WIP Gets Real
2 Sep
The Lazy Summer is officially over with the beginning of September, and I’m still not done writing this book. Normally this would annoy me, but since I’ve made sure not to make any grand plans between now and November, I guess I don’t need to get too into the self-flagellation. It’s been an awesome summer full of visits from friends and family and all kinds of weird and informative events I can’t remember right now. Possibly because for the last week I’ve lived and breathed this stupid book of mine.
Except for last night, when I started reading another Georgette Heyer period romance. I looked up at the clock when my eyelids started to feel heavy; it was 3am and the book was almost over. Good thing I reserved another bunch of them, so they’ll be there to pick up when I drop this one off today.
Aside: Thank you, Arlington County Public Library, for rocking so hard.
Right, but to the point, Katey. Here’s the progress on The Resurrectionists, my 1820s Philadelphia, Paranormal-Flavored, Occasionally Gruesome, Triple Romance Clusterf@$k:
68537 / 80000 words. 86% done!
Before anyone gets impressed (you were totally impressed right…? Er), I gotta admit that I think I’m going to end up needing more words than I initially thought, at least on the first draft. It’ll get pared down to 80 I’m sure, but this time… might go a bit over. Plus the pacing is total crap, which I’m blaming on writing a lot of it out of order, now that I’m trying to knit the mean SoB together. This is not as accomplished as it almost looks.
For our excerpt, Team Idiot (who hail from different sides of the Atlantic originally, by the way) are invited out for a drink and must refuse. The aftermath:
“Don’t care for the grog shops?” Tom asked, trying not to look amused.
“Don’t care for Mitchum and his sort,” Paul mumbled. Sincerity caused his face to shine bright as the sun–a sweet little saint in a Michelangelo.
Tom somehow refrained from pointing out that he was himself decidedly of Mitchum’s sort. (Which was precisely how he knew he’d end up coming to blows with the mad bastard if he made his better acquaintance.) “I’d heard the medical students here rivaled the ones at home in reputation. Seems I wasn’t led on.”
No reply.
“Come, don’t you like a drink?”
“Of course I do.”
“A girl?”
“I’m not sure I want to know what you can mean by that, Brandon.”
“Paul, you fire shots at me as if I represented an occupying army. I’ve no intentions of setting Washington aflame; come to that, I don’t even own a red coat.”
Because no Anglo-American friendship is complete without a War of 1812 joke. Well, okay, it might be more complete without one, but at least it was relevant at the time. That’s my excuse, anyhow.
—————-
Now playing: Primal Scream – Some Velvet Morning
via FoxyTunes
Man, if I was at 68K, I’d be done.
Love the 1812 reference! I’m a nerd, sure!
I bow down to your word count. Aim for 100K – what who said that? Runs away.
Yup, the last couple of sentences really did it for me!
I don’t think I touched my book all summer. Shall have to remedy that son!
Aaron, you’ve made my day by commiserating with my nerdery. Thank you very much!
Cate… I might have to. Hoping it’ll be more like 90 but… er…
Alan, I’m encouraged to hear it– because believe me I get a bit discouraged on this one. The book gets a little gross and dark, and moments like that are meant to keep it amusing.
Nat, yes! Granted, summer has been a busy time for all of us, but it’s time to return to The Book. Mostly so my misery can have more company, since I’m selfish like that, but frankly the world requires more good books.
I know personally I can never resist throwing around the 1812 references when with Americans…
That might be telling, really. Georgette Heyer has a lot to answer for!
(And yay! Yay for more of her! Let me say it with even more exclamations.. yay!!!)
Yeah, if she’d written one in America, she never would’ve been able to resist writing Dolley Madison’s daring rescue of Gen. Washington’s portrait as the White House burned around her ears, would she? Ah, good times!
I’ve decided she’s the best author to read while in the middle of writing a book– even one that wasn’t so period-appropriate. It’s satisfying, fun, and so so well written… but doesn’t make your head explode if you read it all in one night. She’s perfection.
YOU have a lot to answer for!
Very impressive word count. I have a couple of Georgette Heyer books somewhere at home but haven’t read them yet. Must find them.
my 1820s Philadelphia, Paranormal-Flavored, Occasionally Gruesome, Triple Romance Clusterf@$k
Please tell me you’ll put that phrase in your query letter. You’ll weed out the unsuitable agents right away!
This book makes me so happy, and I haven’t even read it yet.
Danielle, she’s lovely! Possibly the best Summer Reading in my possession. (Of course, I still have flashbacks about the time I took Angela’s Ashes to the beach… what WAS I thinking…)
Cory, that’s the best idea ever.
… maybe not. But honestly, it’s got to be something like that. That’ll tell them everything about me, at least…
<3