At the end of October, I started writing book 3 in the Screwing Up Time series. Now I’m about
5000 words from finishing the first draft. (Okay, it may be longer than that—so
much is happening to the characters that I don’t think it will all be over in
5000 words. But the end is close.) And I can’t believe it. I’ve never been able to write so fast.
And I’m not sure why it happened. Maybe it’s because I’ve
got more experience writing. Maybe it’s because I’ve stuck to a rigid schedule—writing
five to six days a week, 4000 to 5000 words a week. Maybe it’s because it’s
winter and I’m not working in the flower gardens. It’s probably all of those
things. But it’s also because I love this book. I love Mark’s willingness to deal with everything from guns
to tasers because he wants to do the right thing—and if it gives him more time
with Miranda, that’s even better. I love that Miranda keeps her cool no matter
how crazy things become, even when angry pagan priests are thirsty for blood. I
love Nin, a certifiably crazy cryptographer. And I love my antagonist, a
villain that Mark didn’t expect, who could definitely give Nin a run for her
money in the who’s-the-most-psycho category.
