Today I figured out what was wrong with the book! And the best part is, I only have to go back about two and a half chapters to fix it, and most of what I’ve written can be kept, it just needs to be shuffled around and revised a little. It is not impossible that I will finish the book on time! (It’s maybe not likely, because that would be some pretty intensive writing, but it’s not impossible!)
The solution? The stakes were, in fact, not high enough. I got to a scene today and thought “…I wonder if this character should die,” which was not a thought I’d had previously (often I’ll think it and avoid it because who likes killing characters? Er. Well. I mean. There’s a certain glee in it, of course, but…), and it suddenly seemed like it might be a good idea. Then a couple pages later, the place to do so presented itself. There are, in fact, a *bunch* of characters who could die, with varying degrees of emotional or social ramifications for the lead characters, and the one who will die will present a whole bunch of roadblocks (literally, at least once) to their success. So! Now I’m very pleased. (Wow, the stuff I’ve got written now may end up being very close to the actual end of the book. I have t…oooh. Yes. Instead of Bad Guy as Currently Presented it can…*writes this down on paper where you guys don’t get the details*) Muahahah.
So (she said, taking a sharp right turn) this Pilates book I’ve got (I got two. One is largely very easy, though I’m sure it’s a good workout if you do all of it, and the other says “you can’t learn Pilates from a book but if you insist on trying you should use this book” and that’s the one I’m working more from) has a series of ‘essential’ exercises that it wants you to learn before you go on to even the beginner’s workout. Having done those little bitty exercises for six weeks or so, it turns out that I can do the intermediate or advanced versions of about half the essential exercises. I’m kind of looking forward to trying the beginner’s workout soon. :)
I think I will maybe go revise a chapter a bit and kill somebody off, and then maybe go for a walk. Yes. This is a plan.
miles to Minas Tirith: 55.3