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.”

84,896 / 100,000 (85.0%)

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…

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.”

82,888 / 100,000 (83.0%)

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

Day’s word count:

• Venna’s interview: 954
• Road words: 2709
• Total: 3663

Favorite line: “It’s amazing what a little wild lovemaking on the shores of the Silver Lake can accomplish.”

79,673 / 100,000 (80.0%)

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

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

Finally, I made it over the hump and I’m into the homestretch. For those in the know, at dawn, we leave the Plains for Dalden Bay and the final ride up the Road to Shanhasson, pretty much all of Act III (plus a little romantic interlude before all hell breaks loose).

Until I finish this draft, my posts are going to be brief and to the point. As far as word count, I’m guessing 100K for the first draft, but that’s minus my main villain’s POV. I’ll have to weave that through later. This is just the main story line. I’ve got to get Shannari to Shanhasson, and then bring her home safely to the Plains without too many lost. That’s my goal.

The hardest part over these next few days will be leaving the story for the real world when I have the scent of “the end.”

Today’s Word Count: (final) 4,836

Favorite line: “If anyone is to be Khul’lanna’s breakfast, it is I. You can be her midday morsel.”

76,964 / 100,000 (77.0%)