The Home Stretch

I. Am. Almost. Done.


I swear! I've got five scenes left to go:


Two have been written and need typing;
Two are, ahem, bedroom scenes, which need no encouragement for me to write;
Leaving one last scene, one of the more difficult, involving all sorts of fast-paced action at the end of the novel, right before the denouement.

Raise the stakes! Throw rocks! Add tension!

Argh. I just want them to retreat to the bedroom.

Rosa first came in to my head in February 2009. One year later, I finally had the title, Out of the Water. That was last year, the summer when everything changed. Rosa attended the writers' houseparty at Cherry Hill, then hosted one in Constantinople. Romance entered her life and I finished the first draft of the story a few months after that.

I've been editing since then. Some days it feels like it'll never end. Other days I procrastinate by doing research. Still other days I hide behind my To Read pile and pretend I'm not supposed to be writing my own story.

I've got an ROW80 inspirational post up on the official site!

Now if only I'd take my own advice...

Comments

Mary Mary said…
Editing is one of the hardest things, so I don't envy you on this home stretch (although, I've been doing plenty of my own editing lately). It will all come together in the right way, it just takes patience. (Yeah, right! What writer has that much patience :-) )
Sarah McCabe said…
Woohoo! You can do it!
Sarah McCabe said…
Woohoo! You can do it!
Jill W. said…
Yay for mmphmm! [eg]

Good luck with that last scene. Need some rocks? I've got tons. [g]
(I'm getting too used to chatting with people who use UK spelling conventions -- was actually tempted to write 'tonnes.' Gasp!)

Enjoyed your ROW80 post, too!
J.L. Campbell said…
Little by little you're getting there. Takes time and determination and grit and will power. You can and will get to the finish line. Just a bit further!
Zan Marie said…
Whoo Hooo!

Deniz, you're nearly there. I love the links to Cherry Hill and Constantinople. If I allow myself to go to either, I'd not do anything else today, but read.

I hope to have a draft to revise someday. You're an inspiration. : )
Nadja Notariani said…
I wish I had a bedroom scene to add....heh,heh. No such luck, though.

I'll begin my third read through today! Gosh, I feel like I'll never stop thinking, "Oh, this could be better if I just change this word, or edit this sentence, or give a little more here...."


Anyway....Congratulations on rounding the third turn and hitting the final stretch. ~ Nadja
Nadja Notariani said…
And Oh, I just finished reading from the House Parties.....wonderful, really. I want to try one! ~ Nadja
Cate Morgan said…
So close!!

Funny, I always have the most trouble writing bedroom scenes. I keep telling myself they're really just another action scene (double entendre not intended).

Good luck the rest of the week! :o)
Edits never seem to end! Good luck on the home run!
Keep it up! You're almost to the finish line! Go, go, go!
jamilajamison said…
*waves about the pom poms*

Yay, almost there! Keep up the momentum!
Nas said…
You go, girl! You can do it!
Beth said…
So exciting! And you are really close. Hang in there!
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Deniz Bevan said…
Thank you Mary, Sarah and Jill! Love UK spelling [g] Though Google has some funny ideas - it always underlines the words movie and colosseum. How am I supposed to be spelling movie? I can't use film all the time - it sounds like an art house premiere!
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks so much Joy and Zan Marie! I still haven't reread The Mall at the End of Time - think I'll take the printed copy on vacation with me...
Deniz Bevan said…
I hear you Nadja - I keep coming across sentences that just need one more tweak... And I still have to start the final round of word choice, etc. edits.
Oooh, you read the houseparties? Aren't they the greatest? Do hope you can join in the next one!
Deniz Bevan said…
Oh no, don't say that Cate! I'll never be able to write another bedroom scene again if I have to think of it as action! They're sort of in a sweetness-and-light-and-character-development grey area...

Thank you Glynis, JR, Jamila, Nas and Beth!
Robin M said…
Alright - 5 more to go and you'll be done. Yeah! I'm avoiding the bedroom scene for now and working my characters up to that point. :)
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks Robin! Good luck with your scenes.