Why a book is like a garden hose

Oops, sorry for the unexplained absence! I don't know where the time went. I've been sprinting about in busy-mode, doing all sorts of things that I can't remember but which seemed very important at the time. Today was another one of those days, full of Things to Do and People to See, so I am a little weather-beaten from running about in the freezing cold wind. Just as well the winter weather is closing in tomorrow (if the weather gods are listening, could we please have a dusting of snow?), as it will force me to stay still and get some work done. I'm also hoping for a re-injection of fashion mojo. As the weather gets more wintry, I'm feeling uninspired and a bit schlumpy (Urban Dictionary definition: "Unkempt and rumpled, less than put together. Road worn and sloppy. Tired").

To explain the title: you know how you fold up the garden hose into a careful spiral when you're finished with it, and put it away in the garden shed? You would assume that it would stay that way, neatly packed up, until you use it again. But no. The next time you take it out, it has magically doubled in length and gleefully tied itself into impossible knots, just to annoy you. That's what New Book has done during the past five months, while I was re-writing Book Which Is On Its Travels (I will eventually reveal the title, and then everything will sound less complicated). I left it on the computer, all saved and backed up and waiting for me, and it appears to have had a party in my absence. I started reading through it yesterday, and I don't even remember writing half of it. I think the characters started running about and doing things on their own while I was gone. Which makes the prospect of continuing it this week very exciting, but also a little daunting.

I want to have a workable draft finished by the time we go away at the end of July. I already have 48,000 words of the story, and I think it's going to be about 80,000 words when finished. I think a realistic deadline would be Friday 12 June, giving me 18 working days to finish the first draft, then a week or so's break over my birthday (20 June! So excited already).

Can't wait for the official agency papers to arrive for me to sign - they're in the post. I may have to do a video post when signing them, as it's such a momentous occasion! (Not sure how interesting it would be to watch, however).

Thank you all so much for the awards and tags you have sent my way over the last few days - I'm going to have fun passing them on!