Best-Laid Plans, Etc.

So I have WAY overestimated how much rewriting I'd be able to get done in January.

The main issue is that I needed more time than I realized to absorb the critiques from my beta readers. With TOB, I'd worked on the book for so long, I could tear through the feedback and dive right back into the rewrite. This time, I got a round of feedback and had to think about it a while. Then I started working on the rewrite... and then got another beta reader critique, and had to think about that one a while. Not heavy-duty pondering-- more like I had to let it all sink in and subtly re-shape my thoughts about the book, and then organize that vision into a plan.

The issues I need to work on seem to be:

1) My worldbuilding needs be made clearer. I didn't want to overload the text with infodumping, but from the reader feedback it's clear I went too far in the other direction. I need to add much more explanation and clarification, because right now there are too many things that are confusing and/or coming off as poorly thought out.

2) There are a few plot holes that aren't exactly holes-- more like places where all the plot logic didn't make it from my brain to the page. I need to fill those.

3) The beginning is dragging on too long, and throwing off the pacing of the first half of the book. This was my major concern about the book when I sent it out for feedback, but getting the critiques has given me the courage to take a deep breath and radically revise the opening.

So it's only now that I'm getting back to the rewrite. As of today I've worked for 15 hours this month, so my original goal of 60 hours for the month is clearly not going to happen. I'm revising that to 25 hours for the month, which should be totally doable.

At the moment, I'm working on the opening, which needs by far the most revision and will undoubtably take the longest. The first three chapters/10,000 words functioned almost like an extended prologue; I am ruthlessly cutting them down to one chapter of no more than 5,000 words. I have already cut over 4,000 words, but I'm needing to add some worldbuilding stuff as well, so it's complicated. I would not be at all surprised if it takes me the rest of the month just to finish it, but then I expect the revisions will go faster and faster the further I get into the book.

That's the State of the Writing!