Jumped ahead to a tough part, although I'm not into the worst of it yet. I saw today that while sometimes it's good to get things right before you move on, other times it's just dumb. It's extremely clear that some of the problems I was having with tone are going to dissolve under revision. That sounds good, but it might not be because I've got to go back and cast everything in a different light. I'm a little worried that I'm going to dig my way into this and eventually run out of places to dig--and that's how I'll learn that none of this is going to work. The whole ms, an unworkable story. I cannot imagine a worse hell at this point.

So. I guess tomorrow the thing to do is continue to look at the tough part, although I'm not even sure what scenes need to be in it, or what all they need to do. I have a vague idea, but that's it.

What's tough about them? I guess that they're the kinds of scenes you'd prefer to write around if you could--too raw, too close to the emotional bone for this character and, therefore, for me. Of course, this means a very real risk of overwritten melodrama. On top of that, the rest of the story rides on these scenes because they provide the motivation for everything that follows--every despicable, unlikeable act the MC does. I have to somehow get the reader on board, or if not on board, at least sympathetically wishing they could warn the poor guy not to do what he's going to do. And if I can't do allllll that, the whole story falls.

Somebody remind me, please--why didn't I just get a job flipping burgers? Oh yeah, that's right--the smell of grease. We'll see how much longer that seems like a minus.