A Meerkat's Bolthole

retrievers #6

“You okay, kid?”
He sat in a puddle of his own vomit, and looked at her with eyes that were huge, blue, and scared.
“No.”
“Smart kid,” Max observed. “Might actually survive to grow some hair.”
‘I don’t like him,” the kid told Wren.
“Nobody does, kid,” she said. “But he just saved our asses. Say thank you.”
“Thank you.”

I'm slightly behind where I wanted to be at this point, and I think the opening chapter doesn't want to be the opening chapter, but the action so far is totally kickin'. I'm going to need a Brand New Beta to tell me if it's readable as First Book, tho.

------------------------

Can you achieve 110% humidity? It's raining like a tropical wetspot outside, and when I went to make toast this morning, the bread was soggy. Eew. I feel no inclination to do anyting but sleep all day. This may be a plan, once I get my MustDos done.

one of which includes filing a police report, as some sorry SOB stole my bike off the back porch (cut the chain, etc) while I was traveling. It wasn't an expensive bike, but the annoyance of having to do the paperwork and replace it is making me want to curse the chain to jam up and throw its new rider...

caffeine. yes. need more of that.

My own mother is currently (with my dad) in Croatia. If the economy suddenly takes a fall over there, you'll know who to blame.


WRITING UPDATE:

'Four hours ago she had woken in her own bed, in her own home, and the world wasn’t perfect but it made sense. A lot could happen in four hours.'


Daughter of the Sea, start of week 3

Not quite where I wanted to be -- we had some Plotting Issues mid-week -- but I'm still averaging about 800 words a day. And since this doesn't actually have a due date (yet), I'm content with that.

Once I get my revision notes back for DOWN INTO DARKNESS, then things will get a bit more intense. Also, long discussion with Madame Agent put something else on the forward burner, as she liked it, she really really liked it!


RANDOM LIFEOSITY:

Yesterday two friends and I had a Girls' Day Out. Food and wine and social bonding, combined with the ancient art of outlet shopping. Everyone found what they were looking for, and went away pleased with their deals. The village celebrated the mighty hunters that night!

Suri's haul was: two new pair of sandals [one dressy one plain], a cute casual top, a gorgeous summerweight dress, new workout clothes, and a cast iron grill pan. The only thing I didn't get were new sneakers, and those aren't a Need just yet. Of course, I didn't know the grill pan was a Need either, until arcaedia told me it was....


Today the sun is out, the breeze is mild, the parenting world is out and about promenading in the park before sunday dinner, and I am curled up with a sandwich made up of leftover steak from last night's dinner (all hail the grill pan!), crumbled blu cheese, and Judie's peasant bread. [Why did it take me a year to discover Judie's? Damn you, New Havenites, for not warning me of the evil lure that is her peasant bread!] I have had work, shopping, social frivolity, and a full night's sleep, and there is absolutely NOTHING I have to do RIGHT THIS INSTANT except work on some book-promotional stuff.

*has contentment*

In the rush to actually Get Things Done this weekend, I forgot to post this...


Daughter of the Sea


Here we go again....

Apres le deluge, apparently, comes Spring. The sun is out, the windows are open and the cats have reclaimed the sunporch. I have gone for a walk and come back feeling somewhat mellow. Today may be a good day to be a social creature. Or a sunward-facing sofaslug.

(or, more likely, an editorial letter-writing, proposal-polishing sunward-facing sofaslug.)

Meanwhile, in week 8...


Down Into Darkness: A Retrievers Novel

I've downgraded my word goal to 90,000 for this draft. I suspect it will go back up in revisions -- it usually does. But I'm not going to stretch for it now, at the risk of hurting the pacing or plot.

I'm down to the penultimate chapter, which brings in new players that may amuse some folk following here (hey, if New York's Finest got their moments in earlier books, it seemed only fair to let New York's Bravest get their chance to shine. *pets the guys of the nonexistent Plank Street Station for being so shiny*) Hey, anyone know offhand what the pressure coming out of a 1 1/2 inch attack hose would be?
---------------
The novel_in_90 goal was 67,500 words in 90 days, no excuses. That goal is effectively achieved (barring some sort of unlikely and noxious meltdown in the next few days), although I'm still going toward my 90,000 word count. I had 3 days where no writing at all happened on the project, and 0 days of writing-under-goal when I did open the file. And, more importantly, at no point did I feel stressed, or overwhelmed, or that I had managed to break my brain (okay, one day that happened, but that was when I got mugged by "Illumination.")

[let me amend that. At no point did I feel stressed, or overwhemed, or brain-broken BY THIS BOOK. Other influences have not been so kind. Just so's you don't think Life is Sweet for Her, or anything...]

The goal now is to take what the past eight weeks have taught me, and to keep moving with it. There's still another 34 days left in my 90 day cycle, and 28,000 words to go...

Two days late and a dollar-fifty short...



Down Into Darkness: A Retrievers Novel



I lost more time than I'd planned for to Boskone, and this week has its own particular challenges. But it's time to crank it up. Wish me luck, fortitude, and brilliant inspiration...

ETA: and it's 9 degrees at 9am. Not taking into consideration the wind howling outside haard enough to shake cars parked on the street...

ETA2: 2300 words later, and I feel a little better. A little.

A third of the way through, and a progress report:
22,953 new words on the project, averaging 820 words a day.

This doesn't include work done on the outline, or the short story that ate most of one day.

I am not displeased. Slow and steady, with occasional, unlooked-for bursts of wind to my sails.

Of course, there are still 72,000 words to go. But I'm on my way....


and, for those who have ever wondered about what a day in the life of a writer looks like..."Neutronjockey Explains It All For You"

*dies* Yeah, that's pretty much my writing day, except I also have the hourly push-off of overly-inquisitive felines...

Two weeks in and a progress report: 10,900 words (rounded to nearest hundred), out of a projected 100,000.

I missed one day, for mental health reasons. Including that, I'm averaging 772 words. If I back out the missed day, I'm averaging 830 words. Small, steady bites...


Meanwhile, the proofs for BURNING BRIDGES are close to being done. When you hear the *pop* of the sparkly being opened, you'll know I've hit the last page...