Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Yesterday I spent several hours working on "From Cabinet 34, Drawer 6." I'd only meant to read through it once before e-mailing it, but I'd not even looked at the story since late in 2001 and I found myself reworking bits and pieces, and it's over 11,000 words long, so that took some time. And there was e-mail from Peter Straub, which is always nice. Last night, Spooky and I watched Sleepy Hollow for the umpteenth time.
In the morning, we leave for Providence, so today will be consumed by all the last minute things that must be done.
I'm going to try to make blogger entries while we're gone, but I can't predict how busy I'll be or how sketchy intrernet connections will be. It would be nice to make entries that consist of something more than word counts and ruminations on my porcelain sanity. I used to travel so much, but this is my first real trip since Chicago in April (or was it March?) 2002. There's been so much else occupying my mind, traveling has hardly seemed more than an annoyance to be avoided. At my heyday as a traveler I was constantly on the go. The first half of 1996, for example, NYC in February, Ireland in March-April, then LA-San Francisco-Oregon in May. I don't know how I ever got anything done. I don't know how writers who travel a great deal (such as Neil) find the time and the presence of mind to get anything written.
I think that writing two books in only two years is something that I want never to have to do again. Next time I'm offered a multi-book contract, I hope that I have the good sense to ask for much more time between deadlines. I fully intend to take at least two years on the next novel, the one I'll write later, now that Murder of Angels is done. I require time to recharge and make mistakes and false starts and such. Novels are just too enormous, as for as I'm concerned, to be executed in such quick succession. It feels strange to have two of the things completed and awaiting publication. It's like trying to keep secrets. Here, I've made it all the way through the events in Murder of Angels and most of you haven't even read Low Red Moon. But you will soon. By the way, I strongly recommend the Subterranean Press edition . I expect it to be the only hardback of the novel printed. There's a jpeg of the front cover up on the subpress website now (follow that link). I'm so pleased with Ryan Obermeyer's work on this book. You can order directly from the publisher (that link again) and avoid delays, or save a few bucks through Amazon.com. Regardless, it's going to be a handsome book. All parties involved have worked overtime on this one.
And now I must go attend to errands. I may try to make a short, short entry in the morning, before we leave.
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