Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Onwards and upwards

So, brief stop-in to mention what I'm doing when not reviewing demonic short stories:

I finished editing a 140,000 manuscript and sent it off to the author.  It was hard to see that come to an end and I hope that I can get taken on for the rest of the series.  I also hope the author still likes me after reading all of the edits.

I volunteered to translate a children's picture book that a friend is self-publishing.  I am looking forward to this, since I have translated many things, none of them picture books.  My translation term is "Here's what I get paid per hour for doing this at work.  Send me a gift card in the amount of that some time this year and we'll call it even."  It may lead to other translation efforts.

I was trying to decide what to write next and vacillated between two plots.  One was about the matchmaker's apprentice.  One was basically Swan Lake a la Wicked.  Kate had told me that she wanted to represent the former when I wrote it, back in the days when she hoped to be a literary agent/editor.  Since she edited Wingspan so effectively, I brought the choice down to whether or not she would edit this book.  When she agreed readily, I chose to do The Matchmaker's Apprentice.  Yes, I know the title sucks, but it's a placeholder and not all books can have a title that makes sense from page 1 to the end, like The Deserter.

I'm mostly working the usual 40 hours a week, feeding my fish, wishing I could go on another vacation and playing piano.  I just got called as the Gospel Principles teacher at church, which I'm very excited about.  I am planning a playdate with one of my nephews in two weeks.  I've stopped binge-watching House, M.D. on Netflix.

Ta ta for now.