Just shy of 60K!

"The Between" is moving toward completion. I'm in the process of choreographing the final scenes of the book. And it is a little like choreography. There are a lot of characters in on the action in the climactic scenes of the story and I have to know where each of them is and what they are doing, making sure events transpire through the eyes of my 2 viewpoint characters.

Something was bothering me about the scenes I had outlined. They seemed dramatic and pushed my protagonist to make a high stakes choice that I thought would provide the emotional payoff I've been building for the past 26 chapters. But the more I thought about it, the less certain I was that it was high *enough* stakes.

Last night in the shower, (where I do my best novel problem solving, for some odd reason) I had a killer idea to raise the stakes in just the right way for Lydia. And as a bonus, it ties up the last remaining open plot thread.

With a little luck and some hard work at the keyboard, I should be able to get this one to 'The End' in a few days. Of course, that's just the first draft. It will need revision--I already have a list of needed changes, and there will be more, no doubt, that show themselves after I've let the story rest a bit. Others that my first readers will point out.

A first draft is a hard-won milestone, but it is just another beginning.

To all my friends in writer-land--happy writing.