Intro
I’ve been focusing less on word counts this week, and more on just spending time with each story. For some of the projects, I didn’t make a lot of progress in that time. And for others, I got a lot more done than I would have expected. So maybe I will actually stick with this.
Writing
I do keep making adjustments to how I’m handling things. I’ve worked on 12 different projects this week(13 if you count the one I read through what I already have written but didn’t actually add any new words to. I think for next week, I’ll choose 10 and when I get through those(I’m thinking of working on each for 2 hours before moving on to the next, with short breaks at the end of scenes or when I stall out to do other things). And then after that, I’ll focus on marketing and any other writing-adjacent tasks.
Reading
The Consumption of Magic
I love this series by TJ Klune so much. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much reading(or listening, in this case) to a book. They are often so ridiculous, but like purposefully so, which I think is what hits the mark for me. And this one had me nearly in tears at the end(and not of laughter this time). I can’t wait to get the next one, I just have to wait to get my next credit(though I was very tempted to just buy it).
Crafting
I’ve finished two re-dos of my ‘And Proud’ cross stitch designs. The old ones I actually did as images on Canva then uploaded to Stitch Fiddle, and I wasn’t always happy about how the font on them turned out. So I actually went in and designed these in Stitch Fiddle myself, finding the font I wanted to use. Not too sure about the ‘s’, so I might adjust that on the next one that uses it.
Story
I have another episode of Mermaid’s Jewel this week. This one focuses on one of the other crew members who didn’t get a lot of page time in the original version.
Rand stood at the railing of the ship, watching as the older crew members departed for the tavern. Rand wanted to join them, but the captain said she was supposed to be in charge of the other young mates and the powder monkeys. Just once, Rand wanted to be able to go with the rest of them. Bran wasn't that much older than Rand, and he always got to go ashore. Cecil came up beside Rand and put a hand on her shoulder. "We all got to do our part. Your time will come, too."
Rand was seriously beginning to doubt that. It felt almost like she was never going to get the chance to get off this ship. She loved it and the crew. But, that didn't mean she didn't want to see something besides these planks and sails. It was why she'd taken the captain's offer. Well, that and the fact she'd been afraid of what her grandparents had planned for her. They'd been talking of marrying her off since she was twelve. If she hadn't run off before her sixteenth birthday, it probably would have already happened.
Rand knew she could never return to that. Even if it did mean staying on board this ship every day for the rest of her life.
At least here she wasn't forced into dresses that had never felt like they fit her. Wasn't made to sit still and listen to a man tell her how she was supposed to behave. It wasn't the same coming from Cecil. Considering they weren't a man. They knew what it was like to be raised as a girl, even if they'd always known that wasn't quite right. Not that Rand would have ever known that, looking at Cecil. He looked like other men she'd seen. Shorter, yes, and with less facial hair, but it was there. Rand didn't have any of those features, and it wasn't like she felt like she was a man, but she wasn't a woman. She was sure of that, no matter what everyone had told her before she came onboard the Mermaid's Jewel.
Rand sighed and turned away from the railing. She might as well see what the others needed while they were in dock here. That was one of her responsibilities, and she wasn't going to drop it just because she was frustrated.
But when she reached the middle of the ship, she saw the captain coming back up the gangplank. Rand scrunched her brow. She'd thought the captain was going to the tavern with the rest of the crew. So, what was she doing back here? And then Rand saw the figure scurrying up the plank behind the captain.
"Watch out," she said. "You've got a pickpocket on your back."
The captain glanced back, then looked at Rand again and shook her head. "Meet our newest monkey, Selby."
"I am not a dirty animal," the little scamp said.
"It's just a name for the lowest member of the crew," Rand told Selby. "It's where I started, too." She looked back at the captain. "You sure about this. This one looks rough."
"You've shaped up rougher," the captain said, shooting a smile Rand's way. "And I really don't think they have anywhere else to go."
Selby looked between the two of them. "How'd she know that? To call me that? I didn't... I never said nothing, you can't know when I didn't say nothing."
Rand smiled at them. "The captain has a way of sniffing us out. Don't worry, no one here will question what you wish to call yourself or have others call you." Rand saw they didn't have a bag of any kind, which meant no clothes or other belongings. "First stop will be Lia to get your measurements, and she can make you what clothes you want. And you can add to the supply order I need to put together. Don't worry, Captain, I can handle this."
"I never had any doubt, Rand. I know Selby's in good hands. I'll just go make sure the crew hasn't thrown away all my coin and started to riot."
I smiled then looked back at Selby. "Welcome home."