Before & After & Inbetween

I received the 2nd turn of corrections today. I very fast scan-through told me that one scene is still a mess pov-wise. Unfortunately, real life [tm] on my end prevents me from tackling that before the weekend. :(

As usual when sending a file to solo for beta-ing, a few days later I spot (a) how to improve the ending and (b) how to include the outtake I regretted deleting, resulting in the

real pre-edit word count: 22534 (previously 20651) on 44 A4 pages (previously 40).
number of major outtakes: 0 (Yup! Spiritual Spelunking is in, albeit in a streamlined version with less speleologist admonishments!)
major deviations from planned plot: unchanged

oh, and now there's more purple and less orange, a right instead of a left hand, and clams associated with sakura. ;)

Stay tuned!

current chapter word count: 20344
pages deemed ready for edit: 38/39
scenes (re)written today: emergency coveralls, naming a COO, beach recommendation
remaining issues: the chapter finish / transition to the next part lacks oomph and reads bland - basically, the final 20-something lines still need some inspiration.

quote of the day:
"With spells like these?" she asked doubtfully, vaguely indicating Subaru.
"Let's say book thieves were never a problem of mine." Ameru put the folded jacket on top of his worn briefcase and turned for Subaru. "Ready to face that dreadful office again?" he asked.
Seishiro sighed. "The only thing dreadful remaining there is that desk, but feel free to check for spiritual stains I may have missed." He indicated the door.
"What's with the desk?" Subaru asked as they headed over to the office.
"I think I tore me a splinter sitting on it."

Update: edited to add snippet.

"On Vacation" lost 2500 words today, because "spiritual spelunking" - as much fun as it is & was to write it - is too much of a detour. Read: its 2500 words don't add enough value to the plot to justify its existence (sadly). So BAU-00 is back at 10350 words.

This also has the advantage that the "job-offer from hell for Ameru" can happen on Tuesday, which is still a work day, and thus can occur in the bookstore rather than awkwardly elsewhere. Better.

However, it increasingly looks as if the snippet related to the Mishuzi-obake will become a full-fledged chapter later on. Not chapter 1, that's already set, topic-wise, but chapter 2 or later is definitely possible. :)

Snippet of today's session:

"Just because your relatives are less literal with the backstabbing than mine doesn't mean they aren't effective antagonists, Subaru-kun. So, do you want to try that pager, or shall we spend Shiro a visit after breakfast?"

Plotwise editing of Crystal Structures is now complete. I am now preparing the actual release, as in formatting the PDFs and preparing the AO3 posts. Of these tasks, chapter 1 is now officially marked DONE. (Word and PDF are done, a printout is in my folder, and the final stats won't change on that one again.)

Just for your information, here are the stats on Crystal Structures - 1:

word count: 12.441 (including front matter & foot notes)
page count: 24 (A4; 11 pt Calibri)

...and that is the shortest chapter. Preparation took two days, albeit mostly because there were two scenes that saw some material cut for better story telling. Hopefully, I can keep up the speed next weekend. But then, no guts, no glory!

Galaxy Rangers, Ho!

Finally some progress.

Crystal Structures 6 (the Epilogue included) is currently at 18 A4 pages, 14 of which are continuous, hopefully somewhat readable text. Since I don't have an active editor for GR, that means the chances that CS will be posted this year - barring any unknown catastrophes ahead - are quite good. Which also means that all of you (yes, apparently there is still a single individual not myself lurking out here for updates), who wait for the Dekagram to continue may hope for Business As Usual beginning in 2016. We'll see.

I'm still convinced there's a gazillion threads in CS that I failed to pick up and close properly, but at least the reworked Zach & Eliza scene is coming together nicely (though I still have to finish the paragraph about the tattoo - and no, that tattoo and the backstory about it is NOT negotiable!) and do a reread on paper to see, whether or not the scene holds up to scrutiny.

If that works out, then there are only two scenes left: the honoration and the epilogue with O'Mega's parcel, both of which will remain essentially unchanged plotwise - albeit some polishing and streamlining is required. And then it's done. Stay tuned. For realz.
:-)

And for reading all this to the end, here's an excerpt of today's new stuff:

His artificial skin had felt warm and natural, but then she’d held on just a little firmer, and there’d been no bones underneath but a smooth metal structure, reminding her that there beside her was enough power to bring down a combat spacecraft.
She suppressed a shiver, recalling piloting one he’d brought down. No, that had to have been the slaverlord she’d powered. She recalled being collected off the battlefield later without so much as a scratch – and that ship had been blown apart around her.

Crystal Structures chapter 5 saw a lot of work today, growing by almost 5 continuous pages (discounting two ToDo's on the last one). I think I finally figured out how to tell the battle of the Psychocrypt in fewer words with more tension. It's all in the relative timing (more or less). I'm still unsure that I caught every plot thread properly - several revisits on paper during my morning commute will have to check for that, but overall things are looking better.

Teaser:

=Regroup.= Command ordered. =Proceed with caution.=
The floor was solid on this side, Goose noted, the entrance to the crypt ahead still open. Half the squad was on this side of the seal. Bare walls. No cover. Any forces ahead could bring enough fire power to cut through armor. Caution would kill them.
"Charge!" he barked, throwing off the helmet in favor of unhindered senses.

Final chapter (discounting the epilogue), adding some intrigue of Zach's for a change:

"—four squads in gecko suits, each led by a Galaxy Ranger with knowledge of the terrain will proceed into the interior along the axis corridors and seize control of the installation, including main control and the crypt itself. Further space marine contingents will secure the access points and locks. You will spend the next 18 hours informing yourself about the installation and the additional safety gear."

It didn't sit well with Zach that the team would be separated during the mission, but there was no way to avoid it and still make use of their experience in Crown installations. Doc and Niko stood beside him, Goose was a shadow in an unmarked, dark gray Navy overall behind the admiral. The ST either didn't receive his gear or hadn't had time to change into his proper uniform. Secret orders and legal status not withstanding, the ST was one of his people and had the right to the white-and-blues! And then there was Walsh's personal order—
Zach narrowed his eyes. He'd have to do something about this. And do it fast. "Doc," he hissed under his breath, looking pointedly at the spot right at his side, making the hacker inching closer as if just not standing quite still at attention. "Can you get us access to each others' feeds?"
Doc tilted his head, appearing to listen even more attentively to the admiral while obscuring his, "and a com link bypassing the bridge?"
Zach nodded grimly.
Doc waited for another statement of the admiral before nodding. "I'll need access to the suits, including Goose's."
"'k."

After a long, work-related hiatus, CS5 is finally getting some love again. Here's a collection of snippets I previously hauled at everyone not defriending me fast enough on Facebook:

August 20:
finally some progress on the war room planning scene. I really need time to type things into file!!!

August 23:
[Gooseman] shifted on his bunk. This was a military operation. Other than Zach, Doc and Niko, he hadn't been deployed as personnel. He'd been dispatched as property.
Package content: 1 ST type BDC, ID: 1643453, self-ambulatory, armed.
He snorted.

August 24:
"Have you heard anything about Goose?" Doc asked quietly once they were past the checkpoint.
"He's still on the Comanche. I've ordered his traveling gear to be delivered shipside."
"They really didn't let him leave yesterday?"
"No." Zach shook his head, looking grimly ahead. "There was nothing I could do after they invoked his legal status."

Overall, CS5 is now continuous text of 17 A4 pages. However, there's still important stuff left to come, namely the raid on the Psychocrypt and its aftermath, although the official conumdrum may be delegated to CS6, which has be downgraded to an Epilogue deserving the name.

Editing CS5: I finally got past the Eliza goes home scene (including Doc's famous restoration of GV), though it will still see a check-through on paper. Next will be new stuff with Walsh, Subadar and politics. Finally!

CS5 now stands at 15 edited pages with a total of 32, which is likely to fluctuate widely since I'm cutting stuff, restructuring the rest, and adding new threads (politics / Subadar) to give the plot a more firm footing. Stay tuned.

"Don't sweat it. People are still too party-brained to make trouble, anyway." He suddenly sidestepped Zach and, with a broad smile on his face, tapped at an imaginary hat. "Was nice to meet you, Mrs. F. You really ought to wear all his shirts—"
"Doc!" Zach snapped.
"—they are looking much better on you than on him."