progress and avoidance

So far, I’ve rewritten a chapter that badly needed it, thrown together a rough synopsis of the novel, and am right now compiling all my worldbuilding notes: lists of scholarly books, folktales and other cultural detritus, maps, constellations, etc.

Yet, for all this progress, I feel like I’m avoiding revising this book.

At this point, what I really need to do is to go through and insert a character who turns up at the very end. After I’m done with that, I have no excuse to not send this out to my betas (*waves to The Husband/Tech Guy and the lovely Jo Anderton*).

And I suppose I’m subconsciously dithering to avoid doing that. To avoid having my betas point out the gaping plot holes, the Characters Acting Dumb moments, the stretches of yawn-inducing prose. Even though that’s their job. They’re supposed to help me make this better, and right now, I’m too blinkered to see the flaws in my story.

It’s like getting a shot. I know it’s good for me, but I still avoid getting one whenever I can.

I’m normally not dragging my feet when it’s time to get a critique, but this time around it feels all different.