I'm making progress...

Nanowrimo is over for another year, and once again I'm glad I didn't join in. As we've said here more than once, everyone has a different approach to writing, and Nano and I are not a match made in heaven. However, I have added about 20k words during the month, and I'm pretty happy with that.

Although I write space opera a la Star Wars, I have to have my suspension of belief set to high fairly often when I watch/read anything from the franchise, and I try to avoid that reaction in my own worlds. Not every planet has earth-like gravity and atmosphere, and my planets don't have the same climate all over. That said, it worked for Dune, too, and the more we see what's out there via telescopes like Kepler, the more we understand how wacky the universe can be. Even a planet orbiting a double star system is no longer seen as pretty silly (which it was when Star Wars first hit the big screen).

So, I've been tweaking and re-thinking. I'm pretty happy with where it's going from the technical plot perspective. After that I'll have to fill in the romance bits. As usual, this won't be a straight out romance, but the romance will definitely be there.

Before I give you a snippet, let's talk about the only important thing to happen in December this year. No, not the solstice and its associated festivals - ROGUE ONE. I'm really even considering going to a cinema to see it. I promise you'll all be the first to know if I do.

Meanwhile, a piece from The Stuff of Legend. Our heroes are planning a night-time sortee to collect information they need for their quest. The passages in italics are conducted via their implants, so they are private conversations.

The staff were hanging around, but in the kind of way that indicated they wished the guests would hurry up and go away. Lady Ednah thanked the waiters and chef profusely, and left large tips, resulting in bows and beaming grins.

"We all retire for the night. Robert will check for surveillance. When the coast is clear, Olivia and I will go out to the temple. Take my lead, please." Jak stood. "That was lovely. I'm looking forward to bed." He flicked an eyebrow at Olivia. "Aren't you, my dear?"

Olivia hardly heard the innuendo. Go out to the temple, tonight? In the dark? In that weather? "Bed? Oh yes."

In the elevator car, Jak said, "Your room. Robert put my suit in there earlier."

Robert had been in her room? Seething, Olivia managed the sweetest smile she could. "We're going out in that?"

The elevator door swished open just in time for a rumble of thunder.

"They won't be expecting it." Jak slipped an arm around her shoulders, wished everyone goodnight and strolled to Olivia's door, waiting for her to open it.

She slid the card key into the slot. "Please don't imagine you'll be getting a leg over."

Jak chuckled, and said aloud, "I have a tendency to go to sleep after a heavy sex session." He closed the door behind them. "So I'll pass for now. There's no surveillance in the rooms." He sat down on the bed. "At least, there used to be, but the system has succumbed to the elements, and nobody bothered to fix it. Which is good."

His green eyes twinkled. He knew he was riling her, and he didn't care. Her body didn't seem to be taking much notice of her telling it there would be NO leg over. "So we're going to the temple in the middle of the night?"

He spread his hands. "They won't be expecting it. And I promise you, we won't get in there tomorrow. It will be guarded." He patted the bed beside him. "Sit down. Relax. We won't be going until Robert says it's safe."

Action/adventure and a dollop of sex. That's my kind of story :)