Hope, anew

I found hope again, for the third draft of my new horror novel. Clear and bright and as true as the longer February days.

Recently, I had my birthday and one of the few advantages of a February birthday is that I am reminded I am well-loved (and well-lusted after, arguably), nothing else is really happening this time of year and the days are getting longer by about 30 seconds each day.

I found hope, hope to get through the winter, and a good, solid plan to finish the third draft of Monstrous and, crucially, the support needed to do so. 

I'm looking at about five days' full work, between adding a couple of new scene, rewriting and sanding down other scenes, and mixing in the right elements throughout, along with a few significant changes in the earlier scenes.

And then everyone dies! Wait - that's Shakespearian tragedy, not my novel. (Or arguably Stephen King's The Stand). 

What is going to happen for Sergeant Ritchie O'Donnell, my gay cop from Town & Train?
What is the fate of Dave and Josh, my two university students, who are fleeing monsters?
Why is my drifter protagonist back from a cross-country trip, travelling off-the grid?
What makes some a sociopath? How does a protagonist become an antagonist?