I just killed one of the major characters in my fourth Seneca book. Knowing that was coming, it's been bothering me for a few days. Those characters seem to assume a lie of their own. I can hear their voice, see their smile, watch them at work, and interacting with the other characters. Of course, it's all a creation of my own mind. Nonetheless, it's an investment of imagination, consistency, and thousands of words. But people die in real life, and I try to keep my stories realistic. Even writing for fun isn't always fun.
This book is at 86K words. Can I bring it in with another 30 or 40K? Maybe.