Ten thousand words now on the novel. I can't believe it! Since Chapter One was a prologue, this second chapter is more or less the first real chapter, and I think I'm starting to wrap my brain around how big this thing is going to be when it's finshed. I'm only just now getting to the meat of the narrative after a whole lot of set up, and there's a lot more to write about than I'd originally assumed. The temptation to linger in my main character's childhood is getting the best of me. Already I've opened up an avenue or two that hadn't been there when I first sketched out his story, and I'm eager to explore them and see how I can make it all fit. So to hell with the outline - they're only good for term papers, and I always hated writing those anyway. This book is first and foremost a journey, so why not take the long road?