Between Labor Day in the US, back-to-school prep, a big family trip, and helping my wife move out of her former music studio space (a story best told over a malty beverage), the last couple of weeks have been relaxing, inspiring, and intense.
My wife’s 20+ years remission—celebrating in Kauai
For starters, Jodie, the kids, Jodie’s parents, and I took a big 10-day trip to Kauai, Hawaii. It was part vacation, part celebrating Jodie for passing 20 years of remission from the cancer she had as a kid. She and her family came to Kauai when she was a teenager, so it was fitting that we return, with her as a brilliant, vibrant, beautiful woman, with her own business, family, and so many things she’s accomplished since recovering from cancer all those years ago.
Lots and lots of writing
While on our trip, we were (mostly) on vacation. I did take the opportunity to tour the island’s craft beverage makers and interview some folks though 🙂
I also wrote. During the trip itself, Aug. 26–Sept. 6, I scribbled 17,111 words, or 1,426 words per day. There were observations about Kauai and our own trip. There were notes from my chats with breweries.
There are also the beginnings of two new books. One came to me in a dream, a raucous retro freedom fighting story that’s going to be lots of fun to work up.
The other is a Rucksack story. But not the Rucksack we’ve gotten to know in other stories so far. This one will be the hero of old… as a young man. When he’s just, literally, finding his way to becoming the hero he’s destined and determined to be.
August writing
By the numbers, during August I wrote 43,482 words, at an average of 1,453 words per day. I wrote every day, which put my writing streak at 243 days in a row as of Aug. 31. August’s scribbling puts me at 362,042 words for 2018—on track for 500,000 words for the year. Those 362,042 words include fiction, 9 article assignments, content work for clients, and things for my Wanderers, my patrons on Patreon.
Those 9 articles, by the way, put me at 62 articles for the year so far. I’ve written and published 305 articles since 2011, and 2018 is on pace to be my biggest month yet for articles.
Back to work.