North Hollywood, California
All right - the House of Dreams conundrum is solved. I did bring in Captain Jim instead of Susan, who will make her appearance in the Rainbow Valley section. Crisis averted!

Now comes the next scene to write... The Alpine Path section. The book - not the poem or the song. Originally I had Maud sitting on the porch at Leaskdale reading her mail and commenting on The Alpine Path, but it just ain't workin' for me. Besides, Maud has been in every scene so far in Act II and when are we supposed to age her? So Leo and I agreed that it would be a good idea to take Maud out of the scene and let the 1917 part of the story be told by the other characters. How exactly that will take shape, I don't yet know. I swear, Act II has just been a bear from the very beginning. Oh, I knew it would be more of a challenge compared to Act I, which was in itself enough of a challenge...and I'm certainly up to these challenges! I just like to complain about them. :) No, really, the second half of Maud's life was just a lot more complicated than the first and it stands to reason these scenes would be a lot more complicated as well. But I'm making progress, and I'll get the next scene figured out somehow. That is, if my cold passes - I got sick 4 days ago and I'm just glad I haven't had to do much writing since then! Blessed be to the Universe that my symptoms are much mellower than they could be.

I don't know if I'm allowed to say this or not, but I got my first official feedback on Act I from Sally Cohen, who represents the heirs of L.M. Montgomery. She likes it! This is especially gratifying because it's one thing to write it and judge it for myself, still another to put it in front of Leo. I've always been a big one to be a legend in my own living room. But to get positive feedback from Sally means I'm doing it right, and that makes whatever scene-by-scene challenges that come up worth it. Besides, if it was easy, anyone could do it! :) Thank you, Sally, publicly, for the vote of confidence!

Now...this should be an interesting week in the life of Act II. Frede dies, and we discover Ewan's melancholia. Those have to be some powerhouse scenes! Are you ready for it? I'm ready for it!

I think!