Thank God for test readers. *laugh* I’ve been struggling with FOOL’S GOLD and the pacing of it–I want the story to take place over a year, and I’ve never written a book that takes place over that long a period of time, so I’ve been bogging down in the wrong sorts of details. And consequently getting really bored and tired with it, which is not a good sign.
_But_. I just spent a few minutes talking with Silkie, who is one of the people who test reads (and makes mournful pathetic eyes every day for a new chapter, which is really actually very encouraging) and she not only confirmed the pacing problem but gave me a suggestion for a book to re-read to look at the pacing, because it too takes place over a year (THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER) and now I’m going to write out a timeline of what’s /really/ important and what months those things happen in, and work from /that/ level instead of on this day to day level I’m getting stuck in.
She’s also pointed out insufficient conflict between some of the characteres, which although I was aware of it, obviously needs to be re-written. So I’ll probably go back before I go on, but man. Test readers help a lot. O.O
Yay Silkie!