Writer's Update #amwriting

-

Really? I'm writing? Well, okay, at this point that's stretching it. But I'm staying home for a while and back at my computer. More specifically, I am plotting and planning and getting ready to start drafting a new novel. I even have a tentative title: Painted Over. I kind of liked Portrait of the Artist as a Young Corpse, but that's a bit long and maybe a bit geeky. 

I'm still at the stage where I'm having fun tossing around big ideas and coming up with characters, writing their stories, and wondering what new personal challenges Seffi should face. It's starting to come together in my head, so I can reasonably hope to start the first draft within the next couple of weeks.

I'm looking at bringing back some peripheral characters from both Edited Out (#3 in series, released Aug. 25) and #4, Logged Off  (possibly Logged Off at the Library, but I'm leaning toward the shorter title. Feel free to offer your opinions on all this in the comments), which should come out next summer. That one still needs revisions, but I read it over as a part of my preparation for writing this one (it was a long flight back from Iceland), and am kind of excited to start the revisions.

What we know so far is that summer has returned to Smelt Point, and Seffi has a new car! Don't worry--she's still committed to walking everywhere she can, and that includes right into trouble, of course.

In other news, I returned from Iceland with something approaching 3700 photos, to add to the 650 largely still unedited from my Montana trip. A quick trip to CA to help out with my son's new house put me a little behind on all that, but I'm ready to work, so stay tuned for writing tidbits and weekly photo posts for the next several months.

 

Note: I'm seeing my books in a few libraries' Overdrive collections now (Pueblo, CO). Pretty sure this means that readers requested them, so thank you, whoever you are! 

Gratuitous photo content. The author at Markarfljotsgljufur (Markarfjlot Gorge), Laugavegur Trail, Iceland.


©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2025   
As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.


Don't miss a post--Follow us!

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Let us know what you think! We love to hear from our readers!

Popular Posts

IWSG: Who or What would I be?

-
Image
 It's the First Wednesday again already, and time for another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group!   Purpose:   To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting:   The first Wednesday of every month is officially   Insecure Writer’s Support Group   day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!   Don't forget you can post your link on the IWSG Facebook page !   Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and...
Read more

MMGM: Carry Me Home, by Janet Fox

-
Image
I'm posting today with t he fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  As often happens, I'm not sure how I chose this one. It might have been reviewed earlier by one of my fellow MMGM posters, or I might have just found it while browsing the library. It sat on my Kindle for quite a while before I got down to it. Title: Carry Me Home Author: Janet Fox Publication Info: 2021, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 220 pages (Kindle Edition). Source: Library Publisher's Blurb : Twelve-year-old Lulu and her younger sister, Serena, have a secret. As Daddy always says, “it’s best if we keep it to ourselves,” and so they have. But hiding your past is one thing. Hiding where you live—and that your Daddy has gone missing—is harder. At first Lulu isn’t worried. Daddy has gone away once before and he came back. But as the days add up, ...
Read more

Flash Fiction Friday: Harvest Time

-
Image
My brother set this challenge, based on something he saw in the grocery store... it's a very short flash, just over 250 words.  Harvest Time It wasn’t the farmer’s favorite job. At the end of the growing season, the crop had to be brought in, and it was… disconcerting. Right up to harvest time, the crop was a pleasure to tend. He liked it all, carefully managing the fields, not thinking about the end.   He looked out over the fields now, aware that harvest time was coming fast. There were certain unmistakable signs, a stillness that began to settle over the fields. One more day. Not for the first time, he wished he could pick the time. It was going to be unseasonably warm.   The next morning, the farmer check the crop and called out the harvest crew. Distributing the special rakes, he made the usual speech, with extra urgency.   “We have to work hard to get the harvest in before it spoils in this heat. You know the drill. Into the bin...
Read more