So I've now edited up the first 40 pages of the book, which are now officially known as chapters 1, 2, and 3. Couple of partial scene rewrites -- there are numerous parts of dialogue that just don't read properly, or are too engineered around a certain passages. When I go back to touch up or add parts to dialogue, it tends to be at the cost of the flow. Sometimes the best thing you can do it take away the dialogue altogether and let them start again, which is what I've been doing. Too hard to tell if they work at this point -- they need to be in context before you can tell if they sit well. I'll probably have to read through the book again to catch them.

The new chapter structure is working out well. Or is that just that I'm happy to see the first three parts in a different form? Honestly, there are parts in the first 50 pages that are over 3 years old, and I got sick of reading them a long time ago. At least way, the book feels a little bit new to me.