Back in the saddle

Well, I didn’t write anything new today, but I did manage to get myself organized. I have a tendency to overlook those “little” details of chronology and consistency of setting. As a result, I had a lot of chapters where a day suddenly turns to night with a POV switch, or where one chapter happens a day before the one preceding it (minor stuff, right?). Although I’m a crazy planner as far as plot goes, I’m more than a bit lazy when it comes to figuring out a timeline. I don’t know why I don’t do it; it would make my life much easier in the long run. Maybe all the keeping track of numbers reminds me of math and I go into automatic passive resistance mode, or something.

Whatever the reason, I had a huge mess on my hands nearing the end of the book. I had no idea what happened when — and thusly couldn’t figure out the ordering of my chapters (another huge task I accomplished today). I finally sat down and wrote out the most primitive, crude (yet effective) timeline anyone’s ever witnessed and got myself straight.

Then came the chapters. I like to save each chapter as a separate file, mostly for formatting reasons. I had the chapters very well organized at the end of the first go-round. But, then I started revising and began adding chapters and re-arranging them, so I ended up with a folder full of nonsense like, “Chapter 20-A” stuffed between twenty and twenty-one, again because I was too lazy to go all the way through and re-number the chapters right then and there.

But, today saw the end of my last remains of disorganization. I now have properly ordered chapters and an accurate timeline. Tomorrow, I can spring into action and bang out the rest of this story by the end of the week.

These posts have been boring, I know, but I promise more foolishness just as soon as I get this deadline behind me and I can properly think again. Thanks for the patience, and I hope to have good news tomorrow night regarding my spectacular comeback as editing champion of the world.