The writer's lot in life.

Read another section of Tuskers at writer's group last night and got encouragement.  They really seem to like it.  Just when I needed it.

I've been feeling isolated for awhile now.  On my own.  Which is the writer's lot in life, I suppose.  But even five people approving of something you wrote face to face can be a powerful tonic.

I was a little horrified by how many little typos I had, since this is the version I sent a publisher.  I had at least half a dozen places where I had first person instead of third person narration, despite trying to wean those out.

I'm supposed to get a "clean edit" from Lara tonight, and when I'm done consolidating the changes I've made, with her edit, I'll send that version along to the publisher.

I've been sitting down and writing every day, despite not feeling particularly inspired.  I'll be about halfway done with Tuskers III by the end of today.

I've been struggling with words, and wondering if I wouldn't be better off waiting for "inspiration."  But I just took a month off, and I've got the feeling that not only didn't it help as much as I thought it would, it may even have hurt.  I need to immerse myself in this world, and the only way to do that is to sit down and do it.

I'm finding that even when I don't get much writing done, a few little plot turns come to me here and there.  So I'm sitting in that darkened room and trying to get there every day.  I'm on pace, but instead of it taking a couple of hours, like when I'm on a roll, it is taking all day to eke out the words.

Thing is --  by the time I rewrite, I'm not sure a reader can tell the difference between those words that come easy and those words that come hard.

No word on when The Dead Spend No Gold might be published, either ebook or physical. (The contract was signed.)  I swore I wouldn't pester my publisher, and I'm sticking to that vow.  But it's hard.

Led to the Slaughter has had it natural selling period. (About six months).  Now it needs the sequel to hopefully give it a boost.

It's just one of those lulls that happen.  Part of the cycle.  I just have to hang in there.

Linda and I drove out to Paulina Springs Bookstore in Sisters, to see if they had done anything with the five copies I'd left.  They had a copy of my book in the S.F. and Fantasy section, among all the other books, and that felt good.  They'd sold a couple copies, apparently, and sent a couple of copies to the Redmond store.  (Unlike another regional bookstore I'd given copies to, and who had basically dissed my books by putting them in a very poor location in their store.  I just picked up the copies I'd left there, thanked them, and left.) 

So thanks to Paulina Springs.

I also keep getting reports that the book is constantly checked out at the local libraries.  So that's cool.

Just looking for small encouragements.

And then trying to forget about them while I write.