Jumping around...

I had a thought about a part that's later in the story and jumped back to change it. I had a long bit of dialogue between Brendan and Colm that was so lovely when I wrote it...and now is just plain preachy and too damned full of an impossible awareness. Took out 1200 words. I might work them back in, in steps and stages, but as of now they're on a side file just in case, as is Brendan's reconnecting dialogue with Joanna.

But that's how it is with my work. I lay out what I think is a strong storyline then proceed to prove to myself it's bullshit. Another change I made came from me realizing when Brendan is interrogated by some RUC constables, they would have taken his passport and backpack. I'd tried a silly way of avoiding that problem and it had to be redone. So instead, regaining his passport spurs him into action instead of him simply reacting, at a crucial point.

That led to me shifting another part into something fare more intense and ethereal, to him. The way it was written was okay, but it didn't really connect with his emotional state. Now it's more like he's hallucinating, maybe lost in madness...which works a lot better.

Of course, I'm avoiding adding in the material I need to bridge from the first 130 pages to his being arrested by the RUC and brutalized. I'm still sorting that out in my head.

That I had a rough night, last night, didn't help much. Having to pee every hour, thanks to my prostate being worn out and cranky. And half the time, very slow. I wound up sleeping till noon.

So all I can do is keep digging, deeper and deeper into the story, as best I can. 

Good God, it's the end of August...I'm off to the UK in 10 days. Am I going to be able to finish HNH by the end of the year?