Dear Hyperactive Muse.

[auronlu]

Since you have been weirdly active after about a year of near-catatonia, we are going to try an experiment.

I shall not post a chapter until a respectable chunk of note-taking for dissertation has occurred. Say, four books, since right now the books are dense and requiring me to read most of them.

Be honest.
Try.

THAT should be a big-ass carrot, at least until this spurt of inspiration dries up. And it'll help make sure I don't post too fast for my readers.

Because I flippin' have the next chapter FINISHED, at least the raw draft. Admittedly half of it was written for the previous chapter and postponed. (Did I succeed in keeping chapter 20 under 2000 words? Noooo. Phail. But either it's just going to have to be 2200, or else divided into two pieces of around 1000, which would only postpone the problem again.)

What is WRONG with me these days?
 

Comments

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

Muggy thought my 2400 word chapter 16 was "loooooooong". Hmmm. Oh well! Good to know.

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

This is one of those cases where you can't please everyone, so you have to settle for pleasing yourself. :) I agree with trekqueen that some chapters plod while others fly by, and length seems to have little to do with it. I believe that a chapter should be a complete thought, and that some stories just demand longer chapters. My AGL chapters average 3000-3500 words; DSHnD chapters are somewhat longer, usually between four and five thousand words, and the shortest chapter in my current story ("Aftermath") is over six thousand. It all depends on the story, I think, although I don't think it's an accident that my chapters get longer over time.

Anyway, more meta than you asked for. :) I don't remember chapter 16 seeming particularly long.

(Also, to butt in on your conversation below ;) I believe there are some nice tea places in the Long Beach area, if that's a good mid-way point for you.)

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

Hee. I don't know enough about anywhere.

And I am very grateful for the meta. I think my natural breakpoint tends to be 2200-2800 words most of the time, so trying to cut these chapters shorter (due to two reader suggestions) has been difficult. I may dispense with the attempt.

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

*buts in too* :D

Long Beach is good too! ^_^ I've had friends checking out Tea Houses that seem to be gaining in popularity recently. There's this one Vintage Tea Leaf and Elise's Tea Room, which looks to be the oldest in the area. And I found this site that covers a few cities in the vicinity.

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

I like tea, but I was joking-- I just meant I drink tea when others would drink booze or coffee. Starbucks has adequate tea. However, if you're in the mood for a tea house, Elise looks fun!

Or some other lunch place. I'm not the most formal person, so traditional English tea houses intimidate me slightly. Pick someplace! Um... what day is your shoulder thingie? Might we get together before it at, say, 11:30 for a nosh?

I'm afraid I'm going to let this week slip by while buried in shopping, writing, and dissertation.

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

heh, well if we're doing 11:30 lets do lunch then. lol I was thinking maybe we could hit the beach or somewhere near it like Huntington/Seal Beach which is close for you and not too far for me to get back to my appointment.

[muggy-mountain.livejournal.com]

But then, this comes from someone who's been criticized for having 700~ word chapters. Heh.

BTW, sorry I haven't been keeping up with LHAD. I've been kind of suffering school death over and over, with finals ready to hit.