Made some decent progress today. I realized that in skipping around trying to eliminate some of the telling and make it more show-y, I was losing track of my MC's style and voice. He's not a talkative guy. So I went back to p. 1 and started honing in terms of his persona, and got to chapter 3, I think. Now the story so far makes sense to me (at the moment), which is good. My tentative plan is to continue this and go straight through the first third of the book--some of which I've already rewritten, some of which has not been touched in months. I was deliberately skipping this one part that I don't know what to do with (cut it? trim it? focus it?) but perhaps if I proceed with character in mind it will fall into place. Perhaps not, but it might. Seems like the thing to do for now, anyway.

There are writers who plan everything out in advance. I don't think I know any personally, but I've heard they do exist. It sure sounds a lot more professional to have a clue what the f*ck you're doing. Alas, such is not my lot.