Total word count: 10,924 (4, 847 during Camp NaNoWriMo)

You know, my writing of space opera books has been a bit of a weird experience. I wrote Life in the ’Cosm while in intense physical pain, barely able to walk or stand. I wrote The Stealth Lovers while experiencing the worst panic attacks of my life. And now I’m writing Iris and the Crew Tear Space a New One during a…global pandemic?

What the heck, folks?

And I’m still injecting humour into this work, too. I don’t fully understand it either, but maybe I’m imaginative and funny during stressful times because I just need to be. My brain wants to travel to the worlds I build. I find comfort there.

The last thing I expected to do right now was to be productive on a book project. But I guess we embrace the salve we require for our souls at times like these.

So, Camp NaNoWriMo is the motivator for me this month. To date, I’ve three of the thirteen “episodes” drafted for Iris and the Crew. I’m getting really attached to these characters. I thought I’d have a hard time not being with my ’Cosm aliens, but my heart has expanded to love a whole new cast!

It also feels good to be in a story that’s dominated by disabled, Deaf, and neurodiverse folks. It’s like being on the ship with a Disabled community who I can hang with on their adventures as a crew and in their personal spaces.

Writing this as a “season one” series with 13 episodes seems to be the trick as well. I knew I’d be too tired for undertaking an epic novel in 2020, so these self-contained episodes are lovely to put together. And there’s still forward motion, too.

Hey, if I can’t get hired to write a series on Netflix, I’ll write it in book format! 🙂

Now to take a break and eat lunch.

Keep well, everyone. Stay safe!

---

Cait Gordon is a disability advocate who wants everyone to pummel that curve!

She’s also the author of Life in the ’Cosm and The Stealth Lovers. When Cait’s not writing, she’s editing manuscripts and running The Spoonie Authors Network, a blog whose contributors manage disabilities and/or chronic conditions. She also teamed up with Kohenet Talia C. Johnson to co-edit the Nothing Without Us anthology in an attempt to take over the world.