This is very cool! Thanks for posting Cenphx. 

Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series has something vaguely similar. Magic entered the world at a certain point and vies with technology. When a magic wave hits there's no tech and when it subsides the tech works. So people are using horses and coal stoves just in case magic hits and they can't depend on their technology. The leading lady wields a sword. I know that's not exactly what you're talking about, but it seems vaguely like it, so the basic premise is out there in various forms. You may as well go for it.

I just started reading the first book of a new series and I already have a list of at least five elements in the world building that are strikingly similar to elements in the story I've been writing. It's truly bizarre. I'm at the point where I just start laughing when a new one crops up. 

If MacFinn is Celtic it's highly likely he has some redhead in his genetics. It doesn't matter what his hair color is, his son could easily be a redhead. My husband has red hair and neither of his parents do.

Sounds good to me.

I can't remember how old Fitz is, but I do think a curse like that would be more effective if it had an age attached as the trigger.

I also have an issue with Tera West abandoning him, though. She doesn't seem the type. But we have no idea what's been going on with her all these years. She may have been injured or something. Maybe MacFinn sent him away and whoever was caring for him lost him somehow. Or maybe he ate his caretakers and ended up in Chicago. There are possibilities, I suppose.

Good spec. 

Well that was an experience!  

I'm sorry I haven't read the thread yet, but I'm just going to list all the things that hit me.

-- Lea seems to be Harry's best ally in the world of the Bigs.

-- Kincaid.  Hmmm.  I'll have to reread Changes, but it by the time Harry called him from the church he'd already called to talk to Ivy and ticked Kincaid off for pressuring her. So, it seems maybe Kincaid thought Harry was calling him in as backup for whatever he needed Ivy's info for.  Also, in the phone call Harry intro'd himself as "Dresden" (IIRC) and Kincaid came back with "Harry". I don't know why that matters to me, but it seems more in character for Kincaid to call Harry by his last name. Calling him by his first name suggests friendship or some kind of boundary crossed.

-- So ... the being in the cemetery was Demonreach? He was the one telling Lea not to tell Harry?

-- Fitz -- what's his ongoing role? I think he was introduced pretty thoroughly for the relatively small part he played in the story. Will he be brought into the Chicago Alliance?

-- What was Marcone doing in Italy?

Congrats to those people who stuck with the spec that Harry had himself killed. I abandoned it early on. I bow to your resolve.  

Right now I'm wondering what Thomas is up to. 

And I'm worried about the spec that someone will die so Harry can live. I feel like Daniel has the mark of death. 

Because I'm reading it on Kindle I'm not sure of the chapter at the moment, but I'm going to check to make sure I don't pull any big screw-ups on the book club.

I know I wasn't going to read this today because I'm leaving for MegaTrip tomorrow but I couldn't help myself. It's a sickness. 

I have approx. 42,000 words written of a story.  I've found it really difficult to write during the summer because the kids are around during the day so I have to write at night.  I'm just too tired by then to really get much done.  I've set a goal of 500 words per day but I've already blown it a time or two. 

As for chapters, I have no set rule. In fact, I'm just using chapters right now to sort out POVs.  I plan to combine several chapters when I edit.  But I've read books where a chapter would pop up and it would be a page and half followed by a thirty page chapter and it didn't really throw me.  I agree with Kali -- the story itself presents the pauses organically so striving for uniformity in chapter length might not be the best thing overall.