Now we're rolling!

It's been a good week. A damn good week, working on Scurvy Dogs. That's the trick, I guess, making the work your priority. Life keeps trying to get in the way – and I'm sure it will continue to, and sometimes you have to let it. But it's been a good week, I'll leave it at that.

It started Wednesday when a character suddenly did something I didn't expect her to. Completely out of the blue. I had to adjust accordingly, but when your character insists in doing something, you have two choices – either ignore it and force the character to do what you want regardless of the kind of personality you've created, or accept that you've created a character with real wants and needs, and you follow them because what you'll find is a story worth telling.

How many stories have you read where the characters talk one way and act another, because it was clear that's what the author wanted them to do, regardless.

That's not news, of course. Anyone will tell you that. So when Jessie got up and did what she did, I got out of her way. She's a tough little kid anyway.

Similarly, I hadn't expected the wild pig to show up Thursday until he did, snorting and rooting with his razor-like tusks. Good thing he did, too. It was a colorful incident.

Maybe the best thing that happened was after I finished writing Thursday. I got up, ran to the bank and the grocery store, came home and made spaghetti. (Not the best spaghetti I've ever made, but really, really good.) All the time I was browning the sausage and cutting up the pepper and onion and mushrooms etc., stirring the sauce so it wouldn't burn, getting the water for the noodles ready – all that time, I kept wanting to jump back on the computer and write a little more. It was calling to me. The story's gotten hold of me again and I couldn't wait to get back at it.

I'm glad I didn't. I think you can only go so far in one stretch before you start to flag and your attention falters, your writing suffers. It's like performers say – leave 'em wanting more. I got up this morning and couldn't wait to get back to it. I'm tempted to push a little farther today, but I think I'll stop for now. Gotta leave something for tomorrow.

Today – 2,233 words. Total – 31,790. Looking at what still has to happen, I think It'll come in right around 50,000 words.