Just posted the newest chapter, and also realized that I was dumb and answered some reviews early, leaving only Lynxeye's to be responded too. What a dolt, right? That's what happens when I procrastinate with the blog, I s'pose. xD
@Lynxeye: Great to see you, as always. I guess you're on winter break now, right? I'm off for like a whole month, it's amazing. Anyway, it's fantastic that you're all caught up! Koulder's rise is probably one of my favorite twists as well (although there are plenty to come, of course). He's a bit like Lion, in that he's likable (at first, at least) and pitiable and really deserves some nice cuddling, but circumstances have forced him into an awful position, and made him a bit of a sketchy character in the process. I'm excited to continue on with his character arc. Riven's chapters are honestly some of the most fun to write, if only because he's such a colossal twat. Really, I'm sympathetic to most of my characters, but I have been waiting for him to get smacked down since Day One (even in this little scrap thing I did before I ever started writing the actual story). It's been just as satisfying as I had hoped!
Good note on the length of the timeskips increasing. It's difficult to say exactly where we are in the story - I always have the beginning and endings firmly mapped out when I start something, but the middle is a bit in the air sometimes, although I obviously know the basic form every character's arc will take - so pinning down a definite length is difficult (honestly, that's something that really bothers me about my style; I can never map things out ahead of time without getting bored, so the middle's always a convoluted mess ripe for revision). I can say that the beginning, ending, and this point in the middle - wherein the stakes are raised for each character, as their behaviors have been shown to shift and they are starting to become who they will be in adulthood, provided they make it that far - is very important too. Every one of them has a decision to make, and the results of their decisions will not only lead to them crashing together, but also sen them tumbling on their way towards whatever their endgames are. Exciting stuff!
(That is probably not at all a good reply, sorry! It's the best I can do at 2am. xD).
Anyway, I think that's all - again, sorry for replying to some of the reviews early, haha. See you next Sunday! Hope you all have splendid Christmases as well. :)
