Magical thinking. When…

Magical thinking. When we bought this house as a foreclosure, it was months before we even started work on it. I had just had Anand, and I would come over here periodically and sit in this swing, daydreaming about the day I would come and write here. It took a year and a half of renovation before we actually moved in, and mostly, I write indoors, when I write at all. But today, the weather is absolutely perfect. I turned off the internet for an hour, sat in the swing, and started my new novel, the one I have been scared to attempt.

I will be attempting various things I haven't done before. More dialogue, more action, and a much longer arc overall. I'm aiming for about 100,000 words in this book, and for this book, hopefully, to be the first in a series. Somewhat a la Miles Vorkosigan in style, starting with a 20-something protagonist and following them through many years. Female, though, and mixed-race. Connected to The Stars Change and "Jump Space"; same universe, and some characters may recur. I'm very excited about it. Also a bit terrified.

But today, an opening. 1250 words in an hour, and I think I like them. I won't write out here every day, but I am hopeful that this was an auspicious beginning. May there be many more productive hours to come.

"Maya hurried through the narrow cobbled streets of Old Town, lifting her heavily embroidered sari skirts out of the muck as she went. The stars were slowly emerging, faintly visible through the shimmering screen of the dome overhead"