Coverart by Steven Warrick

The end of summer is rapidly approaching and I am worn out.  Summer isn’t really a restful time for me, like many teachers I try and squeeze too much into the school free days.

There is really never enough time to do everything.  Over planning and underfunded mean that most of my school free days were actually spent working.  Days off were spent with family and friends or the mundane tasks of of life.  My house elves have been on strike since I brought a foster kitten into the house.

I am adorable someone adopt me.

So what I have gotten done this summer?

Most of the pre-production work for Blood Child.  My sister, Zee, is going back through the proof to double check everything, which has proved to be a blessing since her eyes are catching errors that I missed.  (Thank you, Zee-Mama)  I finished one short stories, wrote six book reviews and half a dozen poems.The important things is that I wrote.  I didn’t stop when things got hectic. I didn’t stop. I may have paused, but I didn’t let myself stop.

Even though my book isn’t out yet, I find that a lot of people tell me that they could never write one they don’t have the time or the patience. They have ideas.  Ideas are great. They won’t get a book written. It takes putting the words on paper. I don’t write fast. My best progress was about 2,000 words per week. Not day. Per week.  So finishing Blood Child took me a little over a year and a half.  I am aiming for my next project to be a longer and richer so attempting to finish it in the summer was a bit foolish.

Apollo Beach, Florida.

The summer has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean it is time to stop daydreaming.  On my last trip to Tampa, I took a picture of this staircase. Imagine all the stories that could begin with a staircase like this. Is it for Merfolk to come and visit ? Or does it have a more sinister purpose? I like to think of this staircase as being one where I am descending into the unknown creative space and taking each step at a time.  Eventually, I get to the bottom and it is time to stop planning and take the plunge.  The journey really doesn’t stop.

But it does have to begin.