Hard At Work.

Again, we’ll open with the regular excuses.

It’s been a busy week, busy enough that I can’t even figure out where it all went, and suddenly it’s October??? How did that happen?

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures that show what I was doing yesterday instead of revising the novel or writing a blog post. All the stars suddenly aligned and not only was it a beautiful day, but there was someone else around who could call for help, or arrange the funeral, should I find a quick way down from fitting the barge boards to the Rabbit Barn.

Full disclosure, I absolutely hate heights and more than once tried to take a step back into thin air beyond where the platform was.

Muddling Up The Plans.

Nobody in the English-speaking world who doesn’t deliberately ignore current affairs in the U.S. can be ignorant of the recent developments in the news. I’ll try to keep the blog non-partisan, but the situation, in a nutshell, is the current Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, has been accused of sexual assault back in 1982.

None of that has anything to do with any story element.

What has given me cause for concern is how people are reacting to the situation as it develops. In The Old Man I’ve been endeavoring to make sure that the issues that are addressed are dealt with in a way that refers directly to the contemporary world and that people react in the same way they do in reality. What use is a dystopian story if there’s no way to connect it to the day-to-day existence that we all experience?

More Research.

So this week I’m going to hit the pause button on the redraft and trawl the internet for all the reactions and positions that this kind of thing usually churns up. I hear it from all quarters of the world. It’s impossible to escape, but setting the core issue aside and suspending any judgement of the process, accuser or accused, the important thing is how are decent people reacting?

It’s important to me that all the characters in my novel react and respond authentically. It’s interesting and challenging because I have to present characters who hold views I can’t justify or rationalize, and make them believable, make them human. Real people hold these views I find abhorrent and they’re as human as I am.

Besides, as much as anything, this novel is a way to reach out to those people who disagree with me and with whom I disagree, and perhaps, after all the venom and insults, being treated with respect might be refreshing for them.

Looking Forward.

On Monday I’ll be touching base with how far I’ve gotten and whether I’m in a position to get back into the redraft, but from Tuesday until Sunday I’ll be away for a family visit. With that in mind, it’ll might possibly be the 22nd before I can get firmly back to revising the text.

Additionally, with the weather cooling, the opportunities to finish the Rabbit Barn should become more numerous and the pressure is going to increase to get a lot of other things done around the property, so this is going to continue to be an as-and-when kind of project.

Have a great week and I hope to have more positive news on Monday.

Categories: Research, Revision, The Old Man, Work Update, Writing