Adopted, 17k

It has only been a couple of days since my last post, yet these few days were far more productive than the last few months, especially for Adopted. I am feeling much better after my brush with 9.0 hemoglobin count a week and a half ago. I'm also really excited about the convention I'm going to this weekend, and seeing my friends there. One of my friends will be selling geek dice jewelry there. Somehow all of this has culminated in an increased ability to focus on a more long-term project like Adopted.

Yesterday I did some brainstorming on the plot. I'd had the plot all hashed out, but it was in need of streamlining. I didn't even realize this until I got to a part just before the climax and I was trying to work out some of the nitty gritty details. It then occurred to me that I was expecting the characters to act unreasonably, and that more reasonable actions would actually speed up the build-up to the climax. The climax involves an axe, and I am practically there. A few more sessions and I should have the first draft done. Because of the streamlining, I expect it to top out around 20k, perhaps 25k at the most.

After that, I have some plans for reworking the first draft. Some of what I wrote when I was first starting this project meanders a bit much, but I didn't want to get rid of too much of the back story. I may have found a way to incorporate the back stories better so as not to sacrifice either characterization or pacing. I wrote down my plans to that effect in case I don't get to work on the rewrite for a while. I do at least plan/reasonably hope to finish the first draft before, say, the baby comes.

And now to get ready for the convention!