The Grey Road, around the halfway point of this revision, is 22 pages shorter than it was before. I've saved the earlier draft, but I really don't think I'm going to miss anything from it. Let's say you could refill the Ogallala Aquifer with the wells I've removed from the dialog.
My cramps started early. Oh, hurrah.
I finished reading Double Feature (and am still singing under my breath, dammit: "Will and Emma's Double Feature, but nobody built a creature..." -- some people's friends), and I have a bit to say about "Why I Write Fantasy" (thanks,
pegkerr and pameladean; it was indeed a good thing for me to read), but not just now. Just now I'm going back to pruning the heck out of The Grey Road and reading K.J. Parker's Pattern and starting the chili. Chili and cornbread is comfort food around here. When we lived in Concord and markgritter had a 2.5 hour one-way commute once a week, it was always chili night so that we could eat whenever he got in and it would be ready and hot in the crockpot. I didn't start it in the crockpot this morning, but I think it'll still be good comfort food. Chili and Advil. Cures what ails ya. 