On track for word count goals. Today’s highlight? Right at the end, I found a character. Yup. After 5000 words of drivel, I found a character. I think I’ve mentioned KT Tunstall’s song “Big Black Horse and A Cherry Tree” has been calling to me? I couldn’t figure out why. At night’s end, I found it.

My character is the Japanese-American equivalent of “A Boy Named Sue.” His mother named him Sakura (not a bad sounding name to an unenlightened American, right?). Unfortunately, in Japan, that’s a common name for girls. He has the darker complexion and hair from his Japanese heritage and a larger frame as a result of his Scandinavian heritage — the big black horse.

While he’s rejected his heritage and blocked out what he’s known about it, he finds himself drawn to cherry trees — the decorative kind, not the fruit-bearing kind. The trees of his heritage.

This is something I have no experience working with. I still have no idea where it’s going. But that’s today’s development.