Cementum

I'm extremely happy right now, I just broke 42k words. This basically marks the 3/5 point of the novel. It's probably just over half way, but not quite three quarters, that's why I went with that slightly odd fraction of three fifths. All I can say is that it feels great, a true achievement. I got through the two most complex and integral chapters of the book, five and six. It's taken me a month but I maintained and dominated those tricky bastards.

Those two chapters basically bring the lead protagonist to the fore front of every ones minds, they reveal completely the sort of person he is and set him on a path, on his mission. The reveling process was hard, very hard. I've talked about this part before, the exploring of personal beliefs, but this the last 10k words have been a complete and thorough penetration of my entire belief system. I've never explored myself in such a deep fashion before and it's been thrilling, I just hope it makes sense, if anyone ever reads the bastard.

Here's a small excerpt, of that mission of self discovery.

""I want fate! I want pre-ordained! I want to know that it was for a purpose! I want to know it wasn't me! I want the actions of these hands not to be that of my own, but of a greater force that has meaning and point, a purposeful ending! Removing me of responsibility!" He continued to laugh in between breaths, not entirely sure what to do with himself, and then he remembered the trap door. “Now I stand here at this trap door." Swinging his arm, open palmed, as if to motion to someone that it actually existed. "Maybe it’s a trapdoor for the very reason that I receive no answer on the other side, the whole thing is a trap, to send my mind, this mind, wondering, maybe this is the final test. He who may stand before me may not be benevolent enough to tell me the answer, to say that he gave me permission and the ability to be decide my own fate, or that I was part of his plan. He may not be there at all. I have to go through. I have no other choice. Whatever is there, it better have answers."

Any feedback, welcome as always.

The aspirers mark for this post goes to Belinda Webb of her eponymous blog belindawebb. I've not really had time to read through her blog, I'm rushing off to meet some people again, but I caught it from an interesting Guardian article about breakthrough novelists. She commented that she, after many many years, has just had her first book published, and is currently looking for an agent and reviews.

So I would recommend getting over to her blog and getting involved. Many congratulations on the recent success Belinda!