End of the month, end of the quarter. I’ve gotten a lot done.

I missed a quite a few days of the podcast but I only missed the walk four times last month. I also upgraded my main computer, made some progress with my game, and – oh, yeah – got a book out for editing.

Status

School’s Out: SC Marva Collins, Book 1 – I finally got it whipped into shape after almost three months of wrestling with it. I’m very pleased with the way it came together. Sorry to all the beta-reader hopefuls, but I tossed it over the fence to the editor already so we can get his train rolling.

Working Class: SC Marva Collins, Book 2 – I’ve finished a first damage assessment pass on it. Other than the opening chapter(s), which took a beating because Book 1 ended differently, it flows pretty well. I’ll be reserving an editor slot for this one for May, if Karen has one available.

Hard Knocks: SC Marva Collins, Book 3 – Waiting in the wings. This is the last book for this series. It’ll go under the microscope as soon as I finish with book 2.

All three of these new Ishmael books have already been contracted to Podium for the audio production and I have cover art in the works for all three.

The Wizard’s Cat is peeking through the window. I’ll be starting that (again) as soon as I’ve cleared these three Ishmael books off my desk.

What Am I Reading?

The March classic for my 2023 reading challenge was The Tale of Genji, a 1000 year old novel set in Japan. Stories haven’t changed much. Neither have people, I’m sorry to say.

I read a lot of really good books that you can find on my BookWyrm instance, but the one I want to recommend this month is Hexes and Hot Flashes by Lisa Manifold. [Transparency: I know Lisa personally. She’s another Colorado writer and we worked together with the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for a number of years. In spite of that, I loved this book.]

The story centers around a mid-life ex-wife, Wynter Chastain, as so many paranormal women’s fiction stories do. Magic takes her unaware and leaves her with a massive problem, a new role in life, and a large, handsome man to help. If she can. It’s not a given that she’ll succeed, or even if she wants to.

Wynter and her friends – living and dead – help her as much as they can but it ultimately comes down to her.

Great characters. Great setting. Loved the story with all it’s twists and turns.

But – as always – don’t take my work for it. Grab yourself the sample and see what you think for yourselves.

Notes in the Margin:
You can find the other books that I read – and enjoyed – this month on my book review account on the Unseen City.

Looking Ahead

I feel like I’ve wrapped up the quarter with a bang. Cover art sorted, audio contracts signed, one book at the editor, another almost ready for the blue pencil. I’ve restarted Talking On My Morning Walk, even though it hasn’t been as consistent as I’d like.

I even took a few days last month to upgrade my main computer with new SSDs and shifted everything to Linux, leaving Windows behind. It feels like a new machine.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’m hoping to get Working Class ready for the editor and start combing out the tangles in Hard Knocks so that it’s ready when she can fit it in.

That will clear the deck for The Wizard’s Cat. For a one off, stand alone, just for the heck of it book, The Wizard’s Butler touched a nerve with a lot of people. I’m not complaining. I knew when I finished it that I would be back to Shackleford House sooner or later. I could wish it had been sooner, but cancer has a way of refocusing one’s priorities.

I still have a lot of medical check-ups, appointments, and the like ahead of me but, fingers crossed, we’ve put that trial behind us.

Until next month, crew. Safe voyage.

-N

I made a lot of progress in February and look forward to continuing this month.

To begin with, I’ve finally got enough strength and stamina to do the two mile loop on my daily walk. I did a couple of test runs earlier this week and will get out as often as I can – weather permitting.

Then there’s the writing.

Status
The new Ishmael book. I spent February trying to figure out why the re-worked story wasn’t working. I was so sure I had the answer at the end of January only to find a bigger issue later in the story. I’m in the final stages of putting the thing together again. Fingers crossed that I don’t fall in a new plot hole here at the end.

The Wizard’s Cat. It’s still a long way off but I’m taking notes. I’ve a ways to go before I can get to it, but I haven’t lost track of it.

What Am I Reading?

The classic for February was Middlemarch by George Elliot. Interesting story with some good characters. Not my favorite read but I can see why it’s a classic.

I think my favorite book from last month is M. H. Thaung’s The Diamond Device. Following on the heels of Middlemarch, the class comparisons (and critiques) in it tickled my fancy. The tale revolves around two characters – a displaced factory worker and a nobleman trying to hold onto his position through some judicious cat burglary. The story has a distinctive steampunk aesthetic but really explores some of the social issues that arise when innovation pushes out established technologies.

I ripped through it in a couple of days and enjoyed every minute of it.

But, as always, don’t take my word for it. Grab a sample and see what you think.

Notes in the Margin:
You can find the other books that I read – and enjoyed – this month on my new book review account on the Unseen City.

Looking Ahead

My word of the year – Juggle – has proven to be a good guide. I’m also using a daily worksheet and some reasonable time allocation to make sure that I do what’s important each day instead of only what’s fun or important. So far, I’ve hit my marks every day this year.

I should have the next redraft of the first new Ishmael book done by the end of this week. That will be a milestone worth celebrating when I manage to get the draft done. It will still need a lot of work. I’ll still need to get it through the development process, but getting through these structural issues has really helped my focus my thinking. I only hope that focus results in better stories.

I’ve got a good streak going and need to continue it. As the morning walk has shown, small steps taken regularly add up to a considerable journey over time.

The trick is to keep taking them.

Until next month, safe voyage.

The year seems to have started out on the right foot. The word of the year has held up well. I think about it first thing every day and organize my time around balancing my efforts, including rebuilding what I lost last year.

I still have a long way to go, but I can see how far I’ve come in a short time. The longer I can continue, the sooner I’ll recover.

Status

New Ishmael: I spent the better part of the first ten days of January tearing down the opening of book 1 trying to figure out what was wrong with it. Mostly it was too complicated and my early floundering around when I started writing it last year just made everything too tangled. Ultimately I wound up writing the first two chapters from scratch a few times until I discovered where I really needed the story to go without leaning on hidden plots, silly complications, and tangled story lines. I’m about halfway through the second draft revisions now. The story is coming together nicely, now that I have a better idea about what it is.

Old Ishmael: The other major project has been loading up an Obsidian vault with story bible details from all the stories set in the Solar Clipper universe. I’ve finished all twelve of the Ishmael books and started on Natalya and Zoya. I’ll hit Dark Knight Station after that before moving on to the Shaman tales. It’s been really valuable to identify the people, places, and things I’ve created – to say nothing of being reminded of what I actually wrote all those years ago. When I get this done, I’ll allocate more time to writing new words. I expect new stories will go faster because of the way I’m using Obsidian to organize things.

The Wizard’s Cat: In addition to tearing apart the new Ishmael story, I spent a few days ripping apart the many attempts at writing the Cat. I’m no closer to having this drafted but I’m a lot clearer about the pieces I have to play with and maybe have a slightly better idea of what that story might be. I’m letting it percolate.

What Am I Reading?

My reading has slowed down to something more reasonable lately, mostly because I’m spending more time writing.

This year I want to read some of the classics I haven’t read before and maybe revisit some of the stories from my youth. I read Moby Dick as my classic book for January. I’d never read it before so it seemed a good time to try it. Melville played fast and loose with story structure and point-of-view mechanics but it worked. I’m unlikely to use those techniques. They seem more suited to a by-gone age. And I can’t say I liked it, but I have to admit it wasn’t a bad story. February’s classic is Middlemarch. I’ll start that as soon as I’m done with my current read.

For January, Woodspell by C. R. Collins really stands out. Collins blends a kind of fairy-tale aesthetic with the surrealist sensibility of Carlos Casteneda’s Yaqui way off knowledge. The world is richly painted without being overdrawn. The characters, powerful and vulnerable. I found Rowena’s journey, as the centerpiece of the tale, to be compelling in the extreme, encouraging me to put off other things so I could read one more chapter.

But – as always – don’t take my word for it. Maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

Notes in the Margin:
You can find the other books that I read – and enjoyed – this month on my new book review account on the Unseen City. (Corrected URL: 2/11/23. Sorry about that.)

Looking Ahead

My physical health continues to improve. I officially learn the results of my latest PET scan later today, but I’ve seen the report already. I’m not expecting bad news. I also made good progress on the treadmill in January. I’m up to covering 2 miles a day at 3 mph, which is my target sidewalk speed. I’m going to give it at least another week before I consider hitting the sidewalk again, but it shouldn’t be too much longer now.

Likewise, my mental health continues to improve. Part of it is doing the treadmill exercise but part is also my use of Obsidian to manage my ADHD. I’m doing a lot better about not losing big chunks of time and I’m able to keep on the tasks I think are important.

Add to that my journaling – 10-15 minutes each morning when I hand scrawl with pen and paper – and my daily haiku practice – a Mastodon thing where I get a daily prompt and write a short poem in meditation on some aspect – and using – that word. The haiku doesn’t reset my brain the same way sitting in silence meditation did, but it does quiet my brain weasels for a few moments each morning.

That seems like a lot, but – so far – I’m keeping it pretty balanced. The word of the year has proven to be a good guide so far. I’ll just have to see how long I can keep it going. For that, only time will tell.

Until next month, safe voyage.