Autumn and the Fall

The title of this post is a little dramatic. As of writing, it is autumn in the Pacific Northwest, but what’s this about a fall? Well, I’m reflecting on my post from January of this year, in which I listed the following three goals:

#1- Finish Final Edits of The Hole

Except for a couple of minor breakdowns, I’ve not stopped this process. It is so ongoing even the title of the novel and its concept have undergone revision. The story is now called EYELESS and is becoming as resonant as a finely tuned instrument. Problem is, it's already October; I’m only halfway into one read-through of the novel and know I need to do at least one more before I’ll be confident enough in the telling of the story to submit it to a literary agent.

Therefore, #2 – Query The Hole, will likely not happen this year at all, unless by some trick of creation I get the manuscript up to snuff in time. The same applies to the selling documents I’ll need to send to the literary agent, though at this point, I’m actually happy with my query letter and synopsis.

And finally, #3 – Map out They Feed at Night

They Feed at Night is still a viable concept to write. A very cool idea. But I had a certain revelation about The Hole that turned it into Eyeless, and when that happened, it became a trilogy. Now I’m fleshing out Book Two and making notes about Book Three whenever I find the time.

Overall, I don’t see myself as failing my writing goals for the year. In fact, I’m still committed to them, well into the new year and beyond! So, perhaps this is my way of heading off a bout of Yuletide regret, and also a warning to myself not to move the goal posts again. I am always striving to tell the best story I can. I believe if I keep doing that, I will set myself up for something lifechanging to come out of my writing. Changes of that proportion take time. If there’s any new writing goal I should slot into my calendar, it is the daily need to be patient.