Today marks a year since I wrote the first words in Naked Alliances. It has been through a dozen beta reads and I’m not finished editing. It isn’t ready for publication and I’m not sure it ever will be. I have a couple more stories in my head for Richard and Brandi and I plan to work on those.
I have another project in Surviving Sister. That one is a really slow go. I write on it in bursts and then draw a blank for weeks, then go back and add more. I’m not sure where or how it is going to end. It is a linear write and I’m taking it as it comes.
We bought a new boat. I’m excited about it, but not nearly as excited as the rocket scientist. He has owned a boat since age sixteen, but has never owned a brand new one. I’m hoping he’s got one he can just tinker on upgrading and not spend hours and hours making repairs. I’m looking forward to going coastal and collecting stories.
This is a 2015 Nautic Star 231 Coastal and we have named her “Nauti Dreams.” We were naughty to buy her before selling the old boat, but we do have a few interested parties in the old one so say a prayer, keep your fingers crossed, and let’s hope for the best. The new boat is both a pleasure boat and a fishing boat. We got the T-top in black and tan.
We pick up the boat Friday and get to take her out for a test run on Lake Harris at the dealership. We plan to bring her home and get her equipped for a coastal voyage. The rocket scientist has some vacation saved up and we’re going to dance her from marina to marina for a few weeks. That should be fun. We will be on tour back behind Sanibel and Pine Island around Ft. Myers.
There are some stories in this adventure, I’m sure, and other adventures in front of us. We got her for $16,000 less than MSRP, so that was a good start. This is a nice trailerable boat, so we can go east or west with no problems. Take a look:
S.K. Nicholls 
I take exception with this sentence: It isn’t ready for publication and I’m not sure it ever will be. I say you’re not far off with this novel and hope you’ll publish sooner than you’re currently thinking. The world needs more new novels from S.K. Nicholls – you are a fine writer, in my estimation!
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Thank you, Susan, for your words of encouragement. I’m cutting some fluffy stuff out of a few chapters. Some of James Jernigan’s pretentious rambling, a bit of the “time share spill” and cleaning up some punctuation and attribution tags. I’ll feel better about it when that’s all done. I hope to have at least two more ready for press when I publish this first one. In the meanwhile…I’m going to live some life and try not to be so reclusive.
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Excellent news!! And, yes, I should follow your lead and step away from this computer a bit more often myself. Best of luck with the editing and writing! Looking forward to reading more of your books!
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I will keep you in mind while you are working on yours and call on you again when my next is ready. Happy writing to you too.
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How exciting about the boat. Happy sails!
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Yay! I finally get to get out of the house and ramble around the Florida I love 🙂
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I know nothing about boats, but that sure looks fancy! Definitely a great way to spend some time 😀
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Great inspiration, huh?
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All those travels you’ll be able to make will surely bring you lots to write about! 😀
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That’s my game plan Mishka! 🙂
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That’s a sharp looking boat, SK! Do you think it will hold all of your blogging buds? 🙂 I have a project similar to your Surviving Sister, the writing seems to come in waves.
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Thanks. I would love to take a few folk out on the boat. Let’s have a writing conference. It will hold ten people.
I’m taking it slow with my writing. I don’t want it forced…that always shows.
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Have fun collecting stories with the boat. As for Naked Alliance, I hope you do publish it one day since you’re working so hard on it.
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I guess I am ambivalent because I feel I could do better. It’s not bad, but I don’t feel it is the best I can do. We’ll see as the series progresses.
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Your own worst critic?
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I’m still playing with it. I’ll know when/if it feels right.
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Congrats on the boat and enjoy your upcoming jaunt on it. Sounds like you’ll have a great time. As for NA … there’s nothing wrong with letting it sit for a time, but I hope you don’t give up on it.
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I wrote it fast, which is part of why I feel the way I do about NaNoWriMo. There is so much work to do to get it right when you do that. I don’t think I’ll give up on it, but I’m not going to push it either. 🙂 Let it breathe, and take a boat ride 🙂
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I’m kind of using NaNo as inspiration to start writing again. I have no intentions of 50,000 words by month’s end but if I can just write some every day that will be an accomplishment. I started a new chapter on Part Two and 600 words into it was not happy with it. I figured out this morning how I need to write it. So I’m eager to re-write the opening of the chapter and get it done.
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Good for you! That’s a ah ha moment that you can’t let slip past. I just had one also…about NA and the sophisticated tempo, what is working for it and what might not.
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It’s why Northville is such a hard book to write. Each chapter is like its own little story. I can’t just tell the story from one event to the next, which is how I started this new chapter. I realized this morning a better way to open it and move through the events of the chapter. I’ll finish the chapter tonight and then I’ll have to ponder the next chapter’s sequence and action. There is so little thinking ahead in the writing of this story. It’s one chapter at a time.
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I can imagine the excitement and plans for new adventures. Go forth an collect them. 🙂
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Yay! Right on!
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⭐ ⭐
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You’re going to have so much fun while we’re shoveling snow in Idaho.
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Ummm yeah. I hope so. I’ll try to send some warm rays your way 🙂
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Congratulations SK, I love boats, grew up on them, sailing and motor cruising. So I say to you, woo hoo! What wonderful adventures await you on the water. She’s a beauty and I love the name. Naughty but nice as they say here (that’s from an old ad about fresh cream cakes in case you were wondering!). I do hope you will be able to complete your books to publication. Sometimes it seems overwhelming but you will know when the story is just how you want it. But as we both know, these things done happen overnight. I do wish you every success though 🙂
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Thank you Sherri, I am looking forward the getting back on a boat. The book is going in a drawer for a while as I write the next one. Then we’ll see what it needs.
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Whoops…sorry! That’s supposed to be: ‘these things don’t happen overnight’…fingers typing ahead of the brain this morning
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I just learned that my nephew can type 143 words per minute without any errors. I can’t even think that fast. HA!
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It’s a beautiful boat. Sometimes it’s hard to tear ourselves away from our writing, marketing and household chores. I’m always glad when I do it. I’m sure you will be in your beautiful new boat.
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Right. We don’t have her seaworthy yet, but it is fun getting her there and something to look forward to.
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