So. What’s next? 2021 has been looking a lot like 2020 so far, but viruses don’t know from calendars. As far as COVID-19 is concerned, it’s just going on its merry way, mutating and spreading la la la. Since it’s not likely I will get vaccinated until the summer, I’m still continuing protocols, including masking up when going to the grocery store, and socially distancing with friends. The photo is from Saturday’s hike at Walnut Creek — one of the loveliest parks in Austin.
But there has been one significant change. At the beginning of 2021 I was let go from my day job of almost four years.
I’m currently looking for a new gig, but taking the time to look for volunteer work, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. And of course writing. The current projects are going well. I expect the first draft of the novel to be completed by the end of February, which is so exciting! As I’ve said here before, my favorite words on any project are “The End,” and I’m closing in. I’ve also written a brand new short story in the Port Saint Frey world, and I’m excited to share that with you when it’s ready. If you haven’t signed up for my infrequent newsletter, well — I’m going to revamp it, and I’ll let everyone know. The new Port Saint Frey stories will appear there first.
I also have to announce that I’ve caught the screenplay bug, and it has been a blast. Screenwriting is a different kind of storytelling, but the need to be compelling is paramount, just as it is in prose writing. It’s prose with like a really cranky level of formatting.
And finally, the reading. All the reading. I’ve been trying to keep my book buying to a minimum, so I signed up for Libby with my local library, and I’ve read more this year than in many years past. Recent favorites: The Queen’s Gambit (loved both the novel and the series), The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, and Red White & Royal Blue, which I just zoomed through because it’s possibly the most perfect example of a modern romance and a top example of the form. Plus, it’s totally adorable.
So that’s my world. Off to write!
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