Yeah, I know. I shot my biweekly update sched all to hell in no time. I'm bad. Spank me.

Problem is, writer's block doesn't follow a schedule, and when I get blocked on a project like this that I a) update regularly and b) try to keep ahead of so regular updates can continue, I tend to just stop updating so I don't fall behind/have to scramble to get caught up later. I'd rather stay static and stay ahead.

That said, I'm finally writing again, working my way around the problem I've been having, and I'm feeling like it's moving forward again, which is good. The issue I had was that my new character has an important flashback sequence at the beginning of Chapter Four (you'll see it in a few weeks, don't worry), and I kept running up against a wall with it. I tried a few different approaches to it and they all took too much time to tell, or felt flat and lifeless, or just plain felt wrong. It took me four attempts before I finally got into a draft I liked, and I'm getting back up to speed on writing it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

The other reason this has been taking so long is that I'm trying new things here, pushing the envelope of my writing a little, going very much outside what I consider "normal" for me in order to write this project in general, and these chapters in particular. My feeling is that if I get them right it'll set the tone for a lot of what comes after, so I'm being very careful with what I'm doing. It's hard work but it's worth it, and I'm hoping it helps me grow as a writer.

The new update will be hitting Thorn Tree tomorrow night, so I can have something up before the holiday. After that I should be back on a regular schedule. The next 3-4 chapters are mapped out, they just need to be written. Things should be a lot smoother from here on out. :)