Hild is progressing nicely.
The first draft started at 976 pages. About 40% of the way through the rewrite I’d lost 54 pages.
But now 58% of the way through and have lost only 44 pages. You lose some, you gain some.
When I delete scenes (and characters, and plot lines, and places) I get a pang. But it’s also satisfying to lose the false trails I’d wandered down while trying to find my way into the heart of the book. Characters and plot arcs are firming up. It’s like watching Luke’s X-wing rise from the swamp. (Ooof, need to find a seventh-century metaphor…)
If I have time in the next few days and if you all promise to be very, very good, I’ll see if I can find a couple of pages I won’t be able to use in the final version to post here. Sometime in the next few days. Maybe. If you’re good.
Meanwhile, Kelley’s latest piece for the Clarion West Write-a-Thon is up:
Jet poked me hard in the shoulder. “That fucking hurts,” I said.
“No swearing on the bus,” the driver said automatically, without even looking in the mirror.
Jet said, “What’s wrong, Cassie? You look like your cat died.”
“I don’t have a cat.”
“I know, that’s why it’s okay to say it. If you really had a cat, it would be completely insensitive.”
I went back to staring out the school bus window.
“So what is it?” she said. “You look like your pony died.” [more]
You can read all of them so far here. If you like them, consider sponsoring her.
Nicola Griffith 
I'm not sure I know how to be good. So I will just wait quietly. Yay!
Another brilliant piece by Kelley. Wow.
Jennifer, the hard thing about posting exerpts from novels is that the chunks themselves are not coherent emotional arcs (unlike, for example, Kelley's written-every-morning Write-a-Thon pieces). They're part of an unfurling, tightly-woven tapestry. They might not even make much sense taken out of context, never mind have gorgeous rhythm or style. It's like looking at a knuckle–nothing on its own, only making sense when you see the hand moving gracefully about some task.
Well, it doesn't have to have an emotional arc or whatever. Like the other day when you posted that line you wrote about the rain. The next morning I was lying in my bed with the windows open listening to the rain and thinking, oh, yeah, there's that 'glottering rain' – it really does sound like that…. It's still great fun to read.
But, you know, only do it if you feel like it. (and there are no spoilers! I know Hild was real, but I know you are making shit up too)
Jennifer, oof, everything's a spoiler :)
Ah, yeah, just another one of those facts of life I just have to live with…
I'm losing weight on two of mine as well. I liken my current agent to a personal trainer who is putting me through a grueling workout and forcing me to eat just salads. The excess peels away, leaving lean sinewy prose.
I feel good these days!
Mark, I'm delighted!