Hello dear readers,

I write this to you from my office desk, where I have been holed up for the past few days working on something I hadn’t planned to be working on, but which allows me to share an exciting update:

I’ve just finished the second draft of my mystery novel.

But Catherine, you might say, didn’t you just finish the first draft of a different novel earlier this month? To which the answer is yes, I sure did.

But I finished the first draft of a mystery novel in October, after which I let it rot on my computer because, frankly, I had no idea what to do with it. Nothing connected in the ways I wanted it to, and I knew there wasn’t nearly enough depth for it to be any sort of book-shaped thing. 

Clearly, forgetting about it to work on different projects did wonders, because as soon as I finished that other first draft earlier in February, I felt compelled to open up the mystery novel. And wouldn’t you know, the answers all came. 

I’m sometimes surprised at how easily my brain finds answers to writing-related problems—frankly, it’s downright scary how well things come together sometimes, not that I’m complaining. Because now I have a second draft, and notes for a third, and a clear idea of what needs changed, cut, and polished.

In short, I am very, very excited to be starting the third draft on Monday. Tomorrow (today for you, since I’m writing this the night before), I plan on doing nothing writing related—I will weed the garden, and read my library books, and bake a chocolate cake. Normally, I would give myself more time between drafts, but I already know exactly where it needs to go, and to be honest, I’m too excited to wait any longer.

A small note to add on here: sometimes people tell me they can’t keep up with everything I do, and that’s fair. I do a lot of things, writing projects included. So, to clear things up, here are the current projects:

• Witchy fantasy novel: complete; very slowly sending out to agents
• Run away to the woods and deal with family drama novel: first draft complete
• Seaside mystery novel where nothing is what it seems: second draft complete; third draft starting very, very soon

So! That’s where I’m at. I’m all sorts of proud, since I hadn’t planned on working on the mystery novel, and now it’s going into its third iteration. Kind of cool how things come together like that.

I hope you’re doing well, and are having a nice Sunday (or whichever day you read this on). Talk to you again soon!

—Catherine

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