by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I continue to write and rewrite — and rethink — a new beginning for the third draft of this novel. At the moment, the biggest problem looming in my mind is if this new beginning will push the word count of this novel to a point where I either have to cut it to two novels (with a cliffhanger connecting them) or I will have to somehow re-imagine things once I’m done with it.
If this novel is no more than 140,000 words, I’m at least open to trying to pitch it because The Girl On The Train is about that many words, as I understand it. But the key issue is just get something, anything done as a third draft.
Anyway, the new beginning is really, really good. It flows really well and there is a real ebb and flow of cause and effect there that wasn’t there before. My only fear is that if my storytelling continues to improve the way it currently is, that the whole project will endup being reimagined in a way that will slow me down a great deal.
All of this happening in the context of the fucking Fourth Turning potentially happening starting in late 2024, early 2025. AND I’m not going to live forever and I need to put up or shut up sooner rather than later.
AND, what’s more, in the back of my mind, I find myself wanting to bootstrap some sort of effort at a screenplay. But the keep reform I hope to do with this third draft is to be more methodical. I hope to be a lot less informal with how I develop then write scenes.
My mind was kind of running hot the last few days and the little pause I’ve taken in writing has helped a lot.
