Over the past week I’ve obtained three books from the library for research: Cities & the Sea: Port City Planning in Early Modern Europe (for the mapping of Searoyal), Dudley: The Seventeenth Century Town (for planning the town of Holyfell; actually an article, bound in this weird cardstock binding), and English Country Houses: Baroque 1685-1715> (for the planning of Faradris’s family home; a bit later than I’d like but it’ll work.) The latter is sorta falling apart, but the damage is noted on the slip so I think that means they’ll remember not to punish me for it.

So I’m reading all of these in hopes of getting some more world-building done. I’ve sort of stalled on revisions of A King’s Wedding, but I think that’s more in response to some personal-life stress than to the story itself. I did see a scene that I think needs cutting; I’m deliberating whether it’s better to send it to my critique group as-is and see if they agree with me, or to go ahead and snip-snip-snip. The scene places undue emphasis on an object that isn’t going to be important at all to the plot, so I guess it should go. *le sigh*

Because of aforementioned personal issues, I’m having some trouble getting back into writing. I am, basically, putting it off. In an attempt to preserve my sanity, I need to focus on other things. I’ll continue world-building, but I don’t know if I’ll dive into a manuscript in earnest for a little while. We’ll see. Things usually change more quickly than we can imagine.

For now, I’m putting my focus back on reading. That might even give my life some semblance of stability and routine. Wouldn’t that be a change?

I think I just found my new email signature:

You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.
- C.S.Lewis

I’ve just started the type-in on my Searoyal short-story, A King’s Wedding. My manuscript looks like it was mangled by swashbuckling mice. I’m hoping the type-in goes quickly, but even in the first paragraph I’ve already found something else I want to change. I don’t think this is the best story-opener in history, but when I get the revisions I’ve written on the manuscript typed in, I’ll be able to see more clearly what needs to change.

I keep reminding myself: This story is the best I can do right now, and that’s all that matters. I’ll learn more as I get critiques and write more stories.