I just reread the novella (which is called We're a Happy Family, by the way) from start to finish in an effort to figure out exactly where I should be adding stuff. I found a couple of spots that could use more development in the middle, but I think I'm mainly going to have to add on to the end. The toughest part is definitely figuring out what I want to do with the characters.

Thankfully, I left the ending fairly open after all the editing was said and done for the first part. It's actually less resolved than I thought it was, which should be a huge help. I think my biggest concern for the time being is how to avoid making it melodramatic. The plot is already extremely dark and deals with prescription drug addiction, sexual assault, and suicide, among other issues, and I know there's a fine line between making it compelling and turning it into a soap opera. It's also been a long time - almost two years - since I've done major research on painkiller addiction, so I'm going to have to pick that up again.

The good thing is, I'm really determined to do this! I forgot how much I love the story and the characters, and I really do want to challenge myself with this. It's going to be a massive undertaking with work and grad school, but I think I have the motivation I'm going to need.

Also, thanks to everyone who's started reading the blog so far! You guys will definitely be a motivating factor for me :)