Hello again, everybody!
The past week has been relatively sedate in terms of creative writing (thanks, Outside World), but I'll be picking up the pace a bit starting today, while keeping it it slow enough that I'm fresh for NaNoWriMo. Since most of this work will be world-building and filling in the gaps on several projects--and, possibly, outlining for a few other new ones--I figured a "trailblazing" song would be best. :) . Therefore, as this week's tune, I give you The Trail We Blaze as written and performed by Elton John and Tim Rice for the soundtrack to the movie The Road to El Dorado (Usual copyrights apply; I own nothing!)
I've had a nostalgic affection for the movie since it first came out almost 20 years ago, but it wasn't until some years later that I picked up the music, first in CD form and then eventually moving it to its cherished spot on my Soundtracks playlist. Although the historian in me nowadays cringes at the anachronisms and other minor issues in the movie, the music--and this song in particular--still doesn't fail to chill me out, or boost me past one or many writing issues. World-building and other types of outline work is often easier--since you're just creating the characters, settings, dialogue, and actions--but stringing them together into a coherent story is frequently just as hard as writing the draft itself--and sometimes harder. In times like those, having music to cut through the jungle-like tangle of ideas and blocks is worth more than any gold...or book deal. :)
I may have something close to the latter before the month is out, or a little afterwards: Some of the first comments, edits and critiques of Bloody Relations have already started coming back from my trusted team of beta-readers, so it's very possible I will have the FINAL final final draft ready by around Halloween, as previously promised/speculated, and I'm leaning more and more towards a niche Alternate History publisher to release it through. While waiting, I'll be restarting spot work and edits on Dixie Curtain, and worldbuilding for the scifi-thriller draft I've chosen for NNWM (working title: All Eyes). More details and news to follow in next week's post; meanwhile, keep sharing, commenting and reviewing!