Plot Change Already?

All ready for Bookfest tomorrow, apart from getting some small bills for change. This morning, I printed more business cards, a couple more brochures, and some signs. I packed up books and got all my paraphernalia together, ready to go. I will be in the Glen Ellyn Public Library from 11 til 2 to sell and sign books, chat with readers, and hand out advertising. In two weeks, I'll do it all again at the Joliet Public Library Black Road branch.

I did a lot of work on "Mongan Manor" yesterday, and I began more this morning, but then I stopped because I realized the motive behind the plotting was about an inheritance and suddenly seemed too similar to the previous book. I feel I should change it up a little, come up with a different sort of motivation for my antagonists to drive their actions. Maybe I'll go back to the hidden treasure idea. Something hidden in the rebuilt tower of the title place which everyone wants after hints dropped by a senile relative. Treasure means wealth, and each of the other relatives has a reason to want it. But maybe the treasure is not what they think. Gonna have to think this through, especially since I had already gone to all the trouble to work out the family tree and rights of inheritance for the original plot. I'll also have to figure out how to incorporate a critical scene, one I have more or less set in my mind already and which serves as a turning point. Good thing I've been keeping plot notes on the side.

On Many Fronts

Worked on brochures to hand out at upcoming library events, but I need more ink for my color printer to continue. Quandary: how many to print? I'd hate to run out, but then if I print too many, they'll be useless when I publish my next book. Saturday is BookFest 2013 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and I have lots of books ready to sell.

Found a few more tweaks to "Where Power Lies," and while looking for the place to put one of them, I found a big boo-boo from a previous edit. So I bit the bullet this morning and reset the document to let Microsoft Word do its grammar check. I did fix a few things in the process and came up with no other major errors. That doesn't mean there aren't any...

Cover art. Still debating on this. I've found a few resources for real artists who will create a cover for me, and I have an idea or two of what it should look like, something better than what I started to create on my own. If any readers out there do graphic arts (for low budget) or who know of someone, I'd love to hear from you.

Did some more writing on the new Windsong Lake book. A small action became a connection for the story, like seeing a puzzle coming together. I still have to figure out the mystery which needs to be solved. I'm at the point in the manuscript where that mystery will be introduced to Stefanie and set her on a course of action. To do that, I need to know what the mystery is first so the person who tells it to her provides just the right amount of information (or maybe some disinformation).

Editing, The Next Phase

Finally made it through the second reading of "Where Power Lies," and this morning, I ran the program to count how frequently each word is used and the closest proximity of uses. I went through the list and removed some things that won't matter, i.e., people's names, punctuation marks, scene break marks, etc. Next comes the tricky part: to analyze the rest of the 84 pages of the list.

I know I tend to overuse the words "that" and "had," among a few others. I do a Find operation in Word to look at each instance and decide if the word is needed or if the sentence can be replaced. Other words used less frequently still present a challenge. An example, the list showed the word "granite" had been used twice in the manuscript, 67 words apart. I checked the document and found I had used it to describe the steps in front of a building and then again when mentioning the wall surrounding the same building. The second appearance can be eliminated because we've already established that the outdoor plaza is made of granite. On the other hand, the word "inventing" appears twice with only seven words in between, yet when checking the text, the repetition makes sense and I'll leave it alone. It's a time consuming task, so much so that in the past, I've gotten bored with it and quit after tackling the obvious. As stated in an earlier post, I've seen evidence in my published books that I really need to stick with it.

I started working on a cover idea, manipulating images for it, but that is also a time-consuming process. This morning, I took a break and did a little writing on the next Windsong Lake book, although the break didn't last long in the face of the guilty feeling I should be finishing "Where Power Lies."

Updates and Stuff

I completed checking of the revised galley for "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" this morning, so it should be ready to go. My publisher says the ebook should be released in September! Print edition date is December, but advance copies should be available as soon as the POD files are uploaded.

Well, it's official now. I'm a reviewer for Windy City Reviews.This site is where writers help other writers by reviewing their works for free. I volunteered because I know first hand how hard it is to get reviews on a book, and because "Dabblers" was reviewed here. The only requirement is that the author be a Chicago Writers Association member or have some other connection to Chicago, i.e., a Chicago-based publisher. Rules for submission are on the site. Writers looking to submit go through the list of reviewer profiles and choose someone who is interested in the type of book they wish to have reviewed. Then the submission goes to the coordinator who facilitates the process. I'm eagerly awaiting my first reviewer assignment!

Working on the new book, about half way through the first pass at polishing. It has a long way to go. Still thinking about cover art. Is there some other concept other than the one in my head that would be as good or better? Is there any way I could do it myself or should I look for a real artist? Still unsettled on this one.

I've also had some ideas for the third Windsong Lake book which I need to research a bit. They have to do with a puzzle in an old mansion that Stefanie is asked to solve. First, though, I need to know what the puzzle is about and how to execute it. And I already have an opening scene planned in my head.

We Have A First Draft!

The first draft of "Resistance" was completed yesterday, and today I've started the editing process. A big section which revealed the true nature of the main conflict needed a lot of work, a complete restructuring. I'm also catching things I missed in the first go around. For example, in the world of the future, people carry a Universal Connection device, or UniCon, for web surfing, phone calls, and all forms of communication and information. I found a place where I used the term "phone." It's a small thing, but I know there are readers out there who notice the small things.

As I go through it, I'm making notes about what happens when, what day of the week, so I can verify references by the characters to past events are correct. I'll also be charting out years of historical events to keep them straight and make sure they don't present anachronisms.

I'm still not entirely happy with the ending, but I'm torn between adding a few paragraphs to tie up loose ends or letting it stand. I don't like loose ends, and cleaning them up would not close the door left open for a sequel. I just feel like the details will seem anticlimactic, which is contrary to having a strong final line.

Another point I'm wrestling with is adding illustrations in the form of two maps. One will be a political map of the United States of the future, and the other will be of the setting of the story. The city is divided into sectors, but the numbering scheme could be confusing without a picture. Since the characters often refer to the sectors, though, it's important to see the layout and know that their movements from sector to sector make sense.

The title may change back to what it was, "Where Power Lies." I'm nearly certain of that. And there's the cover art issue. I'm toying with the idea of asking someone else to do it for me. The image in my head is so clear, but I just don't know if I have the skills to execute it. Then again, there's a lot of work yet to do on the manuscript, and I might just come up with another concept.

Excited

Had some errands to run this morning, but now I'm back into "Resistance." I had a lot of good ideas over the weekend and can't wait to get them down in words. First, though, there's a bit of tweaking to do in what I've already written, but I expect to make HUGE forward progress then. The future world I've been creating keeps changing in subtle ways, as well as some of the motives. Each change I think of feels right, though.

I know I need to get back to the promotional arena soon, but right now, I'm just too excited about "Resistance." In fact, I want to get back to it right now!

New Faces and Old

Now into Chapter 3 of "The Janus Games" where two more important characters take the stage. For anyone who read "The Changeling Kill," Angel Ortiz is back. She is the new point of view character I mentioned in some earlier posts, the one I had not developed in my head to the level required to give her a POV spot. I've slowly gotten into her head as I contemplated the plot. She's tough and independent, of course, and her main personality trait is she wants to be seen as a human being first, then as a woman, then as a Latino woman. She hates being stereotyped. She's cautious about men, perhaps too much so. Her cop's brain tends to suspect everyone of something. These will be decisive factors in both "cases" that she will help investigate--a stalker on the one hand and a small company who has an employee handing over customer information to a competitor.

The other new character about to make the scene is a cop -- and maybe even a suspect as well -- who will investigate the stalker angle and perhaps provide a love interest for Ms. Ortiz. I've got him partly mapped out, enough to start writing him.

A Working Title!

Inspiration struck this morning, and the new Jack Watson mystery has a working title: The Janus Games. Part of the multiple plots is that people aren't who they seem to be, hence "Janus". This title may change of course, maybe if I find a word I like better than "Games."

Of course, the writing itself comes slowly. While all the fingers of my left hand are outside the cast, the ring finger still cannot take much pressure. I am going to try touching a key with it...oops. That "w" I just hit caused a little jolt. Best let it heal some more and go back to the 6-finger method.

Speaking of games, "Game Faces" is going to print post haste, making four novels in both mediums. I also signed a print contract for "Dabblers." Too bad I can't get around much yet, but I'll be in good shape come October for the author fair in Joliet with lots of books to sell.

Slow Going

The next Jack Watson mystery is underway. The six-finger typing method makes for snail-paced progress, with frequent rest breaks required due to the heaviness of the cast on  my arm. But I've done 5 pages so far this morning, and under the circumstances, I'm rather proud of myself. A couple of times, I've accidentally hit a key with the third finger of my left hand--very painful. It's the bone below it which is broken, and while I can bend the finger itself, pressure HURTS! But I'm slowly learning ways to work around my injury and look forward to being able to write at full speed again.

It's been a week of firsts, many of which I do not intend to do a second round. First time having an air bag go off. First time breaking any bones. First time being taken to the hospital by ambulance. First time being pushed along on a stretcher. At one point, while I waited for x-rays, I thought of how many times my book characters had done these things. My fictional accounts proved not far from reality, which just goes to show that the old rule "Write what you know" does not need to be applied rigidly.

Yesterday, I was looking at the Chicago Writers Association's website, and lo and behold, the article I wrote a ways back, "Observations for the Pre-published" is now posted. Here's a link.
CWA Write City Mag

The Good Stuff

Oooh, this is getting good! I just revealed a key piece of the puzzle in "Seer, Tyro, Fiend" and it will lead to some startling conclusions. Events are coming faster now, as they should at this point in a story, but I still find I need to go back and add bits of foreshadowing as I go. For example, I need one character to have a certain predisposition to react in a specific way to something scheduled for the big confrontation scene, so I went back and added a few lines here and there to give hints of it earlier in the book.

The drive to finish the book is strong now, but that is also in competition with a number of other things I wish to do with my abundant free time now. It's also a struggle to not fritter away that time with goofing off, which I sometimes tell myself I have every right to do if I choose. When I do goof off some, I usually wind up regretting not spending the time better. Ah well. Guess I'm just not as disciplined as I could be.

On other fronts, I've checked corrected galleys for "Game Faces" and "The Changeling Kill" print editions, and I believe they are ready to go. "Dabblers" paperback is also on the horizon. Being that I published three ebooks in 2012, I would like to keep up the pace by finishing "Seer" soon. Then I'm thinking it's time for the third Jack Watson book, although I've not had much time to think about it. I have an opening scene in mind, as well as a general plot, but I usually have much more than that in my head before I start putting words in a document.

After that, I have in mind a reworking of a previously written though unpublished novel. It has to do with conspiracies and an alternative view of how society really functions. I've been thinking of pushing the setting into the future a bit and extrapolating on current trends in setting the stage in a dystopian world. Since I wrote it once (or twice maybe) already, I have characters and a few scenes. The original plot will need some tweaking, and the main point of view character has already gotten an overhaul.

Then again, as I've worked on "Seer," I've begun getting a few ideas about a third entry in the series. But those are just fragments, not a plot or anything, so it's way out on the horizon.

Short Announcement

I may have arrived at a title for the "Dabblers" sequel -- "Seer, Tyro, Fiend." That's seer as in clairvoyant, tyro is another name for apprentice or novice, and fiend is sort of obvious. Note that the three words do not necessarily all describe the same person, and in that way, the title follows the format of the original, i.e., a word that denotes what one or more characters is/are.

Going forward, then, posts about the sequel will have a label matching the title, unless of course I think of another title I like better.

The Joy of a Series

Haven't blogged for a couple of days. Friday--company holiday party and then preparing for company at home. Saturday--more prep, company stayed until late, but we had a great time. Now I'm looking forward to Monday and Tuesday off to do some series writing.

"Stranger Faces" is slated for release February 1! Still have to proof galley when it becomes available. Feb. 1 is also the date for release of "Two Faces, Two Faced" print edition. And all of this just in time for Love is Murder.

Sequel to "Dabblers" is progressing well, socializing notwithstanding. I had a couple more ideas for the title, but I want to do a search and make sure there are no other books published recently with the same title. Don't want to cause confusion out there.

In regard to the subject for this post, there's a lot of good to say about writing a sequel. It means I get to explore the character more deeply. In "The Changeling Kill," sequel to "The Dreamer Gambit," I got the chance to delve into Jack Watson's past, specifically his hellish marriage. In the sequel to "Dabblers," it's digging into some of Stefanie's unhappy childhood, her early days of dealing with her psychic gift. In both cases, the past is reawakened by current events, so the retrospective angle becomes important and necessary. Applying more history to the character is fun creatively and turns him or her into a more real person, even to me. I get to meet them during their first novel and then we become closer friends, sharing our dark pasts and deep secrets, in the sequel.

Tracy Wiley, on the other hand, did not work out the same way, but that's because her personality flaw, i.e., her withdrawal from people when her mother and brother died, has left some aspects of socialization underdeveloped. Her naivety in that regard is part of what gets her into trouble. Ah, well, if people were all the same, what a dull world it would be.

Recapping

In writing the sequel to "Dabblers," I find myself faced with a familiar dilemma, i.e., how much recapping is necessary or desirable. The great thing about writing a sequel is that the characters have already been developed for the reader, but then, there are things to consider about this. Someone may pick up the sequel without realizing there was another book ahead of it. Fortunately, Write Words will indicate on the cover of a sequel that it is "Vol. 2" or whatever number. This might drive a potential reader to get the preceding books as well, but it might just turn him/her off as well. With that in mind, I would like to provide enough references in the sequel so that actually reading the other book first is not necessary, yet not so much information that the telling bogs down for those who did read the earlier entries in the series. Some recap is also good for them if a fair amount of time (and reading of other books) comes between the volumes.

It's a delicate balancing act. I'm currently trying to insert information provided in "Dabblers" into the sequel as it becomes necessary to explain the position of certain characters, especially Stefanie, the POV character. The new novel brings back someone from the most troubled period of her childhood in the opening chapter, so some description of who he is and what his presence means to her was required. Then I found myself working in descriptions about Paul, Stefanie's husband and soul mate. I guess I'll have to wait until the editing phase to determine if I've done too much or too little.

Guilty Pleasure

Well, I did it. After yesterday's post, I started thinking more about a sequel to "Dabblers" and writing down some notes about the plot. The exercise served to increase the excitement, and the next thing I knew, I was writing it.

So perhaps I've embarked upon writing two novels at once, possibly switching back and forth with the political thriller I mentioned starting a rewrite on. I've never done it this way before, but who knows? It might work out for the better. The down side is I could wind up distracted and not completing anything, and if that seems to be happening, I can always shelve one book until the other gets done.

I've also been trying to find more time to read books by other authors, with the intention of writing reviews and maybe generating a little reciprocity. I know a lot of readers are skeptical of hype by the producers of a book and place more credence with reviews from other readers. When I'm selecting a book to read, I actually don't look at reviews. Really. I read the blurb to see if the story line piques my interest. Depending on the book format, I'll read a bit of the first chapter. At times, writing style will sour my interest. I picked up a science fiction novel, one of a box full of books given to me by a friend, because it was the first of a series and I thought I would give it a try. After a couple of pages, I quit. Intriguing premise, yes, but the style was meant to take the POV of a "redneck," a young man of low education and questionable socialization. The sentences were all over the place, changing subjects, inserting unrelated details. Or maybe they would be related later, but the disorganization put me off.

Another thing that will make me put a book down within the first chapter is a failure to see the story emerging. It's a rule of writing that I cannot ignore. Something has to happen right quick or I lose interest. I realize I may have stretched this rule in the first chapter of "Stranger Faces," but the first passage is a setup for something that comes along later. With that being said, by the end of Chapter 1, Tracy has an injured spy sleeping on her couch, and I think that takes care of getting the story started "right quick."

In A Quandary

"Stranger Faces" has gone off to Write Words to become an ebook, so now it's back to a next novel. I had started rewriting a political-thriller type of mystery and I have reached Chapter 5. As I talked with my husband about my day last evening, I called "Stranger Faces" my "number 6." He sometimes has trouble keeping up with my writing pace, so I reminded him that the Jack Watson series has two books, the Faces series has three books with the addition of "Stranger Faces," and "Dabblers" is its own story line.

Which led me to think about what I am now working on, yet another story line. The fact is, rewriting an older book is not as exciting as creating a new one even if the rewrite is quite significant. I started doing it because . . . I don't know. I like the story and the characters I guess.

I also have ideas for a third Jack Watson book. The biggest hurdle for that one is the POV characters. In "The Changeling Kill," I introduced the character of Angel Ortiz who would become Jack's new employee. The plot lines (two things going on at once) I have in mind almost demand Angel be a POV and maybe no POV from Tabitha. The trouble is that I don't know enough about Angel yet, about who she is and how her mind works, what drives her. But I've been thinking about her more, developing the character, and at some point, I think I'll have a breakthrough.

The other hot prospect is a sequel for "Dabblers." I get very excited about working on this one because I already have one of the pivotal scenes playing out in my head. It's been in there for months, actually, and that begs to be written. I don't know exactly where it all will lead, and that's exciting too.

So I suspect I will be shifting gears -- again! -- and will make a decision soon. Maybe two novels at once?

It's Soup

Well, I think I am ready to send "Stranger Faces" to Write Words. As part of a series, it goes straight to prep for publication. As previously stated, I can look at my manuscript every day and always find something else to tinker with, quite possibly undoing it another day and reverting back to the original. I guess I get to the point where I realize that all the additional polishing is not adding much to the work itself but is just a matter of details and phrasing. While recent perusals have found some actual errors--homonym uses, misspellings--those can also be corrected during the galley process.

Having gone back to reading books by other authors, I begin to wonder if I am being too much of a perfectionist, but then again, I don't want to experience that shameful feeling when I find a BIG mistake after the book is published. (There was such an instance in "The Dreamer Gambit" but I'm not going to publicize what it is because some people might not even notice it unless they're looking for it.) While I am writing, I try to make sure that every scene serves to move the story forward in some manner. I can branch out and be creative in setting the scene, embroidering it with details, but it must do something. I am finding that not all authors follow the same structure rules that I do.

I've settled on a cover for "Stranger Faces," and I've written the blurb. I'll do another check of each of those, and maybe run MS Word spell check one more time.

"Where Power Lies" (gotta come up with a real title) is progressing quite well, I think. I'm into Chapter 5 already. Some of the scenes are/will be the same as in the older version, but there's been enough of a change of concept to revise and rewrite the actual text. Of course, the dreaded "stuck place" still lies ahead around Chapter 7, so we'll see.

Gators Subdued

Making LOTS of progress on new novel. Ideas flow faster than I can get them down.I sometimes jot down brief notes about what's coming up next at the end of the actual text so I don't forget any inspired ideas. As a result of all the creative outlet, I'm sleeping better at night with fewer strange dreams intruding. Got those subconscious gators under control.

I'm still struggling with the title, as well as how to refer to a concept in the story, sort of a secret society. I've tried Googling a couple of ideas, but all searches seem to turn up another book or a movie or a TV show, and I really want something fresh and different but which immediately conveys the idea. While writing the book has the most pull right now, the problem of title and naming the concept continually nags at me.

The other challenge, besides not being able to type fast enough, is to make sure my POV character, written in first person, has her own voice and doesn't sound like any of the characters in either "Faces" or "Dabblers." Stefanie in "Dabblers" had an almost literary tone because the character is intelligent in surprising ways (don't want to spoil anything for those who wish to read the book!) Tracy in the "Faces" series is a smart ass, given to quips and sarcasm.

For the new book, the lead character, Dee, is also smart, but not in a streetwise way. She knows technology and has the analytic sort of mind that goes with it, but she has other characteristics. She had a tough childhood and fought her way out and up in the world, but hard lessons about right and wrong and a timidity about causing trouble continue to channel her decisions and actions. She wants to do something important and believes she has taken a first step in that direction in her job working for a U.S. senator. Since the story at hand introduces her to a different way of seeing the world, she will have to choose between closing her mind and staying on the slow, sure path or making huge adjustments, growing into a different sort of role, and pursuing her goals in a way she never imagined. Either choice will require sacrifices.

"Stranger Faces" should be ready to send off to Write Words, but I still hesitate. At odd moments, I'll think of something to check in the manuscript and maybe read through some passages, and those moments have led to a change or two, either to correct something (in one case, I found the word "steam" instead of "stream") or to remove something such as an unnecessary bit of conversation. I found a segment of dialog which concluded with Tracy saying, "Thanks. I'll need it," to someone wishing her luck on talking to the police. The line added nothing at all, whereas the other character's wish of good luck had some snap to it and makes a better break. At some point, I'll simply decide that I've tinkered enough and then just send it off, which means an official end to tinkering.

Those Darn Gators

Still editing "Stranger Faces," but I think I'm close to being done. Having said that, I recall all the other times I thought I was "done." And wasn't. How I feel about a phrase or passage or scene depends on my mood on any given day. What seemed perfect yesterday might scream for tweaking today. Yet, the key indicator of being "done" editing is usually when I try to change something only to realize that it was perfect the way it was before, whether because a change would effect more changes around it or later or because or for some other reason.

Also still toying with the cover art. I tried another concept, one which more closely resembled the previous two covers in the series, but my hubby thought it too close and that I was repeating myself. So I went back to my first design which depicts (sort of) the strange nightclub Tracy goes to in Chicago for a meeting with her current client. The passage represented is a pivotal one, and there are faces involved, very strange ones, so I think it works. I also wrote a "blurb" for the book.

Am I done? Should I send it off? I guess if I have to ask, the answer must be "no." I will contemplate this further and trust intuition. .

In the meantime, the gators (i.e., my subconscious and imagination) have not been fed enough lately. Actually, it's more like letting them out to create a story in words that keeps them quiet. When I'm not actively creating a novel, I am plagued by weird dreams at night and an unsettled, antsy feeling during the day. Yesterday, I picked up again with the next novel, the one I started rewriting, and it helped a bit even though I did not get to the point of typing anything new on it.

On the promotional front, I have increased contacts on Twitter and Goodreads, and I have set up boards on Pinterest as well. Looking for any way I can to get my name and books in front of the public.

The Writing Life

"Stranger Faces" is in a somewhat tiresome editing phase, I am still prevaricating on the cover, and I have accomplished very little the last couple of days on the writing front. Now I see my week of vacation drawing to a close, and I get the sinking feeling I could have made better use of it. Oh, how I long for the life of a real author, to be that person who makes a living from writing. Sometimes, I fantasize about how I would structure my day for writing if I did not have a day job. A balance of "business" with accomplishing the other necessities of life, a chance to indulge in other activities I never seem to have the time for, like exercising or playing the piano. As I look back on the first three days of the week just past, I am disappointed in my performance in that regard. Too much time squandered on unproductive things. Even so, I'd like to believe that the main cause of this is a pent-up need for "me time." Sometimes, you have to occupy the middle space between doing what others want and doing what you want, which is, unfortunately, doing nothing.

Need to get over this hurdle of completing "Stranger Faces." I think I'd feel better if the cover were solid. After that, proofing and editing is somewhat tedious but finite. Or at least as finite as I can make it. For every book that I've published, I've always been able to go back and find something I missed or something I would have changed. Perhaps I should just not look, but sometimes I have to go back and see what I said in an earlier book in a series in the writing of a new one. But once "Stranger Faces" is done, I can move on to my latest novel, working title "Where Power Lies."

Work Work Work

But it's fun work! Greatly enjoying some time off from my day job and accomplishing a lot on the writing and publicity front.

• Reading/editing the final two chapters of "Stranger Faces" and considering an alternate cover concept.
• Increasing Twitter followers and sending daily tweets about my books.
• Updated my Google site,Kathryn Flatt, Writer to contain PDF files of my short stories.
• Invited Twitter followers to be friends on Goodreads, where I also found out how to do general update messages. 
• Doing other updates to web materials.
• Checking out websites of people I follow on Twitter.

I also jump into "Where Power Lies" from time to time when I have a good idea to get down, but I'm trying to focus on completing "Stranger Faces"

At odd moments, I've been reading "...Or Perish," a mystery novel I mentioned in an earlier post, and I'm enjoying it. I know I need to do more reading, but it's often difficult to find a book that really grabs my attention. While people are quick to suggest the hot novels/series that are going around, most of them don't interest me much. "50 Shades of Gray"? No interest in "mommy porn." Summaries I've read suggest the female lead is naive and weak enough to be ensnared by a slightly depraved sort of seducer, and weak females don't interest me. I took a pass on the Harry Potter series because I'm not interested in reading stories for kids. Ditto the whole "Twilight" thing because overt paranormal doesn't ring my chimes either. Vampires and werewolves are the stuff of very old legends, and borrowing from and embroidering around those legends may be imaginative, but to me, not interesting. While I'm not sure about the gross-out level in these stories, I don't actively seek out anything that deals with lots of blood or people being killed in vicious ways. Not my cup of tea. While I do kill of characters in my own books, I try to keep the instances and descriptive details to a minimum. Those things are for dramatic impact only.

Okay, enough ranting.