Happy long weekend for those celebrating Labor Day! With highs in the 90s here, it certainly doesn’t feel like summer’s ending yet. I’m looking forward to fall, if or when it arrives!

Writing Updates

My latest Book 3 draft: 6 chapters/24K words in the can, now working on chapter 7. At this point I’m doing more rewriting from scratch than editing, incorporating details from my earlier drafts that are salvageable, but those are becoming few and far between. I do like that Scrivener lets me take snapshots of scenes so I can revert back to an earlier draft if necessary, but I almost never do.

Finishing by the end of the year is still possible, and I’ll work toward that, but with the expectation that it’s probably not going to happen. I’d like to be the type of person who can bang out a scene per day, but my writing benefits from me taking time to really think about what’s going on and what’s in each character’s head so I can lavish attention on details and interactions. That attention can transform what would’ve otherwise been boring procedural paragraphs into something interesting and informative of the characters and the world around them.

One thing I have to do constantly is look up what happened in the last two books. LOL “Did that happen? Did these characters ever discuss this?” You’d think I’d know, but remember: for each finished scene, there were anywhere from 1 to a million deleted scenes that I wrote but never used. I lose track of what made it into the final cut!

Current Goals

Well-rounded Latin practice. Studying vocabulary flashcards daily, textbook work and conjugation/declension practice most days, listening to podcasts. I’ve found a Finnish Latin news podcast to add to my listening. It’s so neat to have this language in common with people I wouldn’t ordinarily be able to communicate with, and I’m learning a lot about Finland, too!

Listening to German. Listening to news and audio lessons from Deutsche Welle.

Civic Engagement. Back on the list! I’m filling out vote-reminder cards for the ACLU, and helping people register to vote next month.

Travel 2019? We’re also thinking about where we might travel next year, if we do. So many amazing options, it’s hard to decide!

Good luck with everything you’re up to, and I’ll see you next month!