Countdown is on

mood: alternating
music: Leap of Faith--David Charvet
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So I'm down to seven days for this novel rewrite to be completely finished, printed off, and in the mail. I think I'm going to get it done. I'm slightly stuck right now figuring out how to tie up a plot thread that the first draft didn't address, but hopefully I'll get past that today. I'm in the second-last chapter, so the end is in sight. Then I have to go through one more time, incorporating Krista's edits and polishing, and it's done.

Similar to the experience of actually writing it last November, I'm kind of amazed at what can be accomplished if you really buckle down and do it. I don't think I could live like this all the time, since I'm starting to feel pretty burned out, but it's a good feeling to know you can do it when necessary. Of course the novel itself might be drek, but I'm still having fun with it.

One thing I learned today: Raindrops can be measured. US scientists have recorded drops, called "monsters", measuring 1cm.

Not very blog-a-rific

mood: antsy
music: none
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So no, I haven't forgotten about my blog, but blogging seems to have slipped down the priority list of late. At the top (well, after feeding and clothing the family) is the novel rewrite. I think it's going well. Terry is reading it and doesn't have much in the way of criticism to impart. I also have Krista doing a line edit for me because if I do by some miracle get the rewrite done in time for the first-week-of-August deadline, there's no way I'll have time to line edit, too. It's a mini summer job for her.

I'm having pretty good luck getting up early in the mornings and writing before the kids are awake. They like to sleep in during the summer, bless their hearts, and I may even have more writing time this way than I do in the winter. At any rate, I'm giving it my best shot, and I'm almost as pumped as I was in November writing the first draft.

So that's why posts here are few and far between, my website hasn't been updated in ages, and The Scriptorium is still showing the April/May issue. Just can't do everything at once, especially when you throw vacations and home renovations into the mix. But really, it's the most productive summer I've ever had, so I can't complain too much.

One thing I learned today: There have always been more women than men. But the gap is widening, especially in cities among young people, a study has found. In London alone, women in their 20s outnumber men by 52,000. Looks like my novel from NaNorRiMo 2002 could be more prescient than I thought.

Yes, it's summer...

mood: anxious
music: Breaking the Habit -- Linkin Park
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The fact that I haven't made an entry in over two weeks is a good indication of just how busy things have been. I don't know where June went and I'm nowhere near where I hoped to be on the novel, although I did manage to finish my big starmap the other day so at least I can reference that now and make sure things are making sense.

I'm supposed to be working on it right now, as a matter of fact, but I'm taking just a few minutes to clear up some other things first so I can approach it with a clear mind. Terry and the kids have gone off to do some things together so I have a couple of hours of uninterrupted worktime (barring unforeseen circumstances). Guess I should go and get to work. It's a beautiful day here so I really should be outside enjoying it...but right now, if I'm going to meet that deadline, I have to take every opportunity to work. I'll take a break later and catch some rays.

One thing I learned today: Saturn's rings are named in the order in which they were discovered, not for their location. A-Ring is on the outside, and surrounds, in order, B-Ring, C-Ring, and D-Ring. Then, going out from A-Ring is F-Ring and G-Ring. And tucked in the middle is the so-called Encke Gap, which is a small space in A-Ring discovered telescopically by JF Encke in 1838. Read the whole story at BBC News