dr_pretentious | Returning To The Project Dropped In Favor Of Child Number Two

Yesterday I finished the novella I had abandoned when my first child was born. “Jodnei’s Revenge, Lizard Rock, Call It What You Will” is spun off from the Big Book, with battles at sea, mysterious blood magic, dynastic intrigue, clever captives, and an earnestly heroic hero who wishes he could force himself to be more devious.

Today I printed out everything I had of the novella I was just starting when I went into labor with my second child. I brought the manuscript of that one in my hospital bag, too, but Conrad’s birth turned out to be uncommonly hazardous for both parties, and I don’t remember getting any work done while we recovered.

In memory, the manuscript was a tiny scrap of a draft, maybe five pages of dialogue with a few bullet points about eventual direction. Instead, it turns out I had nearly four times that much material, with a fully sketched out plot structure. Hooray for the me of August 2010.

Rugosa Book Two, here we come.

Sebastian’s story has 4,000 words down, with a projected 20,000 words or so to go. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have this one finished before November, in time for Nanowrimo?