Chapter Five: The Conclusion

Here we are, at the end of Chapter Five!

Alexandra's father is incapacitated by the side of a stream. She's taken his valuable historical artifact into her care and, presumably, promised to keep it safe, riding for Barathron and the aid sure to be offered by the people there.

In Archipoli, the Provveditore has swayed the officers of the Cordelia to his side. They've bundled up Sophia, Nikos, and Katerina, escorting them outside the safety of Vignelli's walls, feeding them into the piratical meat grinder.

It will all be fine, though. Alexandra will return with help, and in a timely fashion, I'm sure.

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NOTES

• As I was posting this, I didn't like the phrasing of the first narration box, so I re-wrote it just now (below). This is a bad habit to be in, because naturally there are a ton of small changes like that to be made, so the sensible thing to do would be to do them all at once. But additionally, sometimes it means double-checking the usage of "less" and "fewer," which is not time I had accounted for. And I still don't know whether that should be "less" or "fewer," because I think it falls under one of the exceptions to the rule. I've got the file open right now and I've changed it three times during the writing of this paragraph. The Merriam-Webster link above says, "If you're a native speaker your best bet is to be guided by your ear, choosing the word that sounds more natural in a particular context," so I'll stick with "less" for now and fight it out with a copy editor sometime in the future.

• Re-reading the page where Alexandra talks about turning herself inside-out, I really wonder how this whole thing reads to fresh eyes, both in instalments and as a continuous whole. The other day I was listening to an audiobook and after the author kept banging the same note for the umpteenth time, I said, out loud, to the empty room, "oh shut the fuck up," and closed the audiobook. (The repeated note was about two lovers letting a simple misunderstanding keep them apart, unwilling to do the simple navigation to reach peace, letting it torture them while they have much bigger problems to deal with.) I don't want anyone to feel that way about PDAP. So I'm self-conscious about going on and on about an annoying theme… but on the other hand, doing so clearly hasn't stopped other people from liking that book I was listening to — it came highly recommended. I suppose all I can do is trust my own taste. One reader might groan at all of Alexandra's internal monologue while another might feel like it adds richness. I'll have faith that the story will be what it will, and the readers who like it will like it for what it is. (Maybe, in that audiobook, my "frustration with idiotic lovers" is someone else's "exciting romantic tension.")

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WHAT'S UP NEXT?

It's time for Chapter Six! Thumbnails are already done, and they've been sitting on a shelf for the past five months, so I will review them soon. I remember them being brilliant, ha ha ha, so it'll be fun to see how they look with fresh-ish eyes.

Here's what I have lined up for the rest of the summer:

• Revise those thumbnails. Let's not pretend they're not going to need it.

• Prepare for arts grant applications. Due to a system revamp at the Canada Council for the Arts, PRACTICAL DEFENCE is eligible for grant funding again! I had previously maxed out my opportunities with them (huzzah!), but apparently the old limits have been eliminated and I can start applying again.

• A secret third thing which I can't talk about, but please remind me about it in three or four months, if I haven't revealed it before then. I will not jinx it by spilling the beans now.

• Start work on Chapter Seven? Only if there's time, so that the writing and/or thumbs can marinate while I work on Chapter Six. (Oooh hoo! Chapter Seven! Just the mention of the number makes me excited about how close we're getting to the end, and all the fun things I will get to / have to write and draw.)

And next thing we know it will be September and Kiddo will be in kindergarten and I guess I will be back to working full time…? I'm excited to be able to — as the professionals put it — absolutely crush some pages, but also… I miss Kiddo already, just thinking about it.

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WHICH KIDDO?

Oh, the same Kiddo who shouted "I love books." His favourite music right now is the Jurassic Park theme, which of course I am more than happy to play on loop.

That's what I call "a win."

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Dear Reader, I hope you have enjoyed Chapter Five of PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY. Thank you for your continued support of this project, for helping put Alexandra and her family through all these trials. Things are going to get tougher for them before they get easier, and I'm excited to take you there with me.

Sharpen your swords! You will need them!

Back soon with notes on Chapter Six!

Until then,
I remain,
happy to play on loop,

TC