Docx is smaller, but with 1TB drives having double digit prices, Word Processor document size just isn't an issue with me anymore. I'm sticking with .doc since nearly anything can open it.

If it's too late to incorporate, then I'll put looking at Sam to rest. I hope I was able to help in some small measure.

I'm getting close to having revised chapter 17 done, then 18, then the plot will start to accelerate and revision should get a bit easier. Once advantage to being a chapter ahead of both beta exchange people is more time to press ahead on revision. I've fallen behind where I'd like to be. My goal of finishing by the end of the year has been moved back to St. Patrick's Day. I'll be doing well to just get through the first revision by the end of the year and St. Patrick's Day may be optimistic.

I'm a bit torn right now on what to work on. OTOneH, I feel like the characters need more work to have more, you know, character and that makes me want to go back to earlier chapters to work on dialogue, physical beats, inner monologue (thought that's mostly one character), and descriptions. OTOtherH, I want to press forward, trying to do better on those things and going back later. Maybe I should just switch back and forth and multitask. I'm feeling kinda down about the whole thing and the main reason is the characters. OTThirdHand, doing that threatens to escalate word count and even my plan of cutting out a section of plot, word count might get too high.

My advice, for what it's worth, would be to continue work on the story, write it out to the end, revising as you go. You can make notes, or do character sketches, small scenes, backstory, but with no intent of including any of it in the actual book. It's just for you to flesh out the characters to yourself so you can write them clearer to your readers.

I think if you keep going back before you go forward you'll make yourself crazy, lose the natural momentum of the story, and the end won't ever measure up to the beginning.

...not that I'd know anything about that.

Bev, that passage that was driving me nuts? Continued driving me nuts and I tweaked it more (although I've moved on, I swear.) But it's up in my blog if'n you want to take a look and offer a thought.

I think if you keep going back before you go forward you'll make yourself crazy, lose the natural momentum of the story, and the end won't ever measure up to the beginning.

That sounds wise. The rough draft gives me a backbone, but the revision is so extensive that I think you're right about losing momentum.

I've just been worrying about the characters lately, well, you've been kind enough to read some of it so you've probably seen some of my concern. I think things are a little thin.

I really subscribe to the "do one thing all the way through" mode of writing. Finish this revision, then do another complete pass.

I really subscribe to the "do one thing all the way through" mode of writing.

I'm with Amy. I can get stuck on a single paragraph for two days if I don't trudge through the muck to get back into a rhythm.

I hate revising. Really I do.

I hate revising. Really I do.

I've learned to do it. But there's nothing I hate more.

With this revision, I almost feel like I'm writing a draft again, though there are places where I actually work on existing text.

I'm sending out chapters in two waves right now. Wave one to the generous, kind, and wonderful beta readers and wave two to my beta exchange people. When I read over the chapters and incorporate some stuff from wave one, I've just started trying to fix flat bits here and there.

Stuff like ------------------ They continued on their way to the archives in the majestic Church of the Isle, located on an island in the river that cut through the Park District. The Church looked stunning against the background of the park's gardens, tree, and winding paths. The Park District was the only place in the Empire where priceless empty land was used for such beauty.

The Church itself was impressive. The cathedral rose at least one hundred feet high and was made of a white stone that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Other Church buildings stood next to the cathedral, but they were far more utilitarian in nature. Aimee remembered how beautiful the sight was in full daylight. She hadn't visited this island in years.

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Into this

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They turned off the great boulevard to take a wide and winding path into the Park District. Insects chirped and clicked among the plants and trees that lined the path, and buzzed in swarms around the indigo light of the park's glow lamps. Sweet smells drifted in the warm breeze of the summer night to remind Aimee of the flowers now muted in color by the moonlight. In no other place in the Empire did priceless empty land get used for the simple display of nature's beauty. A big maple tree that Aimee liked to read under stood nearby; she stared at it for a moment as they passed.

A river sliced through the great park and divided around a section of land to form an island. Their path led to an old stone bridge that crossed over the river and onto that section of land, taking them to the majestic Church of the Isle. The cathedral rose at least one hundred feet high, made of a white stone that shown bright in the moonlight. Other Church buildings stood nearby, but their square construction and dull stone paled in comparison. Aimee could remember the grand sight of that white stone in full daylight although she hadn't visited in years.

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I think I might still do that since I can't help it when sending out the second wave. Shoot, just reading that makes me want to change stuff.

I've gone totally incoherent in the post now. Ah well, I don't know what I'm doing, but hopefully I'll learn eventually. For the most part I think I'll take the advice to advance, I know I'll come back around to the beginning again.

I've learned to do it. But there's nothing I hate more.

I'm a whack job. I always loved it, at least until the Carmen book, when what the editor wanted seemed change with every pass through. But revisions as a whole, I really enjoy.

::holds out arms for white-jacket fitting::