Finally I post my entry to the Sunday Star Times essay competition on “family”, as intended back in November. Naturally, it did not win (I do not know what the winning essay was, only the short story winner has been posted online), but it served its primary purpose: with a bit of thought, I turned a pretty decent piece of work around in a couple of days writing, a large part of that working out what to leave out (a wound to my drive to forge connections from a global point of view.) That it exists and says some things not said enough is all the justification it needs.

It has been a very chaotic few months though, which has resulted in the line edits for The Sovereign Hand taking longer than intended. I’m still sitting on the last 10,000 words, in the sense of entirely reimagining the possibilities in the text. I’m happy with that is there, it fits all my original intentions – but are there richer possibilities?

Usually. At least until four or five drafts, and the end of the book, so long in view, right from the start, is sometimes written as a destination – rather than another arrival to be experienced completely.

So, the launch date has been pushed back from March, a luxury we can afford, fortunately. I must say at this point that Steam Press publishes gorgeous books (I just procured a bunch for christmas presents (more on them after the event)), and Stephen has been a flying buttress of support in our shared quest for perfection. So instead of being harried by my publisher I get to enjoy the end of this hectic year as its own arrival and step fresh into whatever the next year brings.

Merry xmas.