Things are getting serious. Seriously serious.

If you’re brand new to this, the title pretty much describes my situation, but if you want the details, it all began here. I’ve been completely snowed under with the actual writing part of this challenge during the last twenty four hours. For about sixty minutes I just stared at my laptop screen, agonising over four sentences, then blitzed about 3,000 words in an hour and a half. Writing is weird, isn’t it?

So I made the decision to mash these two days together into one update. I’m planning to have the second draft of chapter one posted tomorrow to give a flavour of the story. In the meantime – here’s a progress table;

PLOT	Stuff is generally happening. Right now, the two main characters are about as far apart relationship-wise as they’ll ever be (or close to it). Nefarious deeds are going on in the background and oodles of heartache is on the horizon. I’m hoping to reach a major action scene tomorrow, but if not then it’ll be a day five job.
CHARACTERS	This is one area that is completely done. Both heroes and villains are fully realised with most characters falling somewhere between the two.
THEMES	I’m going to leave this one mostly unsaid from here on out. There is a strong theme that runs through the manuscript on both the male and female side of the relationship (this is a heterosexual love-interest novel). The theme is different for both characters and I’ll let the reader discover what it is for themselves.
BOOK COVER/DESIGN	Pfft. Get out of here. Come back in about nine days for this one.
FRONT & BACK MATTER	See book cover/design
WORD COUNT	This is the big daddy. I can have all the themes and story lines I like, but if it’s not on the page, it’s not a novel. I will be ending the third day with about 15,000 pretty good words. Still not as far as I would have wanted, and it’s (mostly) as close to a first draft as you can get, but it’s a start. Isn’t it?
EDITING	Currently reviewing the second draft of the first chapter. Hope to get as far as the third by end of today. It badly needs it.

On the plus side, I think I’ve got a title, although I’m hovering between two strong potentials and it could go either way.

On the negative side, my coffee machine has broken. For once I am lost for words at this tragedy.

Same as my last update, I’ll end this one with a clue as to the novel’s setting. Gold star to anyone who can guess when/where/what this is;

Happy writing everyone!