Writing Retreats and Alternative Math

I have a story problem for you: a writer leaves home for a four-day writing retreat in northern Wisconsin with three chapters of her book left to write. When she returns to Minnesota, she has five remaining chapters. How is this possible?

Did I mention that the writer majored in journalism in college, and not math?

Story problems are not my thing, but stories are. The answer is that I decided two weeks ago to add two more chapters to the book I am writing about my great-grandfather and his musical legacy. There was still too much to cover in the framework I had established, so I added one more history chapter and one more memoir chapter to Part III of the book (essentially turning two chapters into four). This means that the book now ends with Chapter 27 instead of 25.

Chapter 22 covers the rising musical careers of my grandfather Ronald and his brother, Percy.

I wrote a draft of the last chapter (formerly 25, now 27) more than a year ago, and I am halfway through Chapter 22, so as of today I have four and a half chapters left to write, plus an epilogue.

See why I have an aversion to story problems? They can get complicated so quickly. Imagine the added confusion if I had taken a train to the writing retreat, moving at a speed of 40 mph, and I had 11 more nickels than quarters in my purse, and my age was half the age of my third uncle's sister one removed. Yeah, love those story problems.

The only real problem with reconfiguring my book chapters was that it meant I also had to revise my personal deadline schedule. My new goal is to complete the remaining chapters by the third week of April, finish revising a couple of early chapters by May 1, and have a book proposal ready by May 15. It is an ambitious schedule, but the math seems possible: nine weeks, divided by [4.5 chapters, plus 1 epilogue, plus 6 revisions, plus one book proposal] = done!

I am attending another writing retreat in early April, and I am hopeful that it will help keep me moving in the right direction. If I leave home at 1 p.m. and drive 145 miles to the lodge, how likely is it that I will be ready for a glass of wine upon my arrival?

I know the answer to that one!