Since it's been so very long since I've last had a glass of milk, the sudden reintroduction of it had my tummy very grumbly. It took about three days before everything equalised again. Thank heavens I didn't lose the capacity to digest lactose entirely. That would have been disastrous. Happily, I can continue drinking my glass of Milo in the morning... Until it runs out.
Today is another day of working on improving my submission. I was planning on having it all done and ready to submit by November. It's looking doubtful, currently, with all the work I have ahead of me now. Still, I am making progress, and I am doing a lot of foundational work that will, hopefully, make it easier for me to write the future books in the series. It's all the stuff I should have done before I wrote the first book, but couldn't really know properly until the thing was written. This is purely on account of my writing process. I'm a pantser. Or, more politely put, I'm a discovery writer. I discover how the book is going to go, and who does what, or even who they are as I write.
I know I've spoken at length about this, but when I sit to write, I have only the main character and the ending of the book. How we get there is entirely up to the characters (weird writing mysticism aside, clearly it's me, but it's a much less deliberate and more more unconscious act than for many writers). It's a fun way to write, and often the intrigue is enough to keep me coming back to the writing, but it does mean that I screw myself over when it comes to editing and future use of those characters.
What colour was his eyes again? Uh... was she actually at the particular fight? WHAT DID YOU DO BEFORE THIS, CHARACTER?! TELL ME! TELL MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahem.
So, I am currently sorting each scene into a detailed timeline and combing through the manuscript and listing out characters (their appearance and attributes, ambitions, fears etc) and assets (places, objects of note etc).
Essentially, I'm making sure that all the information in my head is out in a place where I can easily access it and where there is very little chance for me to forget any of the details.
I have an enormous cast in this book, and it'll only grow as the series grows. So... it's a lot of work.
It's good that I'm doing it, though. Let's be honest. I can't even remember what happened yesterday.
Right, I have to go and get that work done.
Ciao!