Things are a little out of whack, this week -- working as a temp part time, some freelance work rolled in the door, was trying to finish up the short story for posting. So I ran out of outline/notes on the novel. Word count dropping as I wrap up my nightly writing early and try to jot down some notes for the next part.

Maybe not the best way to write a big action sequence. Climax of the whole thing. Figures I'd get clogged up now.

Anyhow. I mentioned before about writing a bit off-the-cuff, on my toes, and it's probably a good thing. I know my characters well, I know my universe well, so I feel like I can trust it a bit. A payoff for all the time invested hanging out with the characters and hashing out the details.

I don't know how other people get to know their characters -- I've seen all the suggested lists of details to make up, but that's not my style. All my characters are fragments of me, filled out as needed for the story or just for completeness. Or as they fill themselves out. I don't tell them all of their details, they tell me. The conversation, the relationship I have with them is what makes them real in my mind. I hope that carries over onto the page.