Saturday Summary, September 15, 2012

The temperatures have been blissfully cool here this week, so much so that I've been able to turn off the air conditioner and throw wide the windows.  Now, I think I've overshot the mark a bit -- for the first time in months, I'm actually a little cold inside the house.  Ah, the joys of fall.

Music -- Busy week here.  I finished up a couple of 2/3 octave handbell arrangements, as well as a couple of pieces for organ: one arrangement and one original.  I'm not sure if the organ pieces are actually finished or just mostly so -- I need to sit down at the instrument and run through them to know for sure.  For the first time in several weeks, I find myself starting off Saturday without an unfinished piece looming over my head.  Odds are good, however, that I'll start a new organ piece or two today.  (Actually, odds are good I'll spend the rest of September writing organ pieces, as I try to build my chops at writing for that instrument.)

I also signed a contract for a new commission this week, one that's due in early 2013.  I love the personal connection that comes from writing a piece for a specific group, for their specific event, on their specific set of bells.  It's a fun challenge for me to write a piece like that, and I think the groups that I write for enjoy seeing their piece being created from the ground up, as well as having some say in how the final product turns out. 

Writing -- Another week of writing every day, though the last two days were so hectic that I just journaled.  Still, I'm progressing nicely through this draft of the third Sadonia book.  My goal is to have it finished by October 31, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.  I do know that the current plan, regardless of whether that is finished or not, is to spend this year's National Novel Writing Month working on the fifth Sadonia book (the fourth rough draft is already in the bag -- long story).  If all goes well and according to plan (it never does, but it's a dream I have), by the start of 2013, I could have rough drafts finished and ready for polishing for over half the series. 

Publishing -- Not much movement here this week.  I did submit one of the handbell arrangements I finished this week to a publisher; the other one is being held back for a larger project I'm working on.  More details on that project in the coming months as it slowly develops.


That's about it from here.  Another good week, and hopefully one that will beget an even better week this week.  We'll see you back here Wednesday, and until then, keep creating!