4/9/16 I had several hours worth of work that resulted in edits. The book is still around 20,000 words but I had to modify my original "measurements" of Everes and the chimps. I had originally based Everes' "enhanced" stats on Andre the Giant, making Everes over 7 feet tall and 350 lbs. However, this morning I read several articles (at least one of which was in a reputable journal) that basically stated that humans, although as a species are taller than we used to be, would not continue to gain in height indefinitely, but have probably tapped out our maximum average height. (By the way, people in the middle ages were actually taller than those in industrial England, because they had healthier, less polluted food, but also less travel and thus fewer chances to spread epidemics.) We will probably not ever be 8' tall behemoths. Since Everes lives in a time and place where the average height for a man was 5'6", I decided to make his enhanced stats closer to Shaq, who was 7'1" and 325 lbs. Lot of research, very little writing in the last two weeks. Two days ago I wrote with pen and paper some ideas for a future chapter, probably chapter 15 or 16 in my outline, although I could do a "time jump" like I did in my first book and just say "two months later" or "a few years later", rather than outline in detail all of the behind-the-scenes stuff. Then again, perhaps the background material would be more interesting for potential readers. I will start writing, based on my notes, and then decide. That's probably going to take me the rest of the day.
Evening of 4/9/16. Did the "time jump" and converted my notes into Chapter 13. It's a short chapter, only 4 pages long, but it ends at a good point. The total for the book is now 21,717 words, 57 pages. I intend for the final book to be 80,000 words and 200 pages. We'll see. I also was inspired today to work on a children's story, but I was driving at the time. Such is the life.
I tried to explain months ago that one of the reasons that my first novel took so long to complete is that I also had a full time (paying) job and a second, full-time (unpaid) job of raising my kids as a single parent. The few moments when I was truly inspired to write rarely coincided with moments when I was physically able to write. It has been a long and difficult road but the first novel is done and now I'm working on the second. Three full months and 1/4 of my word goal mathematically translates into a year for the novel, but I may go a month without writing anything, if the past is any predictor of the future.
Eh, who can apply statistics to art?
5/10/16. Another month, another chapter. So much for two chapters a week. Still not entirely satisfied with the direction that I've taken just now, and I may go back and change it later, but this is what I have for now. Finished (temporary) chapter 14, 1038 words. New book total is 22,776 words.
6/23/16 Another month, another chapter. I've been on vacation, camping and swimming with the kids, and have finished chapter 15. I'm very satisfied with the writing quality, even if I haven't written as many words as I would have liked.
