Deify Plums

The whole goal for this sabbatical was to actually sit and write. I wanted to see if I could do it, and if I had it in me to musle through and complete a novel. I'm ending with a trip to the Pacific Northwest Writer's Conference, and I hope that it'll be a good, fun way to round out the sabbatical experience. I'll be very happy to have even the first draft of the manuscript complete.

I haven't written about my writing yet, in part because it's a little scary to share this journey. But it's been going very well, especially for the past week or so. I feel as though I've found my groove. Plus, I sent an excerpt to a good friend of mine, and she said that it didn't suck! Well, at least the first 350 words don't suck! Hoorah!

One of the more interesting side effects has been that as I've gotten further into the writing process, and as the plot continues to develop, I've become less and less interested in reading fiction myself. I still can't wait for The Crow to be released (July 3rd! Huge benefit of being in the UK, since I don't believe the US release date is even set), and I really want to read it, but I find that I don't want to leave the world I'm creating. I'm actually staying up late thinking about how things should develop, which is fun, though it's been wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule (especially when combined with the clubbers who've found the alley behind my flat).

So, I'm aiming for a minimum of 20 pages (longhand) per day. Some days I make it, others I don't, but I'm trying not to stress either way. I've auditioned a few cafes and several restaurants, and really like writing surrounded by people. If nothing else, I can evesdrop on some very strange conversations when I'm stuck for a way forward.

So, that's that. Wish me luck!