Current mood:	calm
Current music:	Hans Zimmer - "Now We Are Free"

The best laid plans...

I realised a couple of days ago that something was bothering me about my novel. I wasn't sure what the problem was at first. I was writing a scene where Lukan goes out in search of some dinner in the forest and finds a scouting party of northmen instead. Now, I don't know what roast northman tastes like, but I bet it's not nice. Plus you would get lots of hair stuck between your teeth. They are quite hairy after all. I was struggling to write the scene for some reason, and it was only after an hour or so that I realised it was my bullshit alarm going off. There's no loud claxon or a flashing neon lights; just a vague sense at the back of my mind that something isn't quite right. Like when you leave the house and have a odd sense that you've forgotten something, but can't remember what it is. With much grumbling and muttering I stopped to think. 

• The first is that we don't see enough of Lukan before he gets hanged and has his moment of epiphany. After he is saved from the executioner's blade, he is a changed man. But we don't see nearly enough of his former personality to make this change that significant.
• The second is that Lukan is actually a more interesting person before his change of outlook. I realised I prefer Lukan as a wise-cracking rogue more than I like him as a sincere scout.

The first of the above problems was not that difficult to resolve - I'd just add some more material at the start of the novel so we can spend more time with him in his former state. The second problem is more difficult. By that I don't mean in terms of resolving, I mean in terms of what the actual resolution involves. 

So, after much gormless face-pulling I've come to a solution. I'm going to swap Lukan and Osuran around. Lukan is now going to be the focus for the Ember storyline, and will be teaming up with Channa for an adventure into the bowls of the city in their attempt to find whatever it is they are looking for before their enemies get hold of it. Osuran is now going to take Lukan's place as a scout at Longhorn Watch. I figured this change means Lukan can retain his rogue-like personality (or Chaotic-Good alignment, if we're talking geek terms) and can now get up to all sorts of mischief in the city. This makes sense, as I'd always envisaged Lukan as a bit of a loose-cannon, while Osuran is meant to be more cool and collected. I think now I originally put them in the wrong places and that if I switch them things will work much better. Besides, Lukan didn't like the frozen north much. He put on a brave face, but his heart wasn't really in it. I think he'll be happier in Ember. Rat is going to come too; there is a dynamic between the two that I want to have some fun with. Plus, I like Rat. He's a cheeky little bastard but his heart is in the right place.

The only real problem with the above decision is the fact that I want to write the Lukan/Rat/Channa/Ember storyline, and I don't really know nearly enough about how it is going to work, so my thinking cap is going to have to stay on for a while yet. I've also realised that this book is going to be way more than 120k words (which to be honest I think was a rather optimistic estimate). In any case John Jarrold wrote in one of his posts on the chronicles website that 120k words is too short for an epic fantasy. I think the book will weigh in at about 175-200k words (if it ever gets finished). 

In other news, we got 300 on DVD yesterday so watched it last night. I've seen it before of course, but it was fun to watch again. I didn't really feel any differently about it second time round. It's decent, fun entertainment but little more than that. I'm still re-reading The Lies of Locke Lamora and am enjoying it almost as much as the first time. I'm struggling to think of a novel that I've enjoyed reading more than this one. I'm looking forward very much to reading the next in the sequence, though I've heard it is slightly disappointing (probably only because the first one is so damned good it would be impossible to top it). 

More news as and when. Meanwhile, below is the result of my Song of Ice and Fire personality test. I was rather surprised and am not in total agreement, though can see where it comes from in some ways. 

Your Score: House Lannister

54% Dominant, 36% Extroverted, 81% Trustworthy

Confident. Dangerous. Unrelentingly sexy. The master of all you survey, you are of House Lannister.

You are a dominant personality—and how! When someone asks “and who are you, the proud lord said, that I should bow so low?” your response is probably, “FUCK YOU! I’m a fucking LANNISTER, that’s who the HELL I am!” And then you’d pimp-slap them with your golden hand. All joking aside, you view leadership as your natural, god-given right; it is a trait, just like your golden curling hair and irresistible sex appeal. It’s who you are—a Lannister.

You are introverted, meaning that you prefer to keep your ambitions and devices to yourself. Unfortunately, your personality is so vivacious that (despite all your intended secrecies) you are still a very obvious person. Though no one knows what avenues you will travel, your destination is clear to all. And of course, yours is a road to greatness! You have a magnetic, polarizing personality: people either love you or hate you. They also probably find you exceedingly intimidating. Their fear is probably well-placed.

Finally, you are trustworthy. Does this surprise you? Remember your unofficial motto: “A Lannister always pays his debts.” Though you enjoy keeping secrets and playing games, everyone knows you are a major player. Underhanded tactics are so expected from you that they don’t particularly count as untrustworthyness—it’s more of a family legacy than a choice. Your promise is as good as the gold that you shit.

Representative characters include: Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, and Tywin Lannister

Similar Houses: Greyjoy, Stark, and Targaryen

Opposite House: Tyrell

When playing the game of thrones, you play it balls to the wall.