Celebrate the Small Things 31-10-25

It's the end of the week, so it's time to celebrate the small things.

So, what am I celebrating this week?

It's my anniversary.  My partner and I met at a Halloween party 28 years ago.  And believe me, it does not feel like it has been that long.  But then, I also just went to see our son's final performance before he graduates university with a music degree, so the timing tracks.

I finished the new book this week.  Or, to be more accurate, I finished my first draft of the new book.  I'm not sure if it's any good...  To try and tidy up some of the dangling plot threads I (or Arlo, to be perfectly honest) wrote a very long essay about one of the most difficult challenges he's faced.  So, now the book is made up of Arlo's journal, a section where Devon takes over the journal, and now this essay as well.  I'm not certain it's going to work, but I'll leave it alone for a few weeks and come back to it and see what I think then.

I now have quite an expanse of free time on my hands.  I do have another book I've been playing with - it's ostensibly a middle grade story, but I suspect it might actually be an adult book with a child protagonist.   I kind of need to figure that part out.  I figure I'll tinker away at that while I'm letting Arlo's story rest for a bit.

I got a personalised rejection from an agent this week - the very first one - and it was illuminating.  I wish I had received it earlier, because it indicates that there is a single word in my synopsis that might be the reason why I've been racking up rejections like a champ.  I've changed that word out now, and I'll send a few more queries this weekend and see if I have a different result.

And that's about it for celebrations this week.  Apart from the fact I won some movie tickets in a competition.  Which is cool.  Guess I'll be going to see Bugonia this weekend...

What cool things are you celebrating?