We’re in the season of noveling now, and so I’ve broken out the old progress icon.

I’ve given myself April to tiptoe around in, before I settle down and really start grooving. What does that mean? 500 words a day instead of 1000, and it’s not a huge deal if I miss one, so long as I have 15K by the end of the month. I’m a bit behind that curve right now, actually, but it’s easy enough to make up the difference.

So far I like what I’ve got. The Onyx Court books have gradually been moving down the social food chain — from the royal court, to Parliament, to the gentry, to a pair of thoroughly lower-class protagonists for this book. Dead Rick is in debt to criminals, and Eliza (sorry, d_c_m, she underwent a sudden name change) is currently scraping by as a housemaid. I’m actually kind of enjoying the grit.

Word count: 5146
LBR census: Given that half of this scene was spent talking about Fenian bombings, I think blood wins.
Authorial sadism: I think the Special Irish Branch may be after Eliza.