don't fear the sun.

READ-THROUGH #2 AND EDITING, DAY 5, CHAPTER 9 + 10, LEST THEY LEAVE

It's evening now, and it's been a day. I slept really well last night, so much so that I remained tired all morning, falling back asleep between nine and eleven, so I therefore didn't get to do my usual morning editing routine. That has disrupted my day somewhat and I still haven't read over today's chapters a second time, something I'll try to remedy now and the rest of the evening before bedtime.

I'll try posting some thoughts and observations and maybe quotes here.



When I read over chapter nine the first time, I was a bit underwhelmed by its intro, so I added a new opening to it, transitioning seamlessly into what I'd originally started out with. Well, time to check if that holds up, I guess. Here we go.



Well, that didn't work, but I gave it another editing round. The two first sentences I'd inserted did give the smoother transition I wanted, it was just the wording of it I had to rephrase. And there was something in the paragraph following it that also needed tweaking. I think it works now. Will just have to give it a rest and edit it once I do the last read-through on Sunday, if it still needs some.

A couple of hours later, and I read it over again and I like it much better. It's a good chapter start and I think the flow of this whole scene works. Very breezy and kinda over in a flash, like waking from a dream. Very much the impression I wanna give anyway.



Every scene with Sylvie and Armand in it is my favourite scene. This one is no less so. I worry it's a bit on the short side and that it will take away from the impact, but I just really like the very condensed feel of it, the kind of urgency that creates, so... I'll let the betas speak in this matter. If they find it too short, they gotta say so.



I love the whole adventure that Eloisa and Sylvie go on together and I kinda love how I've structured it. Lots of editing done this round, but I'm feeling confident about it, so no need to check and double check. Chapter 10 hereby done and I can start on chapter 11 tomorrow as planned. Getting closer to the finish line.





In non-writing news, I've made an extra X-mas present for my parents tonight, something homemade, a small collage with one of my poems along with a card. All the presents this year are from K. and me together, except this one. This one is just from me to them. I hope they'll appreciate. It was a spontaneous idea, so it might just be silly, but I tried.

K. and I played kalaha tonight while eating delicious cake and having warm drinks (coffee/tea) and it was wholesome, but also I'm completely wiped. I just want to sleep, but I also wanted to have these two chapters done, please and thanks.

And NaNoWriMo was kicked into motion.

I had a good, but busy and long November 1st where I got the first 2000 words written and finished my first scene! Generally happy with the writing, but can feel I'm clinging a bit to what I know, Claude as a character being a voice I'm very used to working with. Next section is from Anatole's PoV and I'm nervous on the verge of apprehensive about getting started on that, so there's a hurdle I need to get over.

I was also at a write-in yesterday, meeting up with other local WriMos, which was anxiety-provoking but also exciting. They all knew each other already, which made some old bullying traumas rear their ugly heads, but I actually managed to temper it down and enjoy myself regardless. Stayed for two hours, then had to get home in pouring rain. It was almost eight pm. when I finally made it to our front door, soaked. K. had a late day as well and we met for tea and chatting before I went to bed early.

I've signed up to host a write-in at the same place we did it yesterday, the local library, on the 9th of November and hope some people will show. If not, I'll take it as an opportunity to just get a few hours of writing time by myself, that'd be okay, too.



I finished As We Exist by Harchi and actually cried at the last few pages of the book. It's very moving, was very touchingly written. Her perspective is so tender and yet, unforgiving. She points fingers where they need to be pointed. This is one of those reads that I'm extremely grateful to have spend time and energy on and I'll remember it for a long time to come.

Next up, "Towards a New Socialism" by Thomas Piketty, whose other works I saw randomly (or not so randomly, really, I just recognised the name and went: I see you) featured in a scene of Lupin which I have started watching. Really amazing series. I know nothing about the source material, but just the production quality of this series is so good on its own? I love it. I also ship everything. I'm halfway through season 2.



Tomorrow I'll try to take a day off, as much as I can with therapy around noon. No staying in town for too long, just directly home.

K. and I are talking about RP'ing in the evening as well as writing, so I need to collect spoons for that before she gets home. I've got a head start at my NaNo wordcount, so if I don't manage to write anything tomorrow, that's fine, I won't need to catch up too much in the coming days and over the weekend. At least, K. has said she's going into town to write my Christmas calendar on Saturday, so I might go with her and we can both work on each ours. I love those mornings we spent in cafés, writing.



Also, did my check-in with smallfandombang, so all that is taken care of!

K. just aired the idea that we could go to Copenhagen on the 16th, Saturday next week, to see La Sylphide! It's one of the last dates they're performing it and one of my favourite girls, Stephanie Chen Gendorph, is making her Old Stage debut as the Sylph! On the same date, Holly - my other favourite girl - will be dancing the lead sylph in Balanchine's Scottish Symphony, so I'd get two favourites in one show!! Also, Jonathan Chmelensky, favourite French person ever, is dancing the lead with Holly and Alexander Bozinoff, my favourite male dancer after seeing him as Armand in Lady of the Camellias, is dancing James. Both Alexander and Stephanie are looking so good in their roles!! (There is a BTS video on the Royal Danish Theatre's website)! I really hope we get to go. Right now it's down to whether we can get okay seating, because we aren't the types to buy shitty seats to see something - mostly because K. isn't very tall and she won't see anything but the back of the person up front's head. Not worth all that hassle, getting there and such, to not be able to see properly.



So, very much still up in the air, but just the possibility that this might be happening has made me feel all giddy! And I don't have any other plans next week, so I should be able to give that extra effort and energy to such a trip!



Stephanie and Alexander looked so beautiful, even with the ugly costumes they're currently using at the RDB... So beautiful.



EDIT: Link to the video!!! Lots of talking in Danish, but just look at those shots from the ballet itself in between!!