Well after a very long day of extremely gratifying work I have cut 3 and a half chapters, 36 pages, and not quite 9,000 words of filler and fluff from my manuscript on Houses of Cards. I wrote in and clarified quite a bit of stuff, inserting emotion as needed and generally tightening up the manuscript as it exists. Now that I have pruned the deadwood, I think I have a clearer idea of where to go next and how to get there, which is (obviously) essential to getting the bloody thing finished. So a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!!!!! goes out to
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for her devoted critiquing assistance the last couple of days (I think we ended up swapping 55 emails today…holy crap!).
I even have plans for where to go with Chapter 12–which is where I am now that I cut all that stuff. With luck I shall have time to start it tomorrow between dealing with a payroll crisis at work, getting the house cleaned, and sanding the sideboard that will be painted on Saturday when my mother shows up.