I get too caught up...

I wrote myself out, the last couple of days, dealing with inputting notes I'd made for APoS and expanding other parts that needed more detail while clarifying areas that were over-written. I've also kept at the consistency issue. And this is just the red pen edit. I still have to input everything into a Word file then print it out to do another pass over.

Something I need to be careful about is not making Brendan too aware of the political decisions and actions being taken. He's 12-13 years old, here, and his focus is on repairing things for people, fixing up their home to be livable, and then building a relationship with Joanna that will endure despite her being Protestant and from an upper-middle-class family. His one goal is to be left alone by the growing trouble around him.

Which proves to be impossible. He gets caught up in the Battle of Bogside, all of which is told from his viewpoint. He helps by making of petrol bombs with a couple of his friends, keeping up with the news and gossip as best he can. It's a longer chapter but I don't want to break it up or remove anything. It all comes together, I think. Then follows the Celebration Fleadh and reconnecting with Joanna.

I made myself stop at the point where Brendan comes to realize his mate, Danny, has been abused by a priest and it's made him unstable. He'd been showing signs of anger and moodiness for a while, but once the priest was sent away, he grew steady. Brendan even used him to help with some repairs and such. But now it's 1970 and Brendan's just turned fourteen and is remembering things that pointed to the truth about Dany's instability. This is another long chapter but I do not want to break it in any way. So I'm going over it, again, tomorrow.

I sometimes wonder if I'm using telling this in first person as an easy way around much of the detail of the time. Brendan's thought of as simple-minded when really he's just focused and solitary. He hears much and says little. Thinks a lot but not in great depth. Is on the cynical side but still has hopes and dreams and prayers. I just hope I'm not being cute and coy instead of honest.

But I won't know till it's done, I guess.