by the way... since I do really like fancy costumes and occasionally make them, if a character in one of my books is slinking elegantly through any Court wearing anything remotely resembling splashy crimson or black Ming the Merciless robes and being heavy handedly witty, you can probably bet he 's a hero and most of his friends know it's just his style. What can I say? I like brocade...

Robert and Ari >^..^<

Start: 21,083 ~ Current: 38,168

Middle of chapter 8. The bad guys strike back, or at least start consolidating their ground. This is working out well, if a little slowly due to having spent most of Thursday over at Andrew's house drawing purple buffaloes on seven First Day Covers. The last count was the Thursday count as a whole. Ah, but now I'm not on the clock looking to be awake for anything in particular. Now, if I get tired I'll crash and when I wake up, write... and pound keys for hours on happy hours, since I did successfully reengage the book!

Took about three hours warming up to it again and proofreading Chapter 7 to get back into the flow of it, but I'm having loads of fun. My bad guy's doing black magic at the moment. My bad guy's wonderful. I really like this one. Egad! A villain who knows how to lie plausibly! Who'd a thunk it? A villain who in his first scene comes off like he's going to be a victim or a Gandalf trying to go up against it, who's got all these apparent good qualities... oh he's just so patriotic. For about 1400 words. Then. Slam - right after he's duped the royal person he was with, he shows his real colors and starts doing nasty black magic in order to consolidate his power. He knows how to cover his butt!

I get very tired of sneering villains who walk around in dramatic Ming the Merciless robes looking villainish and everyone knows that's what they are. Even if supposedly they're not. They tend to be so heavy handed. As opposed to one of the easiest low magical energy evil things around. Just learn to act. Just look like a good guy and sound so good - better than real. I've finally got one that's a good liar and I like that about him! He might make a decent match for the Evil Castle. At least he'll last a good deal longer with it than most of them would.

I'm having fun with it. Body count rises by one innocent sacrificed in this chapter.

Oh, and an innocent two-headed snake that really trusted his master, a loved familiar. He had to kill someone he loved, and well, snakes are lovable if you like reptiles! Especially the smart neat loyal magical familiar that you've had for years and years.

Onward!

Robert and Ari >^..^<

Start: 21,083 ~ Current: 36,299

Chapter 7 done. Main conflict has taken a nice hard twist and the main villain's identity is revealed. That's not going to stop the main villain. Casualty count so far. One sympathetic death chapter one. Three major injuries and most of chapter 7 was sorcerous surgery, plus unknown body count in the rubble of the ruined tower from the earthquake that ended chapter 6.

This book's a rough ride! I'm really enjoying it and can't wait to get going on it again! Time for bed though. Thursdays I'm out, will get back just in time for a class I enjoy - and then a whole, long, wonderful night of writing when the brakes are off and the Zone opens up!

Onward! Out like a Lion, Out like a Lunatic!

Robert and Ari >^..^< (I prevent carpal tunnel! I interrupt him and make him pet me at reasonable intervals so he won't hurt his wrists in marathons! Aren't I good? >^..^<)

Bounce, pouncing into the Blog!

Hi. It's my turn to do the blog. Me. Ari. This blog says it's robert's blog featuring ari >^..^< so I should post in it sometimes! Purr!

I am formally Aristophenes, Mr. Robert's Cat Sloan and I am about a year old. He won't let me post about what I want. I want lady cats! Meoooowww! Are any lady cats reading this? Are any lady cats that are reading this interested in meeting a handsome young Street Siamese who's virile and fun and bouncy and playful? He says I can't write anything explicit. But lady cats know what they want when it's Spring! Right!

If I had to wait till I was 18 I would be decrepit by the time I got to. So it doesn't apply to cats.

The window is full of fun. Both of them look out on the same street. Isn't that weird? The weather's the same in both windows too. I ran back and forth and checked. Look out your window. I bet it opens on that same street too with a sort of gray almost rainy day and some cars and a hill and some trees and birds. Cats can fly. Robert doesn't let me fly outside but I could if I wanted to.

It is possible to operate a mouse with your tail! This is a fun thing for any cats reading this to try. Bap your tail real hard on the buttons and menus pop up! Bap it just right and you can make your writer's prose bleep and disappear! Just like that. It's fun making the screen change.

Purr boing. I'm going to go sit in the window by Robert's hand now. It's the same view but I can bop his hand with my tail and play with the mouse. Have fun! Drive your writers crazy!

Ari and Robert >^..^<