New Year, New Hopes, Same Dreams
Hello 2021! The past year sure has been a trial, which I don't need to tell you about. But, in the cold light of January, it feels important to acknowledge the way 2020 forcefully readjusted my priorities, and gave me some insight into what matters and what I want to be doing with my time. Namely, I want to get back to writing. I've taken some time off for a series of life changes, but 2020's NaNoWriMo was a success, and I have made a commitment this year to being focused on and dedicated to the writing part of my day. Part of that means staying accountable and telling people what I'm working on, which is where this newsletter comes in.
So, what to expect from this newsletter? A mélange, I suppose: general updates, news on publications, sneak peeks of works in progress, book (and maybe fic) recommendations, previews and early access (if I have anything to access early, that is), and a little backlist recycling. I'm sure there will be other stuff. Thanks for coming along for the ride!
2021 Q1 and Q2 Project: The Mage's Mistake
This was 2020's NaNo project, and I'm a couple thousand words away from finishing the zero draft started in November. This year's goal is to get draft 1 done by the end of March, get it edited by a professional in April, and redraft it in May for submission in June. I'm planning on participating in #PitMad as well as submitting directly to agents, because I'd like to get a little more serious with this one.
The pitch needs a lot of work, but here's the gist:
London, 1883: ex-army Mage Henry Harrison is trying to re-start his life after his war injury by taking a straight-forward, magic-free job as a private secretary to handsome society bachelor Benjamin Parlow. Unfortunately, Parlow's investigation of a murder takes Harrison right back to the Institute that taught him everything he knows, including the spell that cost him his right arm. Also they make out. I'll need to work that into the pitch.
(Maybe you recognize the underlying provenance; it would be a lie to say I wasn't writing a magic/steampunk Holmes/Watson AU.)
It's a fun, horny, magical mystery tour, and I'm excited to start sharing it with you.
Thanks for reading, talk to you next time.
xoxo
Elinor
