Well sadly I didn’t get a lot of writing done in my time off, but I guess that’s all right. I did do some much needed editing and reviewing of my WIP. Since it has been written a bit out of order, I’m finding that as I write the beginning it’s important to go back and make sure that I’m capturing the essence of my established characters properly.

But overall it was a great week! I finished reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr. It turned out to be a fantastic book. Carr is such a great writer. Every sentence was flawless and the plot was engaging and addictive. I did notice he tended to care a great deal about when the characters ate and got rest, as if he felt on the hook for explaining to the reader when his characters took care of themselves. That was probably overdone. I’m finding out in my writing that I don’t always have to explain when they rest and when they eat unless it fits importantly into the story. I think readers will grasp that characters will take care of things, behind the pages. I mean, even the television show 24 doesn’t actually show Jack Bauer taking a bathroom break.

What I really admired was how Carr made me smell the setting. New York City in 1896 isn’t going to smell good and he made sure to remind readers of that. Smell is something often forgotten in fiction, so it was a nice element that really made me feel like I could put myself into his settings. Speaking of smell, I’ve owned this book for around five years, and it had that musty old paperback smell, which for whatever reason added to the experience of reading it.

A great way to spend the afternoon.

I probably should have gotten out of the house more. I never did get my laptop out and find a cute café or join a writers group. I did take one walk and that was tonight. To find a secret forest path I’d have to drive miles, so I stuck to the plains and got a little bit of nature.

In the open space near my home.

Tonight, I’m going to the midnight show of Angels & Demons. We’ll see how the movie compares to the book. I remember reading Angels & Demons really well. I think at the time I did most of my reading in the bathtub, so I can’t help but think of relaxation and hot water when reminded of it.

The week isn’t totally lost in the writing department. Tomorrow I’ll be traveling down to Pueblo for my brother’s wedding. I’ll bring my laptop, of course, and hopefully I’ll be able to get a few words in. Perhaps the wedding will inspire me!