CAKES ARE NOT THE ONLY THING WITH LAYERS

Over the past two or three days, I've taken a step backwards to look at the narrative arc of the story. It did not take too long to realize that greater tension could be created by shifting between scenes of the hero, Father Pedro Villanueva and the antagonist, Vilma Espin. To do this I used a process called layering. For a good analysis of the technique, see http://writerunboxed.com/2011/01/30/3-layers-of-layering-in-fiction/.

Of course along the way, I tripped over many expressions that had me banging my head against my desk asking myself how could I have written something so awkward. The truth is, I love to edit, to play with the rhythm and the sound of words. Sometimes, I have to stop myself from playing with the language, searching for just the right word or expression, and just write the damn words down and get on with it. As a result, a lot of the editing that should take place during the second and third drafts is occurring right in the middle of the first draft, delaying its completion.

I did manage to take a break today and took Sammi Harris, our 9-year old dog to the dog laundry. It's not really called that, but the description is apt. The place is called Splash Hound USA and is 15 minutes away in West Sacramento (www.splashhoundusa.com). Tony, the owner, is wonderfully gentle with her and manages to grind down her swordlike claws to a pleasantly dull point. Suncita and I did the actual washing. Most of the shampoo got on Sammi, but inevitably the suds got on us, as well. Here's an "after" shot of Sammi and Tony outside the shop:

I will not be getting much writing done tomorrow. Although it will be Sunday, I have a meeting literally on the shore of Lake Tahoe at 1:30, to discuss the sale of some lakefront property that has been in a family for four generations.