i wrote another 500 words instalment last night. i feel in control of the structure, and of the narrative. i am allowing for it to evolve, nothing is set in stone, but is fluid and flexible. but the point is i don't feel lost within it. it is a mosaic. pieces can be rearranged, moved around to create the whole, but i am aware of each piece, and each piece is manageable and can stand on its own.

my characters surprise me, and i like it.

i am also aware of my characters as real people, almost for the first time in my writing.

in my short stories i do not know my characters that deeply. they do something, and i might not know exactly why -- and i also like it. it is a different process for me.