A New Project

This has been a month of major deadlines–a YA historical due to the editor mid-month, 60 articles on children’s and YA authors, and a 3-sample-chapters request from a book packager. Plus NaNo–which got a bit sidelined with all the traveling for the holidays. I met all my deadlines and am now ready to start on a new project.

It’s temporarily under wraps, but I’ve started some research and hope to get a lot done on it over the next month or two. I’m working with a great collaborator (it’s actually her idea that we’re working on). It’s great to work with someone so enthusiastic and supportive!! Can’t wait to see what we produce together. And thank heavens for the Internet and cell phones as we live on opposite sides of the country.

Right now I’m in the fun stage of the project–the preparation. It always reminds me of getting ready for the first day of school. The blank pages of new notebooks and smell of sharpened pencils and unused crayons. The anticipation part of the process. The adrenaline charge when everything is fresh and new and anything can happen.

So much of writing is just showing up to the page, churning out word counts, ignoring carpal tunnel syndrome and stiff necks. So before the newness wears off and the dull dailiness sets in, I’m taking time to revel in the broad expanse where anything can happen and usually does. This is when magic happens.