In Which She Attempts to Write Five Days A Week, No Matter What

Yep, you heard me. For about a month or so now, I’ve been working hard to make sure I write Monday to Friday, no exceptions. This is a big departure for me. I’m an expert procrastinator and although I’ve finished about a dozen novels, I’ve never set myself a schedule. However, I take my writing seriously and I think if I want to get to the next level, I have to be a bit more regular when it comes to writing, so that’s what I’ve done.

My reward for this? The weekend off, so I can recharge and handle household duties like cleaning and grocery shopping. And possibly even sleep a little.

I don’t put pressure on myself to hit a wordcount, so I think that’s been the main reason I’ve been able to keep going. But I’m also going to start posting little snippets every week, to make sure I’m doing new words and to give myself a public push. Hope you don’t mind if I use you as guinea pigs for my Works In Progress.

Oh, who am I kidding. It’s not like you have a choice once you’re here, reading my blog. Am I right or am I right ;-)?

Anyway, here’s today’s snippet to prove that I am, in fact, still on track. I’m working on two WIPs at the moment. A science fantasy called THE NIGHTWARD (some of you may know it as the Hand of Gaia), and the sequel to LEX TALIONIS, the science fiction mystery I published in 2014. The working title is IACTA ALEA EST or The Die Is Cast.

The bit below is from the first chapter of the WIP I’m currently doing the most words on, THE NIGHTWARD. A royal bodyguard is watching the arrival of an emissary from a neighbouring Queendom.

Yes. I said Queendom. Did I mention this is a matriarchal world? No? Well that will come clearer in future posts I guess. Something to look forward to.

The Nightward:

The tail end of a caravan passed beneath the archway.  Twelve fair-skinned men, dressed only in flowing white pantaloons, marched in lockstep beside a massive klaxon bird that had to bend its long-necked head to pass under the Gate.  On its back it carried one of the traveling houses of royalty; pale blue cloth embroidered with gold fluttered as it swayed, but never revealed the occupants.  

The klaxon, prompted by the subtle twist of its gold-tasseled rein by one of the men, threw back its crested head and sounded a loud note, sweet and pure as a harp.  Blue green feathers rustled before the trailing tail rose and fanned open behind the house, the pattern resembling nothing so much as dozens of eyes.  

Through the mindtouch, Dagen felt his cat Farain awaken.  The howl that followed–taken up briefly by other cats–was no surprise.  Dagen cats were very jealous of their territory and had no love of birds.  He took in the arrivals for a moment, aware that with the appearance of the Emissary from the Queen of Kadoomun, Queen Elise’s anniversary party was complete.  And if I don’t find the Princess soon, the Dowager Mother will have my ears for adding to her troubles this evening.

I’ll leave it there for now. My sister has warned me I go on too long.

Feel free to drop bits of your WIPs in the comments too. I’d love to see what you’re working on.

Stay thirsty, my friends!