Taking a short break here tonight as I dive into the new stuff in chapter 20 in the YA Magic book, feeling a teensy bit tired. I tell ya, I think I could get used to this writing-at-night thing. I was up 'til midnight last night, finishing up a brand-new chapter 19, and it was pretty fun. I feel like I found a good rhythm, and I came up with some nice bits that surprised and pleased me.

This is quite a big change from my usual morning writing routine, and it's interesting to me to contrast the two methods. Writing at night feels looser to me, because I'm not limited by either time or worrying about the other people in the house waking up. Plus it's hard as crap waking up at 4:45 or 5 a.m.

But other than the logistics and the sleeplessness aspects, there's something to be said for writing while everyone else in the house is asleep. It's a quiet, secret time, just one light on in the house (I've been writing on my laptop in our upstairs bedroom, and somehow it doesn't bother Lizzie in the least). I can focus on the words and fall into the story, and not be pulled out of that dream-like state.

Provided I can stay awake, that is. I was starting to fade when I started writing this entry, but now I think I'm getting my second wind. Sweet.

Also, on a related note, I found out today via the blog of editor John Klima of Electric Velocipede that my All Nations baseball story, "A Miracle in Shreveport" was an Honorable Mention story in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best SF anthology. Nice! I haven't gotten one of those in a while! I need to check out that antho to see how my two other stories from last year did... ;)

And at some point, I'm going to give that All Nations novel another run-through. After I finish this YA novel. And the Maps novel. Whew.

No wonder I haven't been fiddling with stories lately (though I did manage to send out two submissions to anthologies in the past day!). Enough chatter -- I gotta get back to drafting. Later!