Order of Thanatos = 25,000

I don’t usually post blogs on Mondays, but I didn’t have a chance this weekend. Better late than never! I had set a goal to reach 25,000 words by the end of the month for The Order of Thanatos, which meant I had to use that time as judiciously as possible, considering it was also a rare lovely weather weekend (happy belated Easter for those that celebrate). I’m pleased to report that I ended my writing last night at 25,009. It was close, but I made it! It is these little goals that help push a project forward. At this rate, I hope the first draft will be complete by July. This is a more significant goal, but stating it to you will give me the impetus to succeed.

The Order of Thanatos is moving along nicely. About mid-last week, I had my first little slow spot since I started the project. My characters found themselves in a literal and proverbial dead end in the Northland city of Thornhold. Something was following them, but I didn’t know what yet. As they turned from the solid brick wall, this thing lingered in the shadows. After re-reading what I had thus far, I finally found my way forward and wrote about 2,000 words on both days, finishing the chapter. As I lay awake in bed last night, even more of the story came to light, which so often happens. Luckily, I remembered the swirling ideas this morning and jotted them down. I have all my story destinations, which should keep me moving for at least a few more chapters. The Order of Thanatos is becoming a quirky little tale, unlike anything I’ve written before. I had always planned to write about the order, but I thought it would come much later on my list of stories based on my Lucardian world. It just goes to show you that sometimes you can’t plan. You just need to follow the muse when she rears her head.

Also, for those interested in the main series, Absolution of the Morning Star, I had a breakthrough in the Destiny of the Daystar (book 4), too, during that moment between wakefulness and sleep last night. I will still focus on The Order of Thanatos because that is where the momentum is, but I should be able to continue writing Destiny of the Daystar immediately after or even congruently if I find myself in another lull. I hope to have something by next week that I can share as a sample for The Order of Thanatos. Writing about an order that deals with the dead can get a little macabre at times, and I would love your feedback to see if I go too far. So, keep an eye out for that!

Cheers!