Sign 2: Men at Work (c) Davide Guglielmo

I have been off work since Friday and I don’t have to go back until January 2nd. Usually when I have time off–especially this much time off–it’s for something like a trip or a conference or something like that. For the first time in a long time (seriously… a long time), I am able to stay home with nothing but a holiday to fill up my schedule. For the first time I’m getting a taste of what my life could be like when I’m able to be a full time writer. After four days, all I can say is OMG CAN I HAS THIS LIFE NOW PLS?

Right now I’m concentrating my efforts on the first draft of book two of The Dream War Saga and I’m hoping to hit at least 40,000 words by the end of New Years Day. I started my vacation at around 15,000 (approximately… I think), so that would mean about 25,000 words in ten days. When I set the goal I kind of thought it’d be close to impossible, but I still have almost a week left and I’m already at 25,000 words!

This book is moving along nicely (it definitely helps that I have an editor-approved outline to work off) and it’s taking twists and dark turns I didn’t expect, which is always fun. Especially when those twists make the book even more tense and exciting than  hoped! Maybe, if the pace continues, I’ll have a first draft done by the middle of January when my editresses send me the first set of notes on Sing, Sweet Nightingale. That’s an intensely strenuous goal, but who knows? Maybe possible.

All I know is that when January 2nd comes, I’m not going to want to give up this taste I’ve had of what it’s like to be a full-time writer. It makes me that much more sure I need to amp up production and make sure quitting my job becomes a possibility ASAP because, honestly, this is awesome.

Wish me luck!