Did I write that?
I’ve just begun to read The Shifu Cloth, hereafter referred to as the WIP, after not doing anything to it since Nov 20. I can hardly remember it and I’m quite excited by what I’m finding. Nicholas is on Maria Island in the Pymm Archilpelago in his stepfather’s house on the Merrick’s Estate. He’s trying to piece together the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his sister-cousin and I’m eager to find out what happens.
I’m surprised that I’ve actually written 49,000 words. I hadn’t realised I had progressed the story so far. The influence of all that time and distance passing is interesting. I’m discovering there’s lots to be done: copy and paste, delete, create more words, more story.
It’s impossible to leave Isabella standing on that bridge in the Han. She wants to escape. It’s a question of whether she does it alone or with the help of a celestial spirit. And should she be successful or not? Should Nicholas find her? What will all of this do to her. What will it do to Nicholas? What I’ve found is that my idea last year is no longer my idea this year and I think I shall just let my fingers tap away and see where the story takes me. After I have re-jigged the first 49,000 words.
As with the exotic locales of the Raj in Paperweights/Glass Flowers, I’m feeling quite excited about the Far East-inspired Han. The research has stirred every sense. And my travel diaries are being read over and over. My diaries are generally a journey through the senses and so I’m able to pass on so many sensations to Isabella. I’m looking forward to writing from scratch again. So different from the oh-so-damnably familiar scripts in editing. It’s like picking up a new book off the shelves in the bookshop . . . if you like it, you keep it. If you don’t you consign it to the trash.
I can understand how this feels, Prue. I’m going back through chunks of Interregnum now as I write the follow-up in order to check facts against one another and it does feel like I’ve never read it.
Later this year, I’ll be re-reading (and re-editing) MM and then we’ll see how different it can look.
Re-editing MM? Brave move. I love it as it is, but we are never happy even after publication, are we?
Oooh, how wonderful to go back and find a WIP still fresh and exciting. I’m about to embark on a first edit of a first full draft and I admit to be rather nervous about it all. Thanks for providing a bit of courage.
Maybe I am being overly positive about the WIP, but it could also be that after editing the other ms for months and knwoing the story backwards, upside down and inside out, it’s refreshing to read some new words from my ‘very little brain.’
As a faithful reader, I’m just happy every time I hear about a WIP er, PROGRESSING. Means less time to wait. Of course, I know that Paperweights/Thousand Flowers is closer on the horizon and that’s REALLY exciting.