4/19: 345 words. Sometimes, it’s absurd how much research I have to put into the geography of an island that’s going to occupy about 2.5% of the book. But that’s been the theme of this whole novel, and it’s the major reason I don’t think I’ll be writing an travel action-adventure story again any time soon. Writing about the city I live in, like I did in Vulcan Rising, required so much less research, which in turn allowed for more writing time.