One year ago we flew to Madrid and on to Malaga. What a difference a year can make. We no longer intend to be nomads. It’s not always easy to be positive in outlook, but having a routine, producing stuff, feels good. It is lovely to walk in the forest preserve in the morning, doing some editing of book four of the French series, then to come back and sit in the sun in the sunroom and make the changes, and read over the chapters, making any other changes that seem appropriate. One more read through and I’ll be ready to send it to a friend. And look at book 3 and release that in 2021. I’m pleased that I got book four written in 2020 with all that was going on. Also really pleased that I ignored my plan and outline for the next book in the series, and wrote about what I wanted, which was Morocco and Spain and family connections.
It was enjoyable to read about Morocco and Spain as I revised the novel, and I like the character development that it allowed. I enjoy incorporating my travels into my novels. But I also incorporate other things. One of my characters has a house in Illinois that she is trying to sell. As did I for a couple of years and will probably do so again.
The only reference to the pandemic that I made in the novel I worked on in 2020 was a passing reference to an apartment being nice, but she wouldn’t want to quarantine in it. It’s always a struggle as to how much of real life to bring into my novels. I suspect there will be way more stuff written about the pandemic than anyone wants to read.