Dribs & Drabs ...

I've decided that Best Laid Plots - Book the First is actually NOT ready for publication yet :( So, I've put that one on hold for a bit and have switched over to A Winter's Journey to see if I can get it ready for publication in time to debut it at When Words Collide 2025 in mid August.

A tall order, for sure! It needs a thorough line edit, which I'll be doing with ProWriting Aid. Plus a new chapter, and some tweaking throughout. And beta reading by hubby and eldest daughter. He's already started that process, and has found a bunch of grammar issues that made me realize I hadn't actually put it through PWA yet! The new first chapter is done, but no doubt it will need further tweaking after it gets evaluated by Hubby and Eldest. My deadline for final editing is July 31st/August 1st. Then hubby will format it and send it off to get the proof copy sent back. Provided there isn't too much to fix in that, we SHOULD be able to get the physical copies shipped in time. Probably!!!

Switching to focus on WJ actually makes sense! BLP is different enough from what I usually write, that having it published first could cause some confusion among readers, who'll expect the rest of my books to be similar. Which they won't be (other than it's sequel, Book the Second). And the world that WJ takes place in is much more diverse, story wise. As my previous post mentioned, I've already got rough ideas for the three follow-up books in this storyline, plus a prequel that's about 50% written. And writing that extra chapter, I've come up with a rough idea of another spin-off story, maybe calliing it No Roses Here. Not to mention all the numerous ideas that I've been working on throughout the years that also takes place on this World.

I do know that no one is actually reading these blog posts - but they do help to get my thoughts in order! And someday there might be some people interested in checking out my ramblings!

Oh - and I have decided my role as I get older is as the absent-minded ditzy old lady! Which I am definitely well on my way to becoming!

Later Folks!

Lisa

As I write this, I am very close to the self-publication of both Best Laid Plots - Book the First AND A Winter's Journey! BLB-B1 has received an evaluation from an annonymous reviewer from the Writer's Guild - and while I definitely appreciated some of the thoughts and suggestions, I was also thrown off a bit at the stuff that was mentioned as needing attention, that had definitely already gotten attention! It's now sitting with another evaluator from Pete's Press, who will take a look at it once she's done with her evaluation of A Winter's Journey.

I may have mentioned in a previous blog (likely years ago!!!) that the second book I'd completed was A Winter's Tale. Well, I've never been too fond of that title, nor of the ending. I am hoping that Annabel will have some thoughts on the ending for me, but it was my hubby who came up with A Winter's Journey as the title. And I like it! Ties in with the prequel I am writing called The Journey Begins. When I asked my friend Carmela (so far the only one who has read it that really loved it!) what she thought of the different title, she said it could work, especially if any sequels follow the seasons in some way. And I figured that could work! Do a Spring, Summer and Fall story - maybe something like Journey Through Spring, Summer Journeys and Journeys in the Fall - or something like that. And instead of direct sequels, each would feature a jump forward in Hildy's timeline. For The Journey Begins, she's about 18. For Winter, maybe 28. So, 35 for Spring, 42 for Summer and 55 for Fall? And explore themes of family, etc. Lots of stuff to potentially work with! Plus the usual monsters, bad guys, magic and so on! The thing with Hildy is that, at the time of WJ, she is a Mary Sue, but she still has much to learn, even if she doesn't know it! So I am comfy working with her as written, and seeing her Arc continue to evolve through the other books.

The direct sequel to Winter's Journey, would be Two Old Coots and a Mess of Trouble! Don't have a storyline for that yet, other than the two characters (who are of course in Winter's Journey), following up on the mystery of the Trolls being there. Hildy might have a part in that story, but it would definitely follow the two old men. Maybe Jhereg as well.

So - hubby is assisting with the formatting of BLP and WJ, for the plan is to debut them at When Words Collide in Calgary, in mid-August. This year!!! I am presenting two sessions this year - A Map is Still Not a Journey, and Magic Makes the World Go Round - both of which I have done previously (this might be the 4th or 5th time for that one!), so not as much prepping this year!

So it seems to be all falling into place - provided we can make the 30+ days we have left work!!!

Till Later Guys :) Whoever you might be!