My buddies are definitely ahead of me for word count, and oddly I am finding this very satisfying. I know that I have this to look forward when I recover from this energy-sucking, probably infected tooth.

Meanwhile, I’m doing plot puttering: finding new things to stick in the scenes, laying out word counts and scene lists and chapter divisions. I’m developing the increasing conviction that the book — well, both of them — exist, out there in Platonic space. They’re just waiting for me to write them.

I’m finding lately that I’m thinking a lot about overarching structure. I’m rereading favorite novels (new and old) and saying, “oh yes, so that’s how you do it.”