So, the mermaid novel is on hold for a bit, while I make sure I have everything I need for World Fantasy. I’m doing a reading, not a panel, and I have my piece picked out; and of course, I need my pitch ready and my completed novel in good shape. It’s a while since I looked at my whole novel, and you know, I really still love it. Found an awkward sentence or two to fix, and now all I have to do is meet the right agent or editor!
I wrote a poem!
I know. I don’t believe it, either. But it was a lot of fun. It is a “one ring to rule them all” poem for the opening of the novel, and it is a sea shanty, so of course it is sung (and it rhymes), but it is needed to help the protagonist figure out how to defeat the mermaids at the end of the book. But the coolest part was how much I enjoyed writing it.
Novel is going well
Got really inspired this week about my novel. As an alternate history, it is speculative, but it didn’t have any aliens or ghosts or anything magical–and now I have a cool idea about introducing evil mermaids. This is great, because they will help me save the antagonist at the end of the book. Took some time on September 29 to re-structure my outline, and am very excited about how the new line is weaving in with the old.
Looking forward to working with grades K – 4 again
My planning session with teachers at William Reid School went very well, and there is a lot I am going to be able to do during the time I will be working with their students. It looks as though I will have at least a couple of sessions with each of their classes, which is good, because we can get our teeth into the meat and potatoes of plotting, beginnings, dialogue, revision, and so forth. I’m really looking forward to meeting the kids!
Very cool to be working with new novelists
I have eight students in my year-long novel writing course, most of whom are doing speculative fiction. My section is one of three the Alexandra Centre is running this year–they had an explosion of people signing up. My students are very talented, and a collegial group, and very dedicated to setting deadlines for themselves. I’ll tell you, the two and an half hours each evening zip by!