I’ve mentioned before I’m always trying to get the short-summary coherent. Here’s the latest incarnation that’s on my Infant Novel page.
A young woman risks marrying a “beast” in order to escape her abusive step-mother. She disenchants a good man, but her happily-ever-after is interrupted when her new husband must undertake a quest, leaving her alone to face new monsters.
Makes the guy sound a bit like a jerk, but I haven’t thought of a way around that yet. He leaves knowing other friends will be looking out for her when they can, but since it really does come down to Linnea alone, that detail didn’t seem relevant for the short-summary.
And to answer another question: no, I’ll not be doing NaNo this year. I will be spending my writing time closing the holes in this story. There are sections, closer to the end, where I haven’t worked the original manuscript since NaNo 2006.
I have whole attitudes and motivations that have changed since then (primarily because the time-frame telescoped from 3+ years down to months) so I have a fair bit of updating to do. Fortunately I am blessed with a patient friend and husband who will let me “think with my mouth open,” so I already know where I want take the update when I get to it.
I don’t think the summary makes him sound like a jerk. “Must undertake a quest…” Hey, that happens in life to a lot of good men.
And I was just going to ask about NaNo! : )