The Writer's Brain In Constant Motion

So, right now, I'm putting the "finishing" touches on the manuscript for Thorn of Dentonhill before sending it to my editor.  On top of that, I've been charging full-throttle into Thorn II. Working both at the same time has been helpful, especially in making tiny tweaks in Thorn to set something up for Thorn II.  

Which means, of course, that Lt. Kengle and Banshee are pounding on the glass in my brain, like Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. 

This is not uncommon in my headspace.  I've often made the metaphor that my creative side is much like a full restaurant kitchen.  There's something getting fired to go out as quickly as possible.  There's stuff working on backburners, simmering away to be tackled soon.  Other things are in crockpots, slowly bubbling, but won't be brought out and worked on any time soon.  Then there's stuff being prepped in the back, in the earliest stages.

And, like any closed kitchen, there's a lot of swearing. 

Also, now the orders really have to go out and reach the customers.  It's no longer a hypothetical kitchen.

In an ideal world, over the course of 2014 I will:

• Deliver the final manuscript for Thorn of Dentonhill
• Deliver the final manuscript for A Murder of Mages
• Finish a draft of Thorn II, clean it up and deliver it to my editor.
• Finish a draft of Murder II, clean it up and deliver it to my editor.
• Finish a draft of Banshee, and get that into my agent's hands.

Which seems like a lot, but you have to remember that right now Thorn II is already a third done, Murder II is fully outlined, and Banshee is about two-thirds done.  So this set of goals will be a challenge, but a reachable one.  It's also what my brain wants to do.  I'm not saying I won't potentially run into a snag or pitfall, but there's no question in my mind of, "Oh, no, NOW what am I going to do?"

Plus it will mean that not only will Thorn and Murder have direct sequels in the pipe before the year is out, but my agent will have three manuscripts in hand (Banshee, Holver Alley Crew and Way of the Shield) for the inevitable, "And what's next after that?" question.

And now to work.  I've got deadlines, after all.