Author: Joely

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Homestretch: Day Eight

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Second Climax is done. All that remains is the final tying up of threads and the Resolution, then 3-4 scenes in the main villain’s POV. Likely another 5-7K. That’s IT. It will be a sweet birthday present indeed if I can finish this draft today, and I might be able to (including Theo’s POV) since I have the afternoon off.

Word Count (so far): 1460 3718 4854

I’ve already had a NaNoWriMAY with 54,301 56,559 57,695 words (including character interviews).

Favorite line (hard to find one with no spoilers): No, no, I will not stand here helplessly and watch him die!

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
98,110 / 100,000
(98.0%)

Edited (11:45 p.m.): I’ve reached “the end” of the main story line. Whoo-hoo!! Now I’ll be going back through and writing several scenes in the villain’s POV. At least 2 scenes are already sketched from a very old clunky first draft from 2003 that will need to be entirely rewritten, but at least I know what happens. At least one scene will be entirely new, so I might save it for the morrow, although I’m not calling it quits yet tonight.

Edited (12:30 a.m.): I got the last section of Theo’s POV reworked. I need to get that (new) scene with Stephan figured out before I can rework the middle, else I risk significant revisions through all sections. There are several little clues I need to drop, for both villains, and I’m not fresh enough to be clever. So Theo and Stephan will be in cahoots together tomorrow.

New best line and I know only Wanda and Molly will understand the significance, but it’s truly priceless. Or maybe I’m just punchy. That happens after the 10th cup of coffee.

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Homestretch: Day Seven

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Climax One in progress, and no, it’s not the fun kind. (There’s been rather more than one of those, by the way.) I’m playing Run by Snow Patrol on a continuous loop: Light up, light up, as if you have a choice, even if you cannot hear my voice, I’ll be right beside you dear.

Word count (so far): 2560 3687

Favorite Lines:

Letting her heart shine on her face for Rhaekhar, she stepped onto the Great Seal. Our Blessed Lady

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Homestretch: Day Six

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Whoa, totally unexpected development at the Gates of Shanhasson. I’m scared, now, how this will affect certain relationship arcs in book 3, but the characters were adamant. THIS happens NOW. Okay.

Favorite line: I can’t share it without huge spoilers.

Total word count (so far): 4,338

  • Road words: 3,500
  • Alea’s interview: 838
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
89,569 / 100,000
(89.6%)
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Homestretch: Day Five

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Not as many words as I’d like today, but between laundry and dishes…I’m lucky to have any words at all. I was also oddly reluctant today, and this is just the start of the deadly showdown. The favorite lines are pretty indicative of what lies ahead and why this is going to be one brutal climax.

Word count: 1,173

Favorite Lines:

Tears burned her eyes as she stared up at the Shining Walls. No, she couldn

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Homestretch: Day Four

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Word Count: 2,008

Favorite Line: (this may not stay but I got a kick out of it, which is exactly why it might get cut)

“She could march into Shanhasson stark naked with a string of barbarian lovers panting at her heels and the nobles will still bend knee to her.”

Rhaekhar chuckled. “Now that is a sight I should like to see, as long as I am First of this string.”

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
84,896 / 100,000
(85.0%)
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Belated Mother’s Day

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Today was a road trip to visit my Mom, Granny, over hill and dale with the monsters bickering all the way in the van. I brought the laptop intending to get some nice wordage accomplished in the three hour total round trip drive, but my touchpad mouse kept misbehaving. I ended up getting more outline notes than anything. We’ll see how far I get tonight (but it’s already 10:00 p.m. my time).

I finally learned one coffee scenario that I do not enjoy: coffee coming out of my nose because I’m laughing. Not pleasant at all. Thankfully I’d already finished most of the food on my plate.

My Beloved Sis drew me a really cool inspiration for Charon’s book as a subtle hint of what story I should write next.

Off to try and get a few words…

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Homestretch: Day Three

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Today’s word count: 3,215

Favorite Line: “Nay, Khul’lanna, nay. Don’t ask us to do this. Don’t ask us to stand by helplessly and watch this cur lay a hand on you. I cannot bear it. Gut me now, slit my throat, anything, but do not ask me to watch them kill you.”

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
82,888 / 100,000
(83.0%)
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Character Interview: Venna

Originally published at Joely Sue Burkhart. You can comment here or there.

Yeah, yeah, I know I said to expect short and sweet updates until I finish the first draft, but Venna would NOT shut up until I spoke to her. So welcome back to the show “Every Character is the Star of Her Own Story,” brought to you in order to create more satisfying secondary characters. The star of the show today is Venna, an evidently very misunderstood villainess in The Road to Shanhasson who refused to wait to tell the rest of her story until I finished the first draft.

~ * ~

The woman wouldn