September 20, 2003
Wheeeeeeee!
I don't remember being quite this exhilarated about The Host. I mean, when I finished it, I was excited and happy, but I knew the ending had some serious problems, and getting to that point was painful and no fun.
No, I didn't finish The Exile's Daughter, although that's getting closer every day. I did, however, finish up the beginning of the end. I'm starting the last act, so to speak. Secrets have been revealed, and things don't look so good for our heroes. Some very bad things have happened.
And I couldn't be happier.
I just wrapped up a chapter, and I had to stop for a little bit, just to let the "oh my god, that was so COOL!" factor die down a little bit. It's not perfect. I already know the last scene or two could use some reworking, but the action itself is just right.
I can hear some of you ask, "But Lisa, you have an outline, didn't you know what was going to happen?" The answer is no. I should post some of my 'outline' sometime. Occasionally I'll put a specific plot point in the outline, but usually it's just "So-and-so finds out X about So-and-So #2"--no mention of how or why. That comes in the writing. That's what makes the first draft fun. I know what's going to happen--some of the time, anyway--but not how. And then there're the times when I think I know what's going to happen, but the characters hijack the story and it turns out otherwise. I think that's my favorite thing of all, because the characters are almost always right about what should happen.
Very excited. Too excited, at the moment. I think I'll go have lunch before diving back in to work.
