Lots of rearranging the final few chapters of the novel, trying to get all the pieces of the final scene in place. I have the last 2 chapters and epilogue pretty much finished -- it's the 2-3 chapters leading up to those finished chapters that have been giving me hell.

It's getting close, though. I'm actually enjoying the logic of all this, fitting everything together and having those Eureka moments when a character does something both surprising and perfectly logical at the same time.

For example, I had one of my main characters get pretty badly injured in this climactic scene, and one of the characters who finds her is a nurse, so the nurse character (who's been a bit timid and panicked up 'til this point) steps up to the plate and takes charge. I hadn't been expecting that. Wasn't in the outline. But it makes complete sense.

And hey, I just passed over last year's word count goal of 150,000 words. I think I'm the only one who really cares about such silly things, but I do, I really do.

Today was a good day -- worked out with Elizabeth in the morning, wrote a pile of good words, had lunch with my parents to plan our Thanksgiving week at the beach, went back to the gym to ride the bike and do the ellipse while I read Jenn Reese's kickass novel (the time flew by!), made supper for Elizabeth, and then went to Borders to do more tweaking to the novel on the laptop while she did some pottery. And now, sleep. Later!

Now Playing:
"Midnight Radio," Big Head Todd & The Monsters

Now Reading:
The Jade Tiger, Jenn Reese

Today's Words:
2,000

Stray, Unclaimed Words from the Weekend:
1,400

Words for '03:
151,300

Today's Quote:
"Mom," Toshera tried to say, but all that came out was a squeak. She pulled open the outer door, letting the aliens in. Hunching low on their way through the door, the four big aliens carried Joshua at chest level. One of them had his round hand over Joshua's heart, short fingers splayed out and wriggling. The gray color of Joshua's face would give Shontera nightmares later the following day, once she was finally able to get to sleep.