Now that the update is out of the way, a bit of advice for other writers looking to hunker down and produce something this fall and winter: please don't shun conflict. Be it of the psychological or social or physical type, please introduce your characters to a world of hurt. Hardship helps fictional characters grow and transform into the heroes and heroines we love so much today. I say this after reading a ridiculous novel in which the author avoided all conflict. Let me explain how this goes: instead of a being caught and punished, the character miraculously escapes. Instead of springing a trap, the character finds the woods surprisingly empty. In context, such consistent luck is unbelievable, and to the reader it's just plain boring. If you're action scenes are more hypothetical ("What if I were attacked at just this moment?") then actual action ("Jesus! We're under attack!"), then you have a problem. Your book's no fun.
Attack your characters head on. Don't give them time to think about it. Don't give them time to prepare. Strike to catch them off guard. You'll have more fun, your characters will grow, and your readers will enjoy a far more believable scene.
Also, if you're like me, and you're into fights and duels and death, please don't intersperse these tense, traumatic scenes with playful dialogue. If a character is brawling for his life, he's not going to engage in a tête-à-têtes with his opponent. Similarly, never dump the villian's dastardly plan upon the reader in a big end-of-the-novel reveal. This is monologuing. Monologuing like this should be banned. (Note: not all monologues are bad. Many, many are brilliant. Just not yours.) Have your characters unravel the intricacies of the plot slowly and over time. Don't bore your readers with talk when they're expecting a good fight!
I know what I should do. I should grab a book -- a good book -- and read it to clear my head.
