Saturday, September 24, 2011

The First of Autumn

First day of fall yesterday coinciding with my completion of the first draft of my manuscript, 95,000 words in total. Now begins the task of editing - the cut, slash and rewrite part. Once I finish this, I'll rustle up a few readers to put their critical eyes to the story. It's easy to get too close to the material and miss errors of logic or sections that don't work. So it will still be a ways off before you find out if I had the heart to kill off Susan Halliday :-)

Kristy Wallace, reporter for Ottawa This Week did a nice job with an article she published about my writing. She'd read that I was one of the guest speakers at The People, Words and Change event and asked to interview me for her article on mystery-writing. A neighbour on my street, whom I've known for over 25 years came up to me after the paper was delivered and said, "I didn't know you wrote books." A prime example of why we have to keep doing this publicity schtick.

So next in the writing world, I'm helping to organize the Capital Crime Writers event on October 22nd at the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library. This has already taken a bit of time and more will be needed as we get closer. I also have to prepare two workshops - one for kids on short story writing and the other for adults on keeping a plot going. Both workshops are slated for November.

This time of year, just like spring, I feel like starting something new and getting my life reorganized. It's time to put the garden to bed and haul out the warmer clothes; find my curling gear in the back of the closet and order the Thanksgiving turkey. It's wonderful to sleep under a pile of blankets with the windows open as the nights cool down. The leaves are beginning to turn colour and fall apples are at the Parkdale Market. A great season to be out and about or home reading a book with a roast in the oven.

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