons often get into trouble through sheer incompetence, especially due to not communicating. It’s good to read about competent – although far from infallible – people dealing with serious problems.
Comment by Kristen B. — October 18, 2010 @ 6:30 am
Can you “punch” the F#? I always found that my higher range was more possible at a fuller volume, but softly was almost impossible. Yes, practice and lessons helped with control, but lots of air under those high notes made them *much* easier.
Comment by elizabeth — October 18, 2010 @ 3:02 pm
That’s what I did last time. This time I want to be prepared and sing it *properly*. My voice coach has had me higher than that…but it’s going to take both practice and believing I can do it.