Daynote - Wed 12 Feb

Back out in the woods today, and it was a little bit squelchy, but nowhere near as muddy as I'd feared after two days of drizzle. It was really, really nice to get out for a walk and breathe a bit of fresh air. I set out for my walk slightly late, but my morning schedule has about 15-30 minutes of slack built into it to handle just such eventualities, so I didn't have to cut the walk short. And I'm very glad about that.

ON DECK: A really solid 2,246 words this morning, thanks to some time I spent micro-outlining tomorrow and a couple of quite fluid, action-heavy scenes. I wanted to finish one scene in particular, which is why I was a bit late getting out for my walk. I'm at about 73k now and it's all rolling along very nicely.

Off to Arcadia University this evening, which I'm really looking forward to.

TOOLS AND PROCESS: I had reason today to remember that the simple mind-mapping/brainstorming tool Scapple exists (by the same people that make Scrivener). It's the only 'infinite canvas' tool of this kind I've ever used that hasn't annoyed me, mainly because it's incredibly simple to use and integrates with Scrivener. If you're trying to work something out in a non-linear way, it's worth giving it a go.

LISTENING: I listened rather than watched, but I enjoyed this 'Draft Notes' episode by the Page One podcasts host on the 10 books that have influenced them most.

WATCHING: We watched some more PANTHEON yesterday and wow, it gets dark in the second episode. Great stuff though.

READING: Finished HOW TO DO NOTHING yesterday and really liked it. Now I'm flying through Katherine May's WINTERING (which is pretty short) for a book group I've been invited to. I'm not normally a book group person, because I read slowly enough that agreeing what books to read with other people feels like it's taking up a lot of my reading slots. However, I love going to book groups as an author (get in touch if you want me to come to yours, virtually or in person).

This group read my book late last year, but I couldn't make it to that specific meeting, and I thought it'd be a bit rude to show up the next meeting without having read the book they're going to discuss and then sit there like a pudding in the corner waiting for them to speak to me.

So far it's got some lovely writing and very relatable winter moods, but I'm not quite clicking with it. Should finish it today though.

LINK: Loved this interview with fellow Headline author Dominic Nolan about his new book White City.

UP NEXT: Off into town tonight for Arcadia, then more drafting tomorrow, then off to Napier on Friday for one of two lectures I'm delivering to the Creative Writing MA course. I can't wait for that!

I've handily cracked 70k this week already, but there's an outside chance I might hit 80k, with fair winds and a following sea. Fingers crossed.

Onward!