Monday, March 9, 2015

On revising the first draft - of 'so far'

The deep freeze has broken here in Wisconsin. The snow will all go this week and I'll be able to ride again. I am still walking to coffee because the bike lanes are still icy from the daily thaw and freeze at night.

I have all 33 chapters/parts of Jack Pynesapp and Red moved into Scriviner manuscript editor. I have done some reorganizing and a lot of repairing - things like grammar, voice, flow, etc. I am still troubled with how slowly the story starts. I think there's too much talking and not enough action. This is understandable since this project started as an exercise in writing dialog. But now that I have a better idea of where  the story is going, I can do some things early that start it moving that way.  This may be as easy as giving Jack some more back story. Like, who is this guy? We now know that Billy has been busy since the 'first' train ride; did Jack just blow that whole thing off? It is kind of implied that there is more to it but it may be way too subtle. Another Dream? Perhaps. Maybe Marge can help.

I am on schedule so far. I am caught up with getting what I have into manuscript form (and learning how that is done - and what it is, even) before we take our cross country train trip (leaving this week) where I hope to get more ideas about what this "ghost" train looks like and perhaps follow our characters on one, of more, of their trips  - once they figure out how to get a ride.

I am also thinking about a title. The one I have been using is too weak, I think. 

For now, I'd better start packing. 


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