2/27/2025. Finally! time to write about what’s shaking with my novel. Why have I not been faithfully putting down my writerly exploits? I’ve been fussing with this website. For days. For hours.

It finally all came to a head last Monday night. I could not sleep, so I got back out of bed and, around 11:30 p.m., I began working on solutions to two problems. 1) I could not email my own website (and no one else could either), and 2) my subscribe button was dead. However, NameCheap, my provider, came through. I was put in contact with Vladyslav Z., a man of infinite patience. Together, we fixed it all. It took until 4:45 am, but it’s all working now.

Whew!

Hey! Please subscribe, why don’t ya? Look at the bottom of this page to do so.

So, where am I at with RIVERS RISE? I just finished revising the first three chapters. I’m feeling pleased with what I have. People can make sense of it now. The first three chapters move logically and with causality. I’m improving the flow by removing extraneous words and phrases.

My goal is to continue how I’ve been revising until I finish draft #2 of the first act. Roughly 57 pages. Yesterday I made the decision to stop revising on printed pages, and to revise as I read it on the computer. Part of me feels like revising on the page is more thorough, but, frankly, I do not have the time to ponder changes, then take those changes off the page and insert them in the Word doc. However, I will go back over Act I, once I finish my 2nd draft changes, at least a few times. Until I feel settled with it.

I can’t express how exciting doing this revision work makes me feel. I feel like I’m removing road blocks, some massive, to the story I’m telling. It’s like setting free the story of Kelsey’s senior year. I enjoy revising anything (this weekend I’ll revise one of my student’s stories), but I’ve been battling this story for 3 years now. And I believe I’m winning.

I’m happy with the characterization of Kelsey and Mr. Murray (the principal), but I’m ecstatic about Tyne Montour’s characterization. She is fully developed, and a surprise at every turn. This petite Asian junior in high school is a fireball!

I want to do a diary entry about exactly what is getting cut. Hope to get to that this weekend.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

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