For those who have published their first work, you’ve been through all these growing pains before, but for me, it’s brand-spanking new. I just realized I am almost at 60 000 words, and it was a “yay” moment for me.

My first book is going to be called, “Life in the ‘Cosm,” and the ISBN number is registered and raring to go! Even doing that much is kinda exciting for me. At this point, I am planning on self-publishing, but on the advice of a friend who is an author (let’s call him Zeffrey Buscombe), I might actually try to send my manuscript to publishers. That is a journey for when I’m finished the story. In the meantime, I have my beta readers lined up for when the first draft is complete.

LITC (Life in the ‘Cosm) happened as an accident, really. I started jotting down a few phrases in May, just to distract myself from the chronic pain disability from which I suffer. I guess I would say the book’s in the genre of humorous fantasy. My intention was to write something fun that reflected my silly personality. People who are close to me will have no doubt that I wrote the work myself. It’s full of Caitness. But interlaced with levity are some themes of issues that matter to me: the misuse of religion, embracing LGBT friends, the dangers of pursuing relationships that are based on illusion, managing a disability, and of course, dessert. There is a LOT of dessert in the book. It started out completely subconsciously, and when I realized it, I made it my mission to make sure at least a passing reference was in each chapter. My dream is for a book club to read my book, while eating cupcakes, or pie, or cookies, or whatever is really bad for you in copious quantities.

Many fantasy novels I have read offer some grand heroic figure who might be a mighty general, or a warrior princess, or someone  who is larger than life. I guess I thought if life exists on other planets, I bet there are ordinary beings working at jobs they hate, wishing that their life would be more exciting than watching paint dry. If there are hum-drum lives on Earth, why not elsewhere?

The great fun for me so far is taking this introverted character, and tossing him with people and experiences that are far out of his comfort zone. It does fit with the curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

As of this posting, I have completed Chapter 14. Although I have a very spontaneous method of writing, I am guessing that I am half-way through the story. It is a very light read, and not a Game of Thrones tome or anything.  But it’s my book, and I’m really writing it for my own enjoyment. I think there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Sure, more than anything I hope that people will get a kick out of it, too, but for me it’s important to unfetter myself of people’s opinions while I create. They’ll be plenty of opinions tossed at me later, I’m sure.

Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy the journey!