Oh September, I Love You!

For a good chunk of my life I sought validation through academic achievement and as such, September is a special time. New notebooks, new school clothes, new writing tech. Make some iced coffee, find a library, and read all the books. Heaven, really.

Medieval Cat Shenanigans

I headed up to Baltimore early in the month to check out an exhibit at The Walters Art Museum. Paws on Parchment was such a treat. At the center of the exhibit was a beautiful manuscript with tiny cat paw prints scampering across the page. You could almost feel the frustration of the poor person who had spent countless hours meticulously writing each letter and painting in stunning illuminations only to have a cat walk right across their hard work. You can check out some video here and I've posted pics on Instagram as well.

Book Purchases from the Museum:

• Medieval Cats: Claws, Paws, and Kitties of Yore - Catherine Nappington

• Tea Wisdom: Inspirational Quotes and Quips About the World's Most Celebrated Beverage - Aaron Fisher

The Damn Tea Act

After a good run of very consistent writing and editing, I got tripped up on fact checking. I'm really struggling to find the right balance between using good history and telling a good story. As I work through this draft of the manuscript I notice places where the writing feels engaging and the story compelling. Where readers can become invested in the action and truly care about the characters they meet. And then I find myself hard-stopped at a chapter that reads far more like an article in an academic journal than a motion-filled part of the plot. 

As historical fiction writers I do think we have a responsibility to largely get the history right, but I also believe we should lead with the fiction and let the history complement the work. Right now I'm finding an imbalance where sometimes that history just weighs down my story (and creates hurdles in my editing pace.) 

And in truth, part of me is becoming frustrated that this project is taking so long. I keep setting deadlines for getting my manuscript to my editor and I keep pushing them back because it's just not ready. I want to be sure that what I send to my editor is as good as I can make it so that the editing process can truly raise the quality of the work.

Hello October

You guys!! October is right around the corner and that makes me so happy. Witchy season, my birthday, hockey season...October is the best month. Let's savor it.

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