My dear first readers,
You were right. I did need another vaudeville scene but going back and adding that meant that I needed to massage the chapters on either side of the new scene. This is slower than just writing a new chapter, but it’s faster than trying to figure out where to put it after I finished the whole darn book. This is why I like having you read along.
So, there’s a new scene for you in Chapter 14.
There were also changes before that and some after that to make the new scene fit. So let me tell you what the retcon for this one is:
- Cora is using a different stage name beginning with Chapter 13. She starts going by Clara Fontaine at The Lyric
- Chapter 15 now has conversation about planning their new act.
Besides that, there are other minor changes in tone, but nothing that will affect plot. Thanks for reading along.
Here’s today’s teaser.
Cora stood in the wings, heart pounding as she stood next to Mr. Jernigan and watched the act in front of them. Another wave of laughter went up as the youngest Keaton got knocked flat on his face by his father. The child seemed to be made of rubber. She had seen him knocked down, thrown, and tripped with a broomstick. The child’s deadpan expression seemed to provoke the audience to ever increasing bouts of laughter. The family was slaying the audience.
The boy tumbled head over heels and Cora’s sense of doom grew. If the manager thought she could follow this, he was out of his mind. There should be a spectacle after this, like a gymnastics act or a contortionist. Cora’s act was going to be too quiet, even with Mr. Jernigan’s additions.
If you aren’t currently reading along and would like to, check out the introduction and ground rules. Since I just made some serious revisions, having fresh eyes to tell me about flow would be welcome.
