Okay so perhaps trying to blog at the very end of the day is not a thing that is happening.
Or maybe it’s the busy. I turned in a freelance job today, the last one I had in-house. (I mean the get-paid-upon-completion kind of freelance; not my editorial work. I have plenty of that!) The last time I didn’t have any freelance jobs in-house was early September (and then it was like three days). I mean, YAY FREELANCE, it’s what we’re living on! But it does keep me rather busy. And distracted, and uncreative, and rushed.
Anyway! Here I am, actually blogging. 🙂 From my new computer! Which has been…pretty much good. I had to go into the Mac store today to trouble-shoot getting the computer to work with the scanner. My Microsoft Word (I know, I know) is still balky and problematic. If I could find my installation key for it, I’d do something about that…meanwhile, I’ll keep using the workaround I came up with.
But the computer is oh-so-fast, which is very nice. And lighter, smaller than the last one. I notice that; I’ve been going off to a cafe to write with a friend several afternoons a week, so that makes a difference. My shoulder thanks me.
Speaking of writing! Yes, work on Queen and Tower continues–slow, but good. I’ve spent a LOT of time delving into the story underneath the story, trying to figure out what this book is REALLY about. It’s very different from what I initially set out to write, I think, all those years ago; though on another level, it really isn’t. It’s still the story of someone pushing against a constricting set of rules, a structure, a society that has defined her existence. She is starting to question all that, struggling for agency and even identity. That was all there from the start. But so much is different…I’m telling the story differently, seeing the characters differently. Much better and deeper, I hope.
And I’ve started to get fan mail about Our Lady of the Islands, from people I don’t even know! This…this is a new and awesome thing. Response has been so positive to this book.* I am thrilled! And…a little nervous about both the sequel (still in the planning phases), and about Q&T. I don’t want to disappoint my (small but growing) audience!
So: onward I go. Another writing date tomorrow, where I hope to push forward a bit; I’ve been kind of stalled out at 10,000 words as I noodled these larger issues. And I hope to get at least a little caught up on my editorial work, during this freelance lull…I have some very patient authors out there, waiting for me. I’m working on it, I promise! 🙂
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*(ahem) (cough) Not to be ungrateful but, additional cool things would be Amazon reviews…Goodreads reviews…award nominations…you know…just sayin’… 🙂