Just to prove that I really did make it underground last week! Sadly the caves where my story is set aren’t limestone (from my geology searches so far anyway) which means no stalagmites and stalactites but it was still good to get down in the cold and dark. It’s absolutely not my favourite thing as I’m a teeny bit claustrophobic but what I mean is it was good for research. And it was lovely and cool on a very hot day.
The last couple of weeks have been focused more on developing story B and getting to know more about my MC2. It’s firmly back to story A next week and then the two strands will weave into each other. I estimate I’m nearly 1/3 in. I was trying to work out whether, if I do a chapter a week for the rest of the holidays and then 2 chapters per week next term, I can be finished by Christmas. I think that might be possible. It gives me a long term deadline as well as my weekly short term ones!
I’ve chosen two summer reads for inspiration; Jelly by Clare Rees and Under A Dancing Star by Laura Wood. They’re both YA and I’m starting to think that what I’m writing is pushing into the bottom end of that territory. I think I need to get back to the book club meetings and regroup in September and see where I am.