The cover picture of this post shows my serious attempt to get a better overview of the novel. After a first “walk-through'—meaning the digital correction of typos, additions etc. and the addition of four chapters by splitting long ones and adding others—I sat down and did brief summaries of the now final 24 chapters. (A brave thing to say at this point). Simply by laying them out like this and gaining a proper overview I can answer questions like: Are the day and night times even possible? And yes, adjustments had to be made there, too. But nothing major.
It is one thing to feel a novel, another thing to actually analyze it critically—of course we all want that our novels just work as we wish, but that's not how this works. It also is work. It is the willingness to test your field of expertise for locusts—with a magnifying glass. For me this is actually fun, as I test a part or writing-performance of myself at a time that has passed. It is almost like I pad my own shoulder or kick my old me in the butt. I distance myself entirely from the novel, after taking a week break after a proof read, I am back at square one, with a set of new eyes, because I am that forgetful. That is true! Bad, if you want to perform, live on stage, your own songs that you have played 1000 times since 25 years but can't remember the lyrics; great if you want to correct your own novel. A gift actually.
All these post-its … usually at this point of my work there are about a dozen on 300 pages, these are, uh, I don't even know how many! What are they? So, after correcting all the jazz that is easily to check and change, there are those deeper moments, times for memories maybe, or a callback, or something to reap that you sow, or even the other way around, and character stuff. Literally the stuff that makes a novel great for me. And I will take the time it needs to weave these things in. Because without I have mediocrity. Nobody needs that. I didn't invest my life time to waste it short before the finish line. I estimate the entire December for this part of the novel. No winging it.
Thank you so much for your time. If you have questions, any, please leave them in the comments.