It’s October. The veil between worlds is thin, and the old gods demand tribute. Blood will flow! Muahahahahahaa! Maybe I should have waited to post this until tomorrow, Friday the 13th (or lucky you to the Australian readers), To post my sacrifice piece. Okay, not a blood sacrifice, but I donated part of my soul to the cause.
It doesn’t happen a lot, and maybe it should more often. I don’t know. I had spent a fair amount of time writing chapter 42. One of the last chapters in “Emergence Ascended.” I am wrapping up the main conflict and setting up for the satisfying conclusion that will make or break my book. Nothing is worse than getting invested in a story only to have it fall flat in the end. (my new fear). I recently watched a movie that did just that, though I can’t remember the name because I try to forget disappointment.
The chapter flowed well and had all the elements I was hoping for. The tone was right, and I think it invoked the emotion I was trying to instill. Then, I deleted it. I even set up for it a couple times in earlier chapters (I had to go back and change those breadcrumbs, too)
It was painful. I do not get much time to write (this book could have been completed a year ago, to be honest), so the writing I do accomplish is precious. I deleted it because, even though I knew where I was going, it didn’t read like I wanted when I got there. My inner critic told me things like, “It’s pretentious, expository, and leaned too heavily on outside references.” DELETE.
Sometimes, sacrifices are needed, and some are even worth it. So, I have mixed feelings, but the strongest is eagerness. Excitement to take another approach. I am so close to the end, its worth my effort to make sure the reader gets the best out of me.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my post!
Hand-prints of Darkness 
Every writer must pay tribute to the writing gods lol. I know it’s not easy deleting large parts especially an entire chapter. But in the end if it didn’t sound like what you were going for it needed to be done.
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When you know your going down the wrong path, its never to late to turn around. I’ve got about a paragraph in to the rewrite of the chapter and I am already feeling better about it. So no regrets (of course I kept a copy of it just in case I changed my mind) Thanks for commenting!
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I’m glad the rewrite is going well, sometimes you just know what works and what doesn’t. Haha yes it’s best to keep a copy just in case. My pleasure!
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Stephen King is my guru. Kill your darlings. I don’t read his books because I am a wimp, but his book On Writing was sooo good for me.
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Yes, Its a great book.! Thanks
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Oh yes, October! Only a few of us know about the significance of October and only some of us FEEL October. If stuff can go down, it’s going to go down in October.
So God be with you. I mean that. In October witches dance and brew for Halloween- they do – and that’s why it’s a battle. A Catholic prophesy emerged to tell us, and don’t let it put you off – that the great tribulation in Revelation starts today. The 13th of October has many Catholic past years events. For the Jews it is on the 9th of Av. 2 temples destroyed. Jews evicted from countries. The final solution was signed. So today is significant. I pray a hedge of protection about you. Fear not. I will never leave you, Jesus said. Write on. I identify so much with your process. I must work on John Wilson, my new book today. Bless your heart.
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I always felt that Friday the 13th was really only bad luck if you were a Templar lol. Thank you, I appreciate the concern. Take care.
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