The Rains

Man.

This month is a tough one, no matter how you look at it.

First the good news. I just read Neil Gaiman is 46 as of ...I think... yesterday. Quite a stunning development, actually, because I have become sort of used to being older than everyone, and it turns out he is actually older than me. By a couple of m0nths, anyway. Take that, Sandman! (However, I do believe he may suffer from terminal immaturity -- I recognize the signs from those I exhibit myself -- and therefore has my permission to remain a Boy Genius for as long as he likes.)

But other than Neil's news, November is tough, because, as you may have read earlier -- this is the month of the Big Push. And this year's Big Push is on a previous back-burner project now called (for working purposes) DEADLINE.

DEADLINE is a whole new ballgame for me, in spite of the fact that I have been noodling with the thing for almost six years. It's a contemporary mystery, aimed at adults. i'm hoping it will be the first of a series. And it's turning out to be a little cheeky, and both a little politically satirical and incorrect.

Standing in the way of the Big Push on DEADLINE, has been one scary mother of a storm. Here in the deep woods of the temperate rainforest on the side of the mountain, we have already welcomed Lady Rain. But when Madame Wind came to pay her respects, she distributed her calling cards all around the neighbourhood. She took the power away, knocked down a few trees and left a number of Trecherous Puddles in Dangerous Places.

This sort of behaviour on the part of Lady Rain and Madame Wind tends to put a bit of a crimp in the writing habits of your humble servant. And this, in point of fact, puts a further crimp in the word count.

However, your humble servant Pushes on, still busily scribbling on her laptop, and when the thing dies -- in her notebook. So when Madame Wind returns, perhaps even as soon as this evening, the Big Push will continue. I'm hoping a reasonable draft of DEADLINE will see the light of day by the end of this month. Optimistic? Perhaps. We shall see...

And now, a new addition -- Books recently perused:
Today I had another look at STORY by Robert McKee. Always find something interesting between THOSE covers. Still reading ARTEMIS FOWL: THE OPAL DECEPTION by Eowyn Colfer. Have now officially thrown SATURDAY by Ian McEwan across the room.

~kc