Everyone (and when I say everyone I mean those in the writing business) are always saying that you will find your voice. Now, I'm not sure if it's a thing that happens overnight or over ten slow years. I used to think the latter, but now I think it's more of a mix. As you might have guessed, I've 'found' my voice. Amazing event. It was testimony enough that the three days that followed produced 10,000 words of (good-quality) prose. Prose which, I might add, is perhaps even better than usual!

I'm pretty happy about it.

As far as the nits and grits of work (and I want to keep it up-to-date because I keep reading Martin's blog for news of Dance and just get lots of NFL - all his right of course) I've really stepped up a new gear. The story is in full meat now, grinding the plots in all directions. The entire set-up is done and the characters know what they're gunning for. It'll be interesting to see how much the plot (which has also been tweaked to wonderful effects) will change as the pages come.

Part of this voice-finding is also thanks to Bernard Cornwell, a most prolofic writer whose Winter King I am now reading. Great book, and stripped of all the pretentiousness in the world. Amazingly simple but effective. And it forced me to try, just for a second, to drop the literary scepter and write what flowed out of my head. Beautiful. Now, trying to hold the so-called literary scepter for so long made sure that even that 'flowed' prose has its occasional touch of metaphor and classy sentence of description. And that, I think, is just what is needed. Natural elegance.

Work slowed just a little bit these past three days, traveling and relaxing with family, but I should be back on track starting tomorrow. The momentum is good, and I think I just sliced several months off the delivery date.

What a Christmas present!