Despite my excitement, I did not get ANY writing done last night. It is a shame because I had high hopes. That’s what happens when you are a writer with a day job: sometimes that day job just gets in the way. Even so, it was probably a pie in the sky thought that I would get any real work done last night. Since I am up to Chapter Five now, I have some rework to do. I know that the chapter is not written well because I’m trying too hard to bury a secret. I have to let that part go and let ambiguity do that in other ways. Knowing that, I am going to probably have to rewrite the entire chapter. That is not a problem or even a daunting task, but it will take time. It is not as free as writing brand new material. The important thing is that I continue to apply the lesson I learned from Darkness Brutal by Rachel A. Marks (@RachelAnneMarks): Make something happen in every chapter!
I know I was unsuccessful in this in the first book, but I have put so much polish on it that without external suggestions, I am not sure how to shoehorn it in. In Book Two, though, I am keenly aware that something has to happen in every chapter, preferably with the main plot. Obviously, this is a fantasy book so many chapters are going to be developing subplots that will take several novels to come around to contributing to the main narrative, but SOMETHING has to happen. Two nights ago after I finished Chapter Four and began thinking about Chapter Five, I stumbled onto the purpose of it so that is heartening. I just have to make the flesh around that bone interesting. Hearts of Palm are dull and unassuming in appearance, but when they are added to other vegetables and sautéed in butter, they become deceptively delicious. This Heart of Palm needs some supporting vegetation and some butter.