Well, as long as I'm here...

I'm stuck in Seattle until at least Saturday, so I might as well get some work done, right? Today, I did manage to get some writing done, finishing Chapter 9.7 (yes...9.7...don't ask) on Nine Tenths of the Law. Only a thousand or so words, but it's forward motion, so I'll take it. The night's still young, so I may knock out another thousand. Can't wait until I'm back in my usual routine of 5K+ a day, but given the circumstances, this works. The words are hitting the page, which is about all I can ask for at times.

While I was at it tonight though, I was chatting with Scarlett. This, in and of itself, is not unusual. However, while we chatted, we fell into one of those conversations that reminds me just how valuable our unholy alliance - er, writing partnership - really is. If a Muse exists, she blogs at the link above, because holy hell...

Here's how it usually goes:

Me: "What else could I do to make [main characters]'s lives hell?"
Scarlett: "Hmm. Well, you could [something I never even thought of]."
Me: "Ooh, great idea..."

Then I run with the idea and wind up adding 2, 3, 4, or more chapters to my outline. More than once, such a conversation has dramatically altered the course of a story. Tonight, I added 7 chapters to the outline as a direct result of this discussion. She also unwittingly resolved a problem that had been irritating me for a few days.

7 new chapters + 1 major problem solved = WIN. All of this from the woman who is solely responsible for the existence of Rules of Engagement, Between Brothers, Under My Skin, and Nine Tenths of the Law.

Let there be no doubt, my loyal blog minions:

I owe a goodly portion of my writing career to that bitch.

So...if any good came of Eddie and me being stranded in Seattle for a few extra days, it came in the form of the planets aligning properly for a conversation that was worth my weight in gold and will ultimately make Nine Tenths of the Law a better book.

Hey, I'll take any silver lining I can get...