As the pile of chapters slowly grows, I constantly find myself checking countless details. Like, did I mention what he was wearing, or when did she say that? I also lose the thread of the days in the story, which makes the timeline haphazard at best.

I don’t think I have paid this much attention to the timeline in any of my previous books, and it occurs to me now that this may have been a serious oversight.

I mean, days of the week are one thing, time of the day something entirely different.

And necessary?

Maybe it wasn’t so important in my other books, but it seems to be in this one. I know that some authors write their outlines on a calendar or a chart with Post-it notes so they can keep a check on the timeline. I cannot remember ever doing that, but maybe I did, and that’s why it was easy?

I never used to have these problems. Even now, in my dotage, I have instant recall of my previous books, every detail and plot twist, so why not now, with the current WIP?

I also seem to be incapable of just drafting the story, leaving the finer details for editing later. This has become necessary because of the trouble I am having remembering everything.

It is always possible that life has been more complicated this year. Both of us have recurring health problems which tend to distort our normal way of life, making what used to be simple into a very different matter.

I also have a long list of outstanding jobs, and I have often thought I should clear some of these in order to make more time for writing. For a long time, I have stubbornly believed that I could do both.

The proof of the pudding would suggest that I cannot.

Anita is feeling a little better today, and we are awaiting the birth of our new great-grandchild. The tension in our house is so strong we keep bumping into it!

Boy or a girl?