Tuesday 20 August 2024: I did a BIG job yesterday

I had a lot of catching up to do yesterday, and yet I spent the first half of the day doing bitty stuff. Like yesterday’s blog post and publication planning. I realised that the bookazine cover is a different size to the other book covers and I started to change it. But then I remembered how far behind on my work I was getting, so I glanced over it and left it as it was. I can change it if I want to when I’m sat twiddling my thumbs.

With the publication of WORDS WORTH READING ISSUE ONE looming, I created a gallery for the sidebar here. That’s when I spotted the different sized cover for the bookazine. I’m trying not to let the OCD loose on it, but it is very trying.

I started to re-plan the order of my Nettie Campbell and Stevie Beck novellas. I want to write them to coincide with the bookazine, so THE HAUNTED HOUSE HOTEL isn’t very good for February, and it won’t be ready for this October. I also don’t want a Stevie Beck short story to appear at the same time as a Stevie Beck novella.

I’ve already sidelined the novellas for the next issue so I can get it out quickly and be the first to publish my short stories outside of the magazines they’ve appeared in. But I’ve scheduled THE SECRET OF WHITEHORSE FARM for the February 2025 issue, Issue Two. THE ACE OF SWORDS needs to be done by then too, which is sort of a Stevie Beck short story as it’s one of the main recurring character’s back story.

That means THE ACE OF PENTACLES needs to be done by the June 2025 issue, Issue Three, which is the last of these 4 back stories. And that means I don’t want a Stevie Beck novella in that issue either. I can have DEATH ON THE RIVER WYE planned for that one. However, as the one after that is October 2025, Issue Four, I *can* use THE HAUNTED HOUSE HOTEL for that one.

And that, my friends, gives me my novella writing schedule.

I created new projects for 5 novellas on TickTick, 3 each for Nettie and Stevie (including the one already on there), but the 3rd Stevie novella doesn’t yet have a title. Both characters will have at least 5 novellas each, but I didn’t want to clutter up my TickTick with 4 more projects until I was closer to starting them at least. I’ve done that kind of planning before and it’s a bit overwhelming.

Each project has a sub-project for each step of the planning and writing process.

And then I made sure I had projects in TickTick for all of the other projects I have scheduled or already started.

The serialisation of NIGHT CRAWLER will finish in the June 2025 issue, Issue Three, but I’ll need a new novel completed by the October 2025 issue, Issue Four, so I can start a new 4-part serialisation. This will either be THE BEAST WITHIN or CATCH THE RAINBOW. Which gives me my novel writing schedule for the next year at least.

So everything will now revolve around WORDS WORTH READING.

At the same time, I’ll be finishing the PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR WRITERS series and starting 2 other writers’ guides. But these won’t be appearing in WORDS WORTH READING.

THE BEAST WITHIN will also revolve around the PROJECT MANAGEMENT series, as that’s my writealong, and that’s why I’m putting CATCH THE RAINBOW on standby. The next book in that particular series, a prequel, is HATTIE’S HOTSHOTS. I just need to get my finger out and start concentrating on my own works. This should be easier once I’ve cleared the current 2 client edits.

My 3rd Marcie Craig story is SNOWBLIND, and the 4th is FLOWERS IN THE RAIN. I’m also currently writing short stories featuring Marcie too, which are much easier because she’s such a familiar character (to me) to write about. The short stories aren’t set in the 1990s, though, and I might end up doing a Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum for Marcie, whereby she just doesn’t age. But the novels may need to follow on from each other.

The faffing took me to dinnertime, when the poet made us both a sandwich and I made us both a pudding…well, I assembled a meringue nest with some thick Greek yoghurt and a handful of berries. Then right after dinner I accompanied the poet to an annual nurse’s appointment. He went to the post office on his way through, and I waited for him in the car. While I waited, I read a chapter of DATE WITH MALICE by Julia Chapman.

I’m really enjoying this DALES DETECTIVE AGENCY cosy mystery series, but the author *is* head-hopping, which is something I’m not so keen on. I’m enjoying what she’s done with the series and how she’s done it, and, of course, I’m enjoying the location, which is familiar to me.

But the head-hopping does annoy me and I have to remember to expect it for each alternating paragraph. At least she’s not doing it mid-sentence, but it is vexing all the same.

I wonder if I’m noticing it because I don’t like it or if it’s because it hasn’t been done particularly well…I don’t know. But it’s getting in the way of my reading and when I’m writing, it’s something I try very hard not to do. Or maybe I don’t have to try very hard at all as it’s a pet peeve. I will push on, however. I’m reading the series as much for research as I am for pleasure.

Anyway, when we got back after our midday errand, I started today’s blog post and created the graphic for the top. I also did a quick de-tech-clutter with my emails, on which I’m trying to spend 5 minutes each day until it’s all sorted.

I finished the day by finally writing the newsletter. This month it’s all about our recent touring holiday, and there’s a free short story included. If you’re not subscribed, you can do so here, or use the form in the sidebar (which is at the bottom on mobile devices). The newsletter was a BIG job yesterday, and I even started the next one.