Welcome to my perfumed garden

Despite the dubious attractions of LJ today (OMG! people!!! I feel like my hair is on fire! *G*) I think I finally managed to sort out my chapters, of which there are currently 42, but I expect to be adding to that over the next few weeks.

It's taken days. It's been like climbing the north face of the Eiger in eight inch heels and a leather thong.

I've been writing this book in an unusual way. It's written in 1st person but the protagonist has a multitude of friends who are all important to the plot so to be sure the characterisation was as good as I could get it, I've been writing it one character at a time - writing all the chapters about one character before moving to the next. It worked extremely well in so far as I think I really got to know each figure inside out. The main problem has since been fitting the damn jigsaw together to make a coherent plot. This has been - troublesome. :o)

I won't really know for sure till I start to read it through - there's a lot more writing still to do,a lot of fleshing-out and side-trips still to do, but I'm pretty sure I have the flesh and the bones, hopefully all it needs now is a touch of lippy and a nice frock. I hope.

A cup of tea calls...

It is, isn't it? 

I woke just after 3am, fought it till 4 then got up. Since then, there has been much coffee, a shopping trip (just realised forgot to check out the blueberry bushes I was going to buy. And the runner bean seeds. Ah, poo.) a cheese-jalapeño bagel and yet more coffee and still the brane fails to cooperate. I'm starting the read-through/re-writes for the novel today, I needs that brane I tells ya!

Ah. Whatever. I hope your day has started better than mine.

Of the last chapter of my novel. I'm a  long way from breaking out the victory shimmy yet, alas. Tomorrow I'll start the long read through, noting where all the holes are, where I'll need more back story and character elaboration, making the list of  new chapters that'll have to be written. It's currently 137,000 words, I'm anticipating a final count of 200,000 so there's a long way to go yet, but it's a nice place to be all the same. :o)

Just finished the first rough (very) draft of the pivotal, oh so that's why that happened then and she said that and all the rest of it. OK - chapter of Entanglement. 2,590 words though it felt much longer when I was working on it. Three more chapters to write...

Let's repeat that, because it feels so good.

Three more chapters to write and then the plotly bits will all be done! ::laughs at the sky like a mad loon:: There's still a ton to do but when the story is set out, I can piece it all together, identify the bits that need expanding and start filling the many holes. It's getting there. Currenly 125,000 words - still hoping to complete the first draft by early June.

The TS fic Blue is now a chapter from completion (two weeks still to go, it's only one chapter but it's a gosh-darned long one). The first 320 pages are already with the betas, bless their kind and patient hearts - so that's almost done now. I can hardly believe it. It will leave a hole in my life that I'm certain I shall find very easy to fill.:o)

It's been a funny old week, mostly consisting of toiling at the coal face of m'novel, endless housework and fist fights with the WI. I'm already feeling fragile and still so much to do today; a sitting room to clean, a father to feed and water, a work-out to complete - but at the end of it, a chilled bottie of Pinot Grigio, a delightfully runny Cornish brie, a tub of Greek olives and some of my favourite creamy garlic pasta await, for it be FRIDAY! my fluffy young chickens of luuurve! Let us give thanks and dance naked in the rain, if only metaphorically for even in our joy, there are others to consider.

I've already started sprinkling the weekend glitter, how about you?

A Kumala merlot-cabernet-shiraz to be precise and very nice it is too. I haven't touched a drop in quite a while so this is long anticipated and all the better for it.

There is also a rather fine Camembert and my favourite pasta and Top Gear on the telly and the novel is coming along just fine - another 2,000+ words today, refining the central character and sorting out his admittedly rather complex relationships across the sweep of time and space. 117,398 words to date, an est. 59%.

Blue tomorrow, the chapter's all planned and on schedule.

And it's FRIDAY! No time for colours because my pasta just went beep. Have a lovely one my darlings!

In between <cough> acquiring old films, shopping and playing with Spotify I somehow managed to get 1903 words of the novel written and the next chapter of fic planned.

No, I don't know how either, but there it is.

And while researching my locations I found this! Filmed on Bedford High Street, 1975 - I could have been there! OK, I wasn't but heck - I could have been! *G*

A vanilla latte; fired up the Trevisso for a double expresso with Lavazza coffee, steamed milk with a drop of Madagascan vanilla paste. Orgasmically good. I have almond halva too. I be bad.

I've been toiling on the north face of my novel all day - well, for the last five hours anyway. Thought I'd pause for a coffee and a word check that tells me I have produced 1,282 words today. How can this be?!?! ::looks under lappy for lost wordage:: There have to be at least 5,000 words here, shurely?!

Bugger.

No need for comment. :o) Just taking a well-deserved (oh babies, you have NO idea! *G*) break with a cup of soothing Russian Caravan before pressing on with the rest of the day and I see it's been a while since I updated my writerly progress and - hey, it's Friday! and I need a moment of distraction and prevarication so -

Where I'm at.
Entanglement - got a bit neglected as I dealt with life while writing a mega-chapter of TS fic, then had to tackle a mysterious character who wasn't giving it up at all well but we're back on track now. I've been working on the central character's history which is coming along pleasingly. I found a new character in the form of the slightly mad and Catweazle-like 'Old Jammy'; Old Jammy – named for his fondness for preserves and the sticky mess of it on his coat and beard. All summer long he was a martyr to wasps... Which was good.

As of this morning, 111,294 words, est. 57% done and still aiming to have the 1st draft done by midsummer.

The TS fic called Blue - got a  bit behind due to hanging out with a bunch of doxies all Easter but the last, massive chapter brings it to: 106,643 words, and est. 90% complete. Just 2, maybe 3 more chapters to go on that and she's DONE! Betas - bless you both, I haven't forgotten and shall send the story-so-far to you after I've done this.

OK. Break is really more than over and I must press on. I wish you all a delightful Friday! and a weekend to come of near-unbearable, glittering fabulousness and shall see you all later, perhaps, when all the dull stuff is finally done and we can dance naked 'neath the moon and sing 'It is the weekend and BANK HOLIDAY Weekend! at that. Let us praise all the Gods that preside over transient and fortuitous connections and worshipped by those least excellent of mankind! Oh yes indeedy!

I have been busy in the garden.

I have...

Destroyed a Russian Vine  (I think. I hope. I have tried 4x so far but I do believe I finally got the bastard) and removed its mortal remains from my trellis. The trellis - has suffered under the Stalinist-like rule of aforementioned Russian Vine. It may be a gonner. The pile of dead Russian Vine in the lane outside is taller than Mark (who is 6' tall, in case you didn't know and needed the perspective). Lord knows what I'm going to do with it all.

Weeded like I've never weeded before. That's some serious weeding.

Weeded and re-filled the garden pond. It's all minty-fresh and a delight to behold.

Emptied and cleaned up all the tubs ready for this year's goodies.

Pruned the Choisya and the ivy.

Planted 2 fruit trees, a white currant, 2 fuchsias, many strawberries, peas, sweet peas, broad beans, courgettes, rhubarb, calendulas, Nasturtium, California poppies, night-scented stocks, tobacco plants, chives and oregano.

I also wrote 2,000 words of the novel and am now in need of rest. Don't worry, I have olives. :o) Cheese too. I'm OK, I hope you are too.

Avoid a future cataclysm... re-set your universe. Excellent. I shall try that immediately.

And now I really must go and plant those pesky nasturtiums.