Okay, have made it to 28K on the novel-turning-into-novella, and I think they’re solid so far, have sent out to beta readers. About 3/4 of the way through, hopefully?
A lot of this process is cutting away deadwood verbiage and focusing in on sharp scenes, though there’s also been some general recasting of character and plot, as I refocus from a save-the-planet novel to an intimate family story.
I have some hopes that by the end of this story, I’ll have evolved the characters in such a way that they might actually fit into a save-the-planet novel at some point, some day? Maybe.
But that’s a problem for another day (and likely another year). For now, let’s just focus on getting a decent novella.