Adventures in knitting…new book progress!

A couple of blog posts ago I mentioned that I’d started a new book, and that I was dictating it (here is the blog if you missed it).

Things are moving on apace.

Most days I’ve been going out for a walk, with the chapter outline in my head and phone in hand. Usually I have a scene or two in my head, but sometimes it’s just an opening. And as soon as I’m off the main road, I start. I do pause if I’m going past people, obviously (can you imagine walking past someone saying ‘she replied full stop new paragraph open quote’? And yes I do say all that, but it seems normal now).

I’ve got past halfway – in fact I’m at just under 60% of the planned word count, and so far the book seems to be on track. Chapters are about the right length, characters are behaving, and weather permitting (both on board ship and in real life), Maisie should be coming into dock towards the end of next week.

With that in mind, I’ve started thinking about what might happen in book 2, and where it will be set. I’ve done a bit of research, and courtesy of Paula Harmon I have a reading list to go at. Plus I’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo and listed my project as ‘Maisie book 2’. So I guess I’m committed.

However, there is something else I need to complete, as shown in the featured image. On one particularly chilly morning I returned from my walk and my hands were so cold that I had trouble opening the door. So I’m knitting myself a pair of dictation mittens in order to get through November and possibly December dictation without frostbite! I’m on the second mitten now, so there’s a good chance they’ll be ready before the cold weather really kicks in. They seem to be knitting up quite fast (especially for an inexperienced knitter like me) so I guess they’re reflecting the book!

Stats so far:

• Chapters: 12
• Words: 24832
• Miles travelled (me): 41.1
• Rain: less this week!
• Miles travelled (Maisie): approx 4600 (nautical)

I have no idea what the people I meet when out walking make of it all. Perhaps they wonder why I’m always on the phone, or if I talk to the same person all the time. However it’s more likely that they pay me no attention whatsoever. Maybe once I have a cover done I should get a sandwich board made up and start wearing it on walks as a bit of promotion! 😉