Buckeye Road

Signing Off

So, dear readers, here we are: time for me to take a break from blogging.

If you've been reading along, you've known this was in the cards for a while now. I haven't been the most regular, or thorough, of bloggers. I've taken breaks now and then, and you could certainly say that this pudding lacks a theme (beyond, of course, my assorted saucy ramblings, as it has been described . . .).

In any case, I have a couple of very good reasons to take a break. First off, blogging has been bad for my social habits. What I mean is that I've fallen behind in keeping up with some dear friends, friends who I know have been reading along and so can stay up to date on me here (though reading stats on SiteMeter is not exactly a reciprocal experience).

So I need to spend more time keeping up with my friends, who are all over the country and around the globe (particularly in that good ol' city of London).

Then there is the matter of the Big Project alluded to here but not often specified. Those of you friends I have kept up with know what it is. I have been trying to be better and not talk about writing as much (other than when I've finished a big draft), following Carolyn See's point that no one really wants to hear all about the ins and outs of your writing.

So, in closing out here, I'll let myself break that rule just once: the Big Project in question is a novel, in fact a mystery novel, which is something I've always wanted to write but for various reasons (self-doubt, school and other commitments, and a few others) I kept myself from trying.

But this year has been all about pulling out the stops, so I'm working with this detective character who's been in the back of my mind for a while, who I didn't think I had the ability or the balls to pull off. And finally, I decided, whatever am I waiting for? So off we go.

Thus, I'll be writing very intensively over the next couple of months. I'm putting myself on a schedule of 4-5 pages a day, which is intense, but should be very workable and downright fun given the scenario I've worked out. And as for incentive, there is a fairly major mystery novel contest deadline in the summer that I have to shoot for. It will be tight (even though it's months away) but I'm pulling out all the stops.

Which is why I have to sign off. I do like blogging, I'll probably blog again at some point, when I can set up a template of my own on my domain name and cook up an editorial policy so that pudding will have a tasty theme all its own.

In the meantime, check me out over here -- and, if you are a friend (or a loyal reader), by all means, drop me a line!

posted by BT @ 12:37 AM