The total for that chapter, anyway.  Today’s actual tally is about a thousand words as I completed the fight scene I began yesterday.  Originally, it was going to be from Ursula’s POV, but I thought it would have more merit from Azrael’s. At least the reader can now grasp why Azrael is being such a butt toward Ursula at the moment.  This unexpected assassination attempt will break through Azrael’s distance, and get her past her bad self for the rest of the book.

The next chapter (or at least the next scene) is Ursula’s POV from the attack. I’m not going to harp on what’s already happened, just have her recall the terror and the blood coupled with the sight of Azrael facing her with bared steel.  (EEEKS!)  That will bleed into a discussion with Midia over the whole mess.  Whether or not it’ll take another full chapter to cover it all remains to be seen.

Break time!  WOOT!

Yesterday’s final tally was 2130 words.  I’m still working on today’s, but I’ve hit over 1200.

I had errands to run today, and needed to check in at work to make certain payroll was ready to go for tomorrow morning.  (My crew get so ticked off when they don’t get a paycheck!  Go figure!)

So that’s my excuse for running a little behind.  Might not make it at all, actually.  At least not the completed chapter.  Only one scene I’ve been working on – some introspection on Azrael’s part over her recent bad treatment of Ursula, leading into a surprise assassination attempt by a group of morons who think they can take her.  I would have written more at Coffee People, but I discovered the sudden need for dice.

(Redhawk Fight Scenes 101—use role-playing games for scenes that require attention to multiple details.  Keeps the whole scene realistic enough; you just have to fudge the rolls for the outcome you plan for.  If the hero gets out alive, make ‘er work for it.)

I’ve mapped out where all the fighters and non-combatants are, and figured out the next series of parries and attacks. But something like this takes a lot more time to … choreograph, I guess is the word.  If I slog through, it’l be midnight before I finish it to my satisfaction.

Which means yesterday’s series of planned goals will be a day off.  Still… I’ve done more writing in the last two days than I’ve done the last two months.  I’ve just got to stick to my guns and get the damned words down.  (I really, really, REALLY want to finish this book before going back to work!)

It’s been far too long since I’ve posted here!

My left ear is healing up fairly well (despite one set back a couple of weeks ago.)  As there was still some packing inside the ear, we decided not to do a hearing test at my post-op appointment.  I’ll go back at the end of January to see how much has been taken care of.

To tell the truth, I think I’m hearing better now than I have in over ten years.  The bass level is outrageously loud!  Treble is good enough for me to pick up ‘ss’, ‘ch’, ‘kk’ sounds.  In fact, if I don’t wear the hearing aid in my right ear, I can still carry on a conversation better than when I had both hearing aids on full volume!  WOOT!

(I realize that eventually my noisy neighbors, the complex stairs right next to our living room, and my wife’s snoring will be annyoing as hel.  But right now, I still get a ‘SQUEE’ moment when I identify a new sound.)

On the writing front … HAH!  Writing?  What’s THAT?

Now that the holiday party season is over, things will mellow out at work again.  Part of my problem over the year has been my own ‘writer’s block.’  I think I’ve just been more interested in doing anything else BUT write in some cases.  Plus what I’ve said before about working organically rather than from an outline …

As it is, I’ve got nine days off of work (of which I’ve already wasted two.)  Then I go in to prep payroll for next week.  After that, I have three more days off, work two, then two days off.

So On Azrael’s Wings is open on my iBook, and I just finished editing the new scenes for chapter fifteen.  I’ve deleted one new scene I was scheduled to write because I couldn’t find any relevance for it to the rest of the novel.  In fact, I might delete the last scene I wrote for the same reason in the end.

That leaves me six new scenes to complete and fourteen chapters to edit before I can submit the novel anywhere.  The edits will be fast and furious, I can guarantee that.  I just have to slog through the new scenes …

Yule was last Thursday.  It was fun.  Spent time with my wife, going over photo albums, remembering good times, talking about family and friends who are no longer with us.  Then we opened presents, watched the Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest, and held the vigil with our Solstice candle.

Tomorrow begins the majority of the feast prep work.  We’ve already received several RSVPs from friends in the area to join us.  It’ll be interesting this year.  I can’t turn off my hearing aids when they bug me too much!  LOL!