I (finally) finished drafting
"Sneakatara Boatman and the Priest of Loki" this week.
I have a process. I write in the mornings, usually while I'm on the train on my way into the City. Then I come back the next morning, re-write what I wrote the day before, and start writing again. When I finish something, I put it aside--hopefully for at least a month--to try to get some perspective on it before I go back for the first re-write.
That first re-write is tough. That's when I'm trying to fix scene structure, address holes in the plot, and generally make the story work
better. But it can be hard to see what works and what doesn't, especially since I know how the story ends, so the thing holds no surprises for me. It was even tougher this time because this latest Sneax story took so long in draft that I couldn't let it sit for a whole month. So I tried to compensate by putting it out to a few trusted test-readers, but they mostly liked the story as it was... Not helpful. I mean, it made me feel good, but I mistrust people's kindness. The idea that the story achieved its purpose perfectly the first time through is ludicrous. It doesn't happen--ever.
Anyway, it's that first re-write that I finished with the Sneax story this week--for better or worse--and afterwards, I very much felt like I needed to get away from Wanderhaven for awhile. I love writing for my kids, but the Sneax stuff is decidedly YA-lit, and that's got a certain tone. I wanted to change that tone, stir up my internal monologue, and so...
I let Dr. Necropolis come to my rescue.
Warning: This next bit is definitely spicy. There's quite a bit of salty language and associated nastiness. Also, if you've not read the preceding chapters of this project, there is no way that you'll be able to follow this week's piece. The other bits are therefore archived in the
Sketch in My Notebook section.
You have been warned.
***
The Return of Dr. Necropolis
Chapter 6: Escape!
They threw him into solitary almost immediately. Literally threw him. Fat fucking Grossman and his partner, that asshole Little, pitched Frank headlong into a tiny cell down in Solitary Confinement. He slammed face first into the wall and saw stars, was briefly dizzy and a little nauseous afterwards, having just had his ass kicked by a superhero on top of everything else.
In spite of everything, Frank laughed.