Okay. Ten character writeups done. First six chapters plotted out. Overall story arc mostly in view. Time to let them all loose and see what happens, I think. Not sure if I’ll hit the NaNoWriMo numbers, and I hope to make this book a lot longer than 50,000 words, but we’ll see. Hopefully I’ll come out the other side with another first draft to bedevil me with editing!

Can we ever truly know those who are gone? They linger on, impressions in our minds, forever beyond our reach. This one was strong. He was a hero. He fought the good fight. But the important thing in this case is not action, but tense. This man is now and forever in the past tense. And yet, still, he lingers.

If you enslave someone, even if you don’t mean to. can you blame them if they wish to be free? If your life is a threat to someone else’s, can you blame them if they seek to end yours? If an intelligence is truly alien to us, must we not also be as alien and unfeeling to it?

I thought this was my Big Bad…but now I understand it too well. Is anyone ever truly evil in their own eyes?

Today’s character is arrogant, grouchy and undeniably gifted. Fortunately I know no shortage of such people, so not exactly difficult to write. But when you can’t begin to separate who you are from what you do, and when what you do scares a lot of people, what then?

Everyone sets boundaries for themselves. Sometimes those boundaries become a prison. Sometimes it’s more comforting not to see beyond them. Sometimes you call your prison a realm, and call those who would set you free traitors. Such a man is this – one who has made a place for himself, and will not stir beyond it. Is that all that he is?

I thought this guy was a villain. But he turned into a hero. Raging and smashing things seems like a bad thing to do, but do what thou wilt, and it harm no-one. If you believe that you are the only one who can make your decisions, then you owe it to other people to apply the same rules to them. The only real sin is the notion of sin – the idea of an inherently evil act. Acts are evil when they harm others. And it harm none, do what thou wilt.

Also he has a dog.

Today, we deal with the woman who handed out the job that clearly must have gone so wrong. If you don’t even know who you are anymore, how do you know that you’re even you? If you put on a mask to deal with the world, and never take it off, is there even anything behind the mask any more?

I’ll admit, this guy kind of got away from me.

I thought he was just a simple type – roguish, willing to turn a quick buck. A twinkle in his eye, and just what you need for a price you can afford. But that’s not him. That’s not him at all.

No, this is the Spirit of the Age. This is Everything Must Go, Nothing Can Be Left. If you’re willing to sell anything and everything, then what will you be left with? If there’s nothing of yourself that you want to keep, then is there anything of you at all?

Today’s character sketch asks the question – what would it mean to be true to yourself? Willing to give up everything you have – just walk away – if you knew it was the only way you could still be you? And if you leave everything behind, how much of yourself remains?

Every hare needs a hound, every fox a courser. Today I sketched out the lady who is trying to track Roland down. She thinks she knows who she’s looking for. But what she’s really looking for is the truth – and it’s not what she thinks.