What's this?

They changed the Blogger posting template again! I liked the old one. It worked the way I wanted. It was efficient and functional, but this ... well, I think they're just changing things for the hell of it.

Anyway, good things are happening with Cold Witness. I'm over the 25K point now, and I've just completed the scene where Steven Knight is shot down--so much better this time! For one thing, I made him important enough further back to make his death mean something. And I've added a new facet: Steven was suffering from Grade B psychotronysis, which explains his irrational attitude. He hears 'voices in the head' ordering him to do the things that end up with him getting shot down. I think these voices will be more important later on, too. (Oh, and even after his death, Steven will still be important--he'll change the way Johnny Campbell views the case).

You'll also no doubt be glad to hear that the militant locals, and the direct Russian intervention, have been introduced much sooner than in the first draft. They're playing a far more active role in the overall plot. And Major Wheatley is probably the least possible candidate for the saboteur at this point. In fact--and this is intentional--he isn't really an important character to begin with.

Rewrites are wonderful things. Oh--and I've posted the scenes I mentioned above on the Snippets board at Forward Motion.

(Note: There are definitely a couple of lurkers who read this blog regularly. See the little statcounter to the right? I can see you! Why don't you drop a comment and say hello? -AR)