Lunch break

This morning when I went to the gym, it was 21 degrees outside. [That's -6.1 C.] Brrrr! And when I got there, the treadmill I usually use was acting up, as was the second one I tried. Fortunately it is never crowded that early and I had better luck on the third machine.

When I started to write this morning, I decided to jump ahead to the end of the novel. I have a good idea of how I want it to end. In some ways, what I wrote is more epilogue, I suppose. The story arc that defines the book will have ended in the (a?) previous chapter. The book could be complete without this part, but I think this ties some things up. So the epilogue came together rather nicely. It will undoubtedly get revised in the final edit because ... well, because details depend on parts of the novel that I haven't written yet. But I think the framework is solid and will survive.

I don't think, however, that I want to share the epilogue because it would definitely be a spoiler. This afternoon I will go back and pick up the story from before and maybe post some of that. If ...

Still no baby alert from next door. That's what the "If..." is about. I may find myself occupied with other things and not get back to writing.

In case that happens, FYI, the word of the day is logophile, a lover of words. My narrator is certainly a logophile, which does not necessarily mean he is based on the author. Not completely, at any rate. But I think I can work logophile into the story rather easily, perhaps to explain why a recovering drunk in Central Texas uses words like frangible and recondite and crepuscular.

And also FYI, if events preclude further composition today, the word count is 35,486. That makes my count for today's work a little short of the daily goal, but that is no biggie. Even with this morning's shortfall and cutting back the last couple of days, I am averaging more than double the rate needed to complete my 50,000 words by the end of the month.

And, no, I did not strain my arm just now patting myself on the back.