Month end progress report (Patreon)

Well, I missed Friday's post, but that's only because I didn't want to write two similar posts in a row.  This way I can do everything in one go. So, how is the development of the new chapter going? Well, it's still being written.

Why does it take more than a month to write? Basically, it wouldn't take that long, but Chapter 9 Part II has undergone a pretty major change. The party that Kendra invited Rick to in chapter 8 (if Terence asked him to watch his wife) is in this chapter. Two things to know about this party.

The first one: I had originally planned to put it in a much later chapter, and it was going to be Reg Argay's party. Both Cora and Rick would have gone to it either together or separately with different chaperones (or Cora could have been Reg's partner). And then what happened here would have led us to Cora and Rick entering into an open marriage, divorce or do not change their lives. Sound familiar? If so, it is not by chance. This is essentially the purpose of Chapter 10, in which Cora goes on a journey. It defeats the purpose of the party, and that's why it's moved here.

Yes, but that's no reason to write for so long. True, but that's where the second thing to know comes in.  Even before the writing started, Rick's only going to the party if Terence asked him to watch Kendra was a problem. But on the other story thread, Rick has nothing to do. And I didn't want the focus to shift to Cora at the end of the chapter. So it occurred to me that he could do something with Ashley or Miranda, but the problem with that was that there were already too many scenes in the chapter. If I put in a couple of completely new ones with new locations and events, it would really push the development time. In the meantime, I started working on the party scene, and I also realized that it's a pretty important scene with important characters, so I decided that Rick would definitely be involved.

How will he go if Kendra doesn't ask him? Well it was already clear from Chapter 9 Part I that Jake will be there, so it's an obvious choice that he invites Rick. But what should the reason be? This question was finally answered by Cora. And once it all came together, I just had to fit Ashley and Miranda into the picture, because I didn't want to give up Rick meeting them.

Eventually the chapter came together and turned from a side thread into the main section of the chapter, which I have to write in four different forms: with Kendra, Ashley, Miranda, and of course if Rick doesn't bring an escort. And that is why it takes longer to write. Although there is some overlap between scenes, if Ash, Miri or Kendra are present in a scene, the dialogue is a bit different or something else happens. And of course, previous decisions also have an impact on the scenes, which I also have to pay attention to. On top of that, I also had to solve the problem of why Rick and Cora's mutual acquaintances would not tell Cora that her husband was attending the party with another woman. I should note here that sometimes such rethinking leads to very interesting possibilities, as in this case. I didn't even think about it until I got to that scene with the writing.

When will the writing be done? I don't know yet. The party section has been resolved, and all I have to write now is the part about Rick not being accompanied by a woman. This is the simplest option, as it leaves out moments with his chosen partner.  And then there is the scene of the evening, but that's not easy either - although I don't have to think it up and work it out, just write it. So that will be a quicker job. However, now my "day job" is also taking up a lot of my time, which also doesn't help my writing pace. But overall, I think it's a great chapter that will bring satisfaction to many.

Meanwhile, the gallery is progressing well, with the 49th picture completed today. The above picture is of course not from the gallery, I just wanted to show you what the ladies will be wearing to the party.