Hoppy Trails

A big week ahead - federal election campaign, Kate and William's wedding ceremony (and I won't be setting the alarm for 2 a.m.), the visit from that big white rabbit . . . AND four days off work. Four days to work on my latest manuscript. Life is all good.

I'm at that point in my story where I'm getting into the characters and the plot is starting to come together. The word count is inching up to 60,000. This is an adult murder mystery set in Ottawa and written in the third person. In some ways, writing in the third person is tougher than first, but I like experimenting - perhaps you already figured that out by the different projects I've tackled :-) I should have my first draft completed by summertime, but I've been doing a lot of editing as I go so fingers crossed that this manuscript won't need too much tinkering at the end.

Mike Levin interviewed fellow crime author Barbara Fradkin and me a few rainy Sundays ago in Bridgehead coffeeshop in Westboro Village. A photographer appeared part-way through our discussion on writing about murder and the supportive mystery-writing community that our city is famous for. Our actual nickname by our counterparts in Toronto is the Ottawa Mystery Mafia - maybe, I should invest in some dark sunglasses and a horse head. Anyhow, you can read Mike's article in this week's Kitchissippi Times.

I've heard from the publicity folks at Dundurn and have homework to do this weekend. Other than that, I'll be typing at my computer, raking the lawn (Ted will now hold me to this when he sees this in writing), eating out a few times (starting with the Mapelawn Keg tonight), cooking a big Monday night family Easter dinner and reading the latest Michael Connelly hardcover, The Fifth Witness. Aside from the lawn-raking bit, this is shaping up to be a pretty good long weekend - I wish you and yours a marvellous Easter too.

May the chocolate be with you.