I cut 5,000 words from my manuscript today. To be honest, I was relieved to see them go. You know that point when you realize that every chunk you can cut is another chunk you don’t have to revise? Oh, yeah. I’m there.

So, now I have revision notes to my page numbers. Specifically, something to tell me what page comes after page 27. It’s 38, in case you’re wondering.

A little math in my head, and that brings me to a very conservative word count, so I’ll have some space, at least to play around with some of the scenes I really did think existed.

There are exactly two lengths of manuscript, and somehow, I usually manage to bounce between them for my entire revision. There’s the Oh, shit, I’ve written a pamphlet length, and the oh, shit… did I really have to use every word in the English language length. There is no middle ground.

The most recent cut means I’ve gone from not a lot of space to play with to… just barely squeaking into my goal range. (But don’t worry, there are some gaps I still need to fill in.)

I’m looking forward to a mellow, introvert’s Thanksgiving in a few days. Something where I can get some actual work done, and maybe coax a piece of pie out of the universe. Holidays… well, you know the definition of Holiday, right? A holiday is any day on which you run a significant risk of having to explain the word homoerotic to Aunt Thelma. (No, no context. why?) So I’m having a Thanksgiving non-holiday.

My revision is on schedule, my nanowrimo is mostly not. And as for the holidays? I’m escaping.