How it b-Egan

Some research notes for Egan's backstory

Over the last two days I've written 5000 words for The Valleys of the Earth, which is incredibly productive for me. It's involved a lot of research, and not actually getting dressed until dark.

• I've changed a major character's name
• I've got my protagonist out of her Ethiopian imprisonment without stretching credulity too much
• I've had to decide on a getaway airplane, and I'm settling on the Beechcraft King Air turboprop ... for reasons of size and seating layout. You have no idea how hard it is to stage a private face-to-face discussion on a plane.
• I've introduced demons to my world - demons, not fallen angels.

• And I've finally got Milja and Egan back together and talking. And a great big chunk of that has been uncovering Egan's dodgey background in Special Ops, and how he came to work for secretive agency Vidimus (Latin for "We Have Seen"). It all gets a bit gory and shooty and sad.

 I had to do this for F Leonora Solomon because she squeeeeeeed all over Egan in Cover Him with Darkness and I rashly promised her more revelations :-)

• Google is pretty good for Irish background, with special reference to Republican vigilantism

• I still have to research a bunch of military details ... I foresee a few afternoons with my Delta Green supplements, because RPG rulebooks are actually really useful for this sort of stuff. DG is written by almost entirely by military/gun nerds as far as I can see.

• Oh yeah. It turns out Egan has had a major revelation/change of plan all on his own, which rather took me by surprise when he announced it mid-conversation. Bloody characters! I actually sat there with my mouth open, staring at the screen, and said, "Well, well. Really?!" 

 Still, I'm willing to run with it... let's see where it goes!