When I finished off chapter 8 I wanted a cliff hanger and what better way than to bring back the man from the Home Office, you knew he'd be back to collect. When I submitted it I was feeling somewhat depressed, actually lower than a dacshunds knackers, and the idea a of writing more wasn't a happy thought - many creatives are like that - and then I had a comment from De11al and the mind went off again. He (or she) suggested that I had as many characters as yer average Russian novel - well, let's face it they have very long dark nights - and it would be difficult to maintain the level of interest in future chapters. Now, when someone tells me that something can't be done (within my areas of expertise) I invariably set out to prove them wrong, and I am often successful. So 'difficult' shouldn't be too much of a challenge, should it?
My previous stories have been about a small group of people who meet, do something and live (mainly) happily ever after, but this is more of a saga winding its way through the characters lives, with the central ones being joined by others, who then leave again as we go along, sometimes going off to do something, sometimes dying, or what ever. Just like life. So the brain cell got to work and by this morning there was the germ of an idea and after a day doing the monthly shop, I mean, how boring can it get, there is a fair bit of flesh on the bones.
The upshot is that chapter 9 has started, although it will be a week or two or three before you see it.
Martin