As I continue my editing mania, I have finally come to a conclusion.
There is absolutely no way I am getting this manuscript down to 90k words. Nope. In fact, it’s going back up. Those 5,000 words I deleted in my first round of editing? Already down to 4,000. And having gone through all my scenes for Elizabeth’s love interest and realizing how much I’m shorting him, I’m about to add even more words.
If you are an agent reading this, I swear, I know how to cut words down. Just…not in this manuscript, apparently. But in my defense, it is historical fiction, which, according to a lot of sources, can be up to 150k words! And it takes place over 5 months on the Oregon/California Trail! How am I supposed to cut that down? Okay, enough of that.
I know I only have two days left in the week but, against all odds, I’m still hoping to finish editing it this week. I am not sure how…exactly…but one must have a goal to proceed, right? It probably would help if I stopped second guessing my own research. I got stuck on another thing for a couple hours today…but this was legit. I realized that, in 1859, the wagon train would probably have taken Johnson Pass instead of going over West Pass – not that it REALLY matters – but West Pass is so much prettier. And also, I am having a hard time tracking down as many details for Johnson Pass. So now I can’t decide what to do. Go with the one that is written about more, or the one that is more historically accurate? Gah, the details! The decisions! THE WORRY OVER WHO IS GOING TO JUDGE ME WHEN I GET SOMETHING WRONG!
And on that note, I should probably go do something not writing related…
Forest Idylls 