I got yelled at on Twitter for not having updated my blog since…July. That was in October, and here it is November, so I might be doing this wrong.

Never you mind! Onwards and upwards! Storm the castle! Hip! Hip! Hooey! No time like the present, said Bryan. Never.

So what have I been doing with my time? Lots. And lots.

For one thing, I’ve been tink, tink, tinkering away at my manuscript. Back in July, I mentioned I was done, but had 35,000 words to cut. since then, I’ve added another 3,000 words in the process of rewriting and honing the ending, but I’ve cut a net of 36,300 words, leaving me at 121,699 words as of right now. If you remember, my goal is an even 120,000 words, or less.

Each new word I cut gets harder and harder, but I think I can get those last few cut without making any more cuts to the plot. I’ll also mention that each and every word I’ve cut needed to go, and not because I have a hard limit, but because they weren’t needed.

While there were a couple of whole (yet, unnecessary) scenes cut, most of what has been cut has been stupid, unneeded, words. Oh, and a few rabbit holes I went down. Boy, do I like my rabbit holes when I write.

Yay learning!

In the meanwhile, I hope to have the manuscript ready for my beta readers in the next two or three works. This will be the first time that 70% of this book has been read by anyone other than me and my critique partner. The beginning is new, the middle has been greatly streamlined, and the last half is entirely new.

Accordingly, I am excited about getting some new feedback.

Other things taking my non-TMO time include obsessing over Bitcoins, working on a side business idea(s), and watching Joss Whedon’s new show. It is so good to have Joss back on TV.

I might post more on some of these side things, but my novel remains my top (non-day job) priority.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.