On the 24th of May I had 8 scenes to write.

After tonight I have 3 left.  And (if I keep what I started months ago) one of them is half-written already.

“Now do I most grudge a time of rest or halt in our chase.”

(recognize the line?)

Spoken about both the urgency and distance of the goal, and even reaching a stopping spot before midnight it’s the only line in my head.

I am cheered by the steady progress– I feel I’ve been more disciplined in latter days than earlier this year– but at the same time, by increasing the length of the project, I’ve slowed every stage.

~ ~ ~

Out of perhaps nine samples I put out at the beginning of the month I have received back three (though two others have been promised, they’ve not yet materialized) and here I have a significantly different version.

There are some higher-stakes readers I avoided giving the story before, but now I feel desperate enough that I might ask for their help with the next round.  And I’ll still want to re-read it fully in the new form before I can be comfortable passing it to them.

So— on we go.  It is a cheering thing: to see the end grow nearer, even though it is not yet in reach.

But tiring, also: we are still too far out for a final sprint.