I'm not delusional enough to think that anyone is hanging out on my blog, holding their breath for my next scrap of news. But I feel the need for a record of this process, as a kind of accountability. This, then, is my first post related to the Sunsparrow sequel. I am still working on The Confluence, but as Sunsparrow is about to be out on submission, I thought I'd better have something in hand to show for the sequel. Tentatively called Fall of the Star Queen, I'm aiming for 120,000 words or less to wrap up the conflicts of the first book. I am aware that all of this will cause future me to shake her head at my naivety. *Waves to future self.*

This time 'round, I'm trying something new—zero drafting by hand.

My friend Robin gave me a fountain pen for Christmas, and I have to say it's revolutionized the way I feel about writing. The thoughts flow from my brain to paper (for better or worse) with almost no friction. I don't need to plugin. I'm not hypnotized by a glowing screen or paralyzed by the need to "write something good." I know my hand-written text will be zero draft—not even worthy of the first draft label—and the total lack of expectations has freed me like nothing else. I am hopeful that, by spending more time up front exploring characters and their motivations I will save myself months of painful developmental edits on polished prose. (Likely delusional, but a girl can dream.)

I'm also creating an extensive outline of characters' actions as they weave through world events. Will this save time later or only bore me? Time will tell! I've always been a pantser.

Whelp, if you've read this far, you're a champ for stopping by. Drop me a line below. What are YOU working on?