The 6th Sacred Knight book draws one more step closer today.

I finished the manuscript several months ago (I’m not going to say how many because I was a bit embarrassed when I looked up the date — whoa, really?), and I have been nagged by it ever since. I knew there was a scene that needed added. I just knew it. The book didn’t feel complete without it.

The problem was that I didn’t know where to add it.

I even tried to “fix” the book by writing around the scene that needed to happen, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had a character who would never accept it. Never! Not in a million years. I was going to have to find a better answer, and that was what I get for trying to let the critical voice fix it.

I was glad that I’d done an outline for the whole book while I was writing it. I sat down today determined to find where that scene needed to go and that started by reading the outline. I then dug around in The Missing Thread and in the manuscript for Sword and Shield trying to find direction for this new scene that had to go in. I even went back to my notes for Palladium. Yeah, I was all over the place. It was when I reviewed my Palladium notes that I found my answer.

After that, I had to track back through the manuscript to find a good spot and I discovered a couple of options. But then, I found the perfect spot to break the script and put in the scene where it would flow nicely in and out without effecting the story too much.

I’m just surprised I didn’t see it when I was looking for a spot before. I’m always convinced that if I can weave a scene in so easily like that then it is meant to be, like my creative voice was leaving a placeholder for me.

Now, I feel done with the manuscript. Whew.

But, it didn’t allow much time to work on the trilogy. I still got back to it and worked on it for a while too. It took an unexpected turn.

Temmy has been clingy this evening. I went and took a nap before dinner and she came with me. Since then, she’s just been in a “hold me” mood. My arm is a little tired from holding her after I finished eating dinner. She was by my side as I washed dishes, and she came to inspect me cleaning out the litter box. The latter is something she has been doing every evening. She is fascinated by the sand sifting through the scoop. Sometimes she tries to attack it. Tonight, she was determined to get the scoop. That made for an interesting challenge.

I’ve already had to hold her a couple of times while writing this blog. Currently she’s prowling around the kitchen and getting some water. I’m sure she’ll be back shortly. The picture above was taken last night when she was passed out while Kevin played video games. So peaceful she is when she’s sleeping.

Oh, and then when I got up from my nap, where I also took some time to read some more of Joust because it’s hard for me to put that book down, I discovered that we hadn’t had just a light dusting of snow. We got around another one and a half inches of snow… in an hour and a half. I’m done with snow. I want spring. Guess the weather gods are not going to work on my terms.

Well, I’m going to go write for a bit more. Tomorrow I’m hoping for a more balanced day with my creativity and hope to get lots done. I’m excited that now I can get started on finishing up Sword and Shield. Want to be wrapping up this trilogy too. More books to get onto.

That said, happy adventuring!