Hi! Super no pressure, but I was wondering how the next book is coming along?

https://copperbadge.tumblr.com/post/819505869561675776

Oh, no pressure felt! Well, okay, no pressure felt by you / my readership. You guys have always been super gracious about the writing.

Admittedly I've been in something of a creative slump since January. It's not especially alarming; these things happen and I do not fortunately suffer from the fear some writers do that The Words Won't Come Back. They always do.

Part of it is that my life is busier than it has been, between visits to Hodag and trying to maintain a social calendar in Chicago. Part is that work has been more intense; we just completed a new five year plan which calls for ambitious expansion, and while I don't think we're overstepping our ability, it is beginning to stretch my bandwidth. I have less spare time at work, and less energy after. And part too is that I'm rethinking the basic structure of the novel and that always makes me wary when I've already started discussing it with readers.

Essentially, I'm not sure I want to write two "mature" novels in a row especially since this would be the third book of seven to involve a mature romance. I also was never entirely satisfied with the way in which the narrative would treat the female protagonist, in terms of her having lived a very free-spirited life, so I'm thinking I may keep the male protagonist as-is (well, age him down a little) and shift his love interest. I do enjoy writing romances about older characters and it's not something I'm avoiding for marketability reasons, I just want to keep a little balance in the array of stories I tell.

I'm hoping to get back to it this week, so your question is well-timed. It's just a matter of locking back in and having the time and energy to do that.

https://copperbadge.tumblr.com/post/819505869561675776