Over lunch, I analyzed Lonely Orchard and I’m pleased at my results. This is about fifty percent rewrite, but the rewrite is worldbuilding and a specific detail about the conflict. The characters are spot-on, the scenes and structure are mostly right.
The biggest part of this revision is giving life to one people’s fear and hatred of another. I need to create these two nations, including why Valla’s people lost a war to them (or something that’ll hurt as much). I also need to discover–aside from Valla’s sentimental attachment to the orchard–why the trees are so important. I know the create magic, a balance of some kind, and even how it happens, but I’m missing why and the other side of how. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense to you. It does to me, and I’ll need the reminder later.
Trees and maps tonight, and maybe I’ll get some more done on the tiger story too.
DAWN BONANNO 