"Ow" is not an acceptable kiai in this dojo, Mr. Larusso.

Day 46
Today's word count: 3,304
Overall word count: 46,299

(WARNING: Hideously gory clip)

So, after two quiet days, I cranked out a large chapter today in its entirety. Good feeling. And most of the chapter is a confrontation, then a fight, between two important characters, both of whom I think are pretty sympathetic. I think it's good stuff.

I also think I may be past halfway done at this point. When I think of what's happening now, and what I think is going to happen, I feel as though I may be on the downslope. Hard to tell, though.

A hobby of mine - my only hobby, really, until I started trying this writing thing - is music. I've been playing the guitar for 25 years, and I've been in bands for all that time. I've recorded five or six full-length albums, a handful of EPs, and a single for an independent film soundtrack. All of that is simply to say that I've spent hundreds of hours of my life in recording studios. And one thing that a musician will often do, when recording, is bring along some albums that he or she really likes the sound of. That way, whether during recording or mixing, there's a standard to check back against. Stuff like: "Does our snare drum sound like John Stanier's? Well, if that isn't possible, does it at least sound close?"

When I finish the first draft of this novel, I intend to do something similar. I plan to read a couple of books that I think are really well-written and paced, so that when I go back for rewrite, I have a good feel for what's exciting or boring, what's overwritten or underwritten, what's plausible or laughable. Kind of like a palate cleansing sorbet for the ol' language centers.