Time flies when you are not having fun. Been a rough year for a lot of us. I didn't get a lot done as it is somewhat depressing sitting at home.
However, a few months ago, I decided that if I didn't write now, when would I? So I gave myself a target of 100 words per day -- maybe five minutes. I've somewhat surpassed that, though at times it seemed one of the harder things I've done.
It is disheartening to see how skills atrophy when they are not being used. I've added about 30k words to my Ghost in the Game book, but my major contribution went towards Book 6 in my Colleen Yrden series. Yesterday, I wrote "End" on that first draft. Unfortunately, I feel it is going to take a lot more revision and editing than any of my previous ones. But the story is there. It has a working title of "Trading in Secrets".
We all have secrets that we hope that no one will ever discover, and my characters are no different than the rest of us.
Turhan Maxwell is running away. He picks space as a place to hide, which is somewhat ironic given his secret. But life often puts us in positions where we become forced to deal with what we don't want to deal with -- or at least the opportunity to do so.
Most of us can stay hidden, can avoid facing up to that which we do not want to face. Characters, on the other hand, rarely find life that simple. Even the most safe of hiding places hold hidden dangers that confront the character and force him -- or her -- to act.
And such, I fear, will it be with my poor Turhan. Alas. However, that does make for a better story.
Anyway, I fear it will be some months before I get "Trading for Secrets" in good enough shape to publish. At present it is 118k words (about 350 printed pages). "Ghost in the Game" now stands at 76k words and is only mid-way through the story. While I'm editing "TfS" I hope to continue writing in "GitG". However, in the past I've not been much good at that.
And that's it for now. Hope everyone has a good summer.
