It's an Update, Old Sport!

Ack! It's been entirely too long since I last blogged. July ended with a whimper; I barely knew that the month had changed until August's extreme heat finally hit. Everyone's getting ready for a new school year. My MFA friends finishing their last years are preparing to teach new sets of students. Theses need to get written. And I'm out of school. Done. Fin.

I feel like an explorer reporting back to academia. "It's strange out here," I'd shout into my walkie-talkie. "The sky's brighter, but I don't have a way to measure my life now."

Which is true. No more essays, pop quizzes, workshops, final exams. No more measuring sticks. It's freeing in the kind of way learning to fly for the first time must be for baby birds. A scary, exhilarating free fall.

Still, things haven't changed too much. So here's an update on what's been going on between the last post and now.

If you've been keeping up with my Twitter, you've probably noticed the steady influx of Gatsby nonsense. I've always enjoyed The Great Gatsby, but I guess the DVD release of the new movie has gotten me excited about it again. I've reread the book, gushing over some incredible lines I didn't notice the first time around. I also rewatched the Robert Redford version (fun) and started the Toby Stephens one (but I'm having a hard time, because I think that Stephens is too adorable to pull off Gatsby).

Meanwhile, I seem to be the only one half in love with the little book right now. My coworkers are like:

And I'm like:

Writing-wise, I've been busy with projects, as usual. After wrestling with Tread Softly for a long time, I've finally finished the complete draft. Right now, I'm going through each chapter one more time, fixing issues that some of my Figment readers have pointed out. It's been a lot of fun revising the chapters now that Merry and Hue's journey is complete. Have you been checking your mirrors at home for ensnared boys? Just asking! 

Speaking of Figment, I might as well say here that I will be taking down TS when my revision is done. I found a great press to query. Also, I will be taking Olivia down - but not because I've magically finished it. Far from it. My Toads & Diamonds retelling has stalled and I'm not sure what to do with it for now. A new setting may be in order (but don't worry - Ernie, Grendel, and the gang will still be there).

So, with TS and Olivia on their way out, it sounds like my Figment page will be barren. Well, never fear. 

my evil writer smirk

I will be back to writing Boys & Bees. Lorabeth is showing up in my daydreams, begging to get on with her story. You can imagine how tough that call is to ignore, considering her ability to control bees. 

My brain's stuffed with ideas for a new project too. I'm trying to stay focused on one project at a time, but I'm also eager to share a new story with Figment. So many things to look forward to. 

And then there's Pocket Forest. Only a few days ago, I received word from Goodreads that I was clear to have an author profile. It feels very surreal. I've been filling in the Pocket Forest page with information as I've been getting it from my editor. When she sent me the proof to look over, I pretty much had this reaction:

The book's innards look great. I got a little choked up when I saw it (and then wiped my eyes so I could hunt for typos). 

OH. And one more thing. I want to thank you (my lovely readers) for leaving wonderful comments about Birdcage Girl; your support means a lot to me as I continue to query. My feelings about the agent search are clear. Just replace "senpai" with "agent."