This week’s output was, again, lacking. Two threads were pulled at and fleshed out. Chuck had his first therapy session, where we once again learn that we’ve barely pulled back the curtain on the cruelty and torture he’s been privy to over the centuries. And the admiral’s son, currently in FVET (Feral Vampire Elimination Team) training, had a not-so-pleasant day.
And there were a few brainstorms for future events that won’t be in book #3.
Captain Hollander’s hinted-at daughter is so much fun that she insists on throwing herself in front of me any time I let myself relax. Whether it be something she does directly or some form of prophecy regarding her, she’s everywhere in the future in the story.
The brainstorms of the week include a prophecy from before she’s conceived and a scene that I really look forward to writing way down the line where cap’ gets her first taste of just how far-reaching her daughter’s power is. And while the scene itself is going to be great fun to write, it will lead to a lot of tension down the line for the family that will be ripe for drama.
As far as written scenes go, Chuck’s first therapy session was a tear-jerker. I knew it would be, but it was tough to get through. It took more than a couple of days to get its tone nailed down. It’s hard to describe such horrific events without delving so deeply into them that it feels exploitative. And, in Chuck’s case, that’s decidedly not the direction the scene needed to go. After a few passes, I think I have it fairly well balanced and very in character for Chuck while still showing the horror of what he’s witnessed.
The psychiatrist is going to have her job cut out for her. Not only is it difficult for her to hear the events he describes, but as much as she wants to help, she’s not sure exactly what direction to take with someone who can remain so completely in control on the outside while inside a storm deeper than any she’s ever witnessed brews. Her being there should lend some nice balance to Chuck’s overall character, as sometimes he’s so focused on fun now that the horrors of the past seem far more backgrounded than they would be in his new situation.
As for Trainee Honaver? Oh boy. Between the bad attitude, the mouthiness, and his ability to somehow always cross the line without even trying to, he’s in for a rough one before things get better. And while I have an end-run in mind for him, the trip there is bound to be unpleasant for the kid. He has the uncanny ability to bring up who his father is at precisely the wrong moments, an alarm clock that seems in on the conspiracy to make him seem inept, and a CO that’s about at the end of her rope.
That’s about it for the major updates this week. I’m hoping this next week sees a bit more done, but all writers know it’s never quite that easy. If only we could clone ourselves and leave one of us locked up at the writing desk 24/7.