I did some planning, wrote out a map for the rest of Ch. 8, and THAT was a bitch. Constant distractions, which I succumbed to. Check the bank balance. Google the life cycle of fungus gnats, so I can develop a plan of attack for a couple of houseplants that have them. Make more tea. Look to see when I’m going to get charged for Daily Burn? Look at the upcoming bills. Contemplate whether or not I need to get something for Valentine’s Day.

ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh

But the book… the map for the rest of chapter 8, I am probably in a position to draft a more penned-in map of the rest of the book, this is where it gets scary. It is new territory, and it is getting closer to the end, setting up for the final showdown (have I done the work to set it up??? I feel like I haven’t — it’s okay, my love, it’s okay. This is all scary shit. I think if I finish this draft I will have enough of a book to send it out… and there will be time to perfect the setup and the ending…Just write in the words, this is the general thrust of the thing, this is how it is going to be. There will be time to fix details, there will be another draft where you will be able to refine things, right now you are re-building bones and support structures and that is hard. Just get it up, down, whatever, I can’t remember what metaphor we’re working with. House, creature, journey. Just keep moving through.)