Month: September 2020

So fortunate that we only had to deal with hazardous smoke. Firefighting efforts are ongoing in Oregon and the other western states so I’ve made modest donations to local United Way chapters and Sound Equine Options for their efforts to aid those who’ve lost their homes in the fires and for taking in evacuated horses and livestock.
My entire county was covered by evacuation orders. Per the map, my suburban town was Level 1 (get ready), but on Thursday September 10 I got an emergency alert that we were at Level 2 (get set). I also got word that our horses were being evacuated (a major undertaking and thus the precaution to move 40-some horses before conditions worsened).
I frantically grabbed my existing bug out kits, gathered valuables, packed clothes, made sure I had the dog’s prescription food and meds, etc. This included packing up my Mac (I always keep the box if I have storage room) and laptop, plus materials for current projects. In anxious anticipation of a Level 3 (GO!) alert, I didn’t access the items already in the car or ready to toss in. So — no writing.
As it turned out, the Level 2 alert was regional and my home remained at Level 1. However, wildfires should always be taken seriously so I left everything ready for quick departure.
Both the horse and I are now back in our abodes. Changes in the weather aided firefighting efforts and the danger zones are gradually diminishing. More rain is coming our way, which should further help firefighters. The air has cleared so the dog and I can resume our walks. Since the horses were exposed to the smoke for so many days we’re keeping an eye on them, and the eventers will be gradually reintroduced to work.
I’m also back to work on “Emissary.” Catching up to where I last left off. In another week or so I’ll set it aside to prep for NANOWRIMO.
But I try to remain mindful of those who suffered in the fire and the men and women fighting the flames to exhaustion.

I signed up for NANOWRIMO 2020. What a “perfect year” to hole up for a month to write a novel. And it’s a way to legitimize the diversion for my shiny new idea.

My original thought for Lady Tedey was a YA steampunk novel about a young woman who is a baroness in her own right. My vision was to have her travel to Timbuktu, and I have research and story ideas to that effect. As Lady Tedey and her world evolved in my thoughts, she acquired prescience, the ability to see snippets of the future — but only minutes in advance of actual events. Just enough for her to slip out of the drawing room before an unwanted beau arrives. Then I gave her the same birth date as Princess Victoria: May 24, 1819. More research, and I decided to include Tedey in an actual incident that happened to Victoria and her mother, the Duchess of Kent. Then Lady Tedey was supplanted by a shiny new idea and placed on a back burner.

💡

I don’t know where this one came from, but I came up with the idea of “Treasure Island” with a female protagonist. So I reread the story and as I was mulling over how to approach it, Lady Tedey raised her hand. I went back to my preliminary work for Tedey and discovered it might work. A little more research and adjusting the cast — and Lady Tedey was sailing for the Caribbean to locate a pirate treasure.

I want to do a little more research on the time period for a modicum of accuracy, but otherwise I have a cast, settings, and major plot points (with thanks to R. L. Stevenson). Enough to launch into a 50,000 word novel on November 1.

Meanwhile, back at my Mac, I returned to “Ma’rama, Emperor’s Emissary.” I’ve been editing the existing pages to get back into the story before heading off into my stack of scene cards.