I am not one to leave my comfort zone very often, yet a writer's ability to construct believable and interesting narratives is at least partially dependent on their range of experiences.  After all, everyone knows the saying 'write what you know.'  Recently I went to witness the wedding of a life long friend, a journey which took me away from home to a completely new place.  It was the first time I'd travelled without caretakers and guardians.  I held all the responsibility and power to choose the route, plans, and arrangements.  Thankfully, it was a highly successful trip.

Now that it's over I am surprised by how it has altered my view of home.  By the end of the trip, although it was not a long one, I was ready to return to my familiar abode.  Upon returning, I felt as though I appreciated it more.  Living the life of a tourist is fun, but also exhausting.  A space that is ones' own is comfortable.  For me, it put into perspective how important my space is and how going away from it can hone that appreciation.

For my writing, the outing has provided new experiences from which I can draw people, places, and concepts.  Always in my mind now is what work I should focus on publishing after 'Call of the Black Panther'.  Since 'The Rules' trilogy is nearly complete and the most 'polished' of any of my completed works it makes sense to begin with it.  As to new material, I am debating on continuing the 'Amelia Starling' story which features a young woman who marries a man who wants to kill her.  Alternately, I could return to a sequel of 'Call of the Black Panther', but am feeling like taking a break from that universe for a while.

How has travelling affected your creative juices?  Has it changed how you feel about your home?  Opinions on what project I should pursue?  All thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Below is an image of a road through a forest by tomsumartin

I have discovered I have an affliction.  I used to think I was a normal person, perhaps with a particular style for weaving narratives.  Then a good friend pointed out my fear of an innocent little piece of punctuation.  The COMMA!!!! *shivers*  This observation is further proof that other sets of eyes are invaluable when editing a manuscript.  Up till now I had been existing in a world where commas denoted breathes, as would occur in a spoken sentence.  My recent editor has brought my attention to the fact that commas clarify clause structure more than imitate speech.

A couple of examples of where I haven't used but have needed commas are:

“They’re almost done, father!” The girl replied, spinning on her heel over to the stove and checking the cooking food with a wooden fork. from Chapter 1: The Girl from Two Worlds

“Oh,” Irene paused to snap the weakened vine in half, pushing the rest of the way through the underbrush, “since, um, since Arminius and I aren’t… together, we can’t together, but I would love to have you stay with me.” from Chapter 6, Influence

My editor also provided a link of humorous sentences that illustrate the commas' power: http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/commas-are-the-most-important#.gokBAPWWX

Let this be a lesson to all creative individuals.  Always seek at least one other opinion about your work and befriend the comma.

July 1st is upon us and since I still do not yet have a book on the market I thought it only fair to provide those interested with an explanation as to why.  When I began preparing 'Call of the Black Panther' for publication I was a poor post-graduate whose budget could only extend to cover art.  Since I have a bachelor's degree in English I figured that my own read-throughs would be sufficient. 

I have now determined that, since I want to ensure I put the best possible story into the world, it is necessary to have at least one other person give their opinion on the narrative.  The feedback I've received from those who have graciously donated their time and expertise is invaluable so every story I publish will have undergone an external editing.  I also recommend that, if an author wants to stick to any sort of publishing schedule, they pay the money to have a professional editor.  Having not had one myself yet I can't speak to the quality compared to my literary friends but the predictability of timeline alone would be worth the investment.

The current person I have looking over 'Call of the Black Panther' should be able to finish their editing this month at which point I will submit the work for a Library of Congress number and hit the publish button at last.  I am sincerely sorry for the set-backs but am consoled by the fact that it's unlikely anyone is really desperate for me to get a move-on.  Once 'Panther' is out in the world, however, future books will be professionally edited to ensure I can meet my publishing deadlines.