So This is "That" Chapter

My struggle with this Chapter Two business is fit for a Jack London novel--some of that epic woman vs. woman stuff. These revisions are much more trying than they were for Chapter One. I keep finding holes and ideas I need to fill in and expand. Part of this process is rewarding though, I've had quite a few "oh, I wrote that" and "ah ha" moments. I've been impressed with some of my writing in this chapter, and thoroughly embarrassed as well. But at least so far, the obviously embarrassing parts have been fixed before my advisors could see them. Still much more work to be done tomorrow--mostly cosmetic work. But I'm finding that as I fix things up, the length continues to grow. So I've decided that this is "that" chapter--that chapter I've heard several peers talk about that just keeps going and going until eventually you have to just say ENOUGH!

I used to be impressed by my MA thesis. My first work of any significant length, about 120 pages or so. I'm no longer impressed. Just the Chapter One and Two of this thing is going to be more than HALF of that. I knew this would be a big project but GRACIOUS. My content chapters can't be this big--otherwise this thing will just be ridiculous. I want a manageable book and I don't know too many folks publishin 400+ page books these days. So I'm telling myself that this chapter will be the longest because it is a survey of almost 400 years of history. The content chapters--focused on a particular rhetorical text--should NOT be this long.

Here's to the "that" chapter.