So, I managed to sit down and start the new opening scene that has been bouncing around in my head. So far so good. Its really rough and sketchy and clunky and...but it will be able to work. I can get a clear picture of the finalized version of this opening though it will be a while before it will be polished to match on paper.

I do like it, however. It introduces the main characters and their initial conflict and lets the reader know this is not our world. It also foreshadows a key scene near the climax of the book.

Now, I have to make a decision. How soon does the cataclysmic event that changes everything (royal fratricide) take place after the opening? I don't want to take too long to get to this event, yet I need to set it up properly, especially from a motivational angle. The royal duke needs to be driven to this point out of desperation and ego, not just wickedness.

I'm still feeling my way around this new version of this novel.