On the Scent: Tally-ho

New Book changed gears this week, as I said a couple of times.  From a story that, on March 24, was still wandering about, not giving me much sense of where it was headed, just over 51,000 words, and took another five days to reach 52,500 by the end of the day March 29, it changed into a story that charged forward with a definite aim in mind.  Last Sunday, late in the day, it was at 52,500.  Now, on Saturday, April 4, it’s at 61,026, a gain of 8526 words in six days.  averaging 1421 words a day and dragging me along behind.   And that’s not including the *other* things I’ve written since last Sunday (non-fiction.)   It’s ragged, rough, has gaps and other problems, but it’s clearly a story and it’s clearly a story going “somewhere.”

It’s throwing me interesting characters, interesting incidents, situations that bring a grin to my face when they come into my head and as I write them.  Ky, Rafe, the twins, and many others are all setting off sparks and keeping the steam up, surprising me with what comes to the top of the story kettle.  Like a certain chest of drawers.

Alas, the breakdown of the old software means that I can’t paste text via my browser, so I can’t give you a snippet.  Suffice to say that Ky, who’d thought she and Rafe would have some quiet time and be able to spend it, in part, searching for the ideal spaceship to set off for foreign places in…managed to fall into a web of responsibilities and opportunities that are sending them in quite different directions from what they expected.  She had never planned to be a householder of a country estate with about ten staff (at last count),  twin 12-year-olds (Jo’s children), and–at this point in the book–the staff, horses, tack, and other equipment of an equestrian center temporarily occupying the family acreage while their facilities are being decontaminated and made usable again, and a bunch of parents of other riding students helping her organize the place for the onslaught.

Sometime this next week, the story should move into any complications that may involve the annual “Riding Camp” now at her place…will it pour rain and turn everything to mud?  Will the bad guys and gals (and course there are always bad guys and gals) show up before, during, or after?  Or will Riding Camp pass with few problems only to have something else happen afterward?  I don’t know yet.  The story will keep me informed as I go along.  Somebody sent those armed robots to the Seaview Equestrian in the first place.  For all that this book is part of Vatta’s Peace, the universe is not entirely safe and Ky still has enemies.  Some more dangerous than others.

10 thoughts on “On the Scent: Tally-ho

  1. So glad you’re feeling better and writing another Ky installment. I’m currently re-reading both series which led to googling and landing here. Thanks so much. Btw, I still crack up each time I hear or read “a mine is a terrible thing to waste.”

    1. Thank you! I deliberately took a day off yesterday (Palm Sunday) but this morning has continued the healthy progress of NewBook. (Eventually it will have a REAL title…)

  2. will it pour rain and turn everything to mud? Will the bad guys and gals (and course there are always bad guys and gals) show up before, during, or after? Or will Riding Camp pass with few problems only to have something else happen afterward?
    I suspect that the answer will be yes. Poor Ky seems to tend to not be in peaceful situations a lot. I can just imagine the mischief the twins can get up to with horses and things associated with them around…

  3. Sounds like Ky and Rafe are once again in for interesting times. The concept of Ky as a householder is fun – for your readers, I expect that she finds it exasperating!
    Best wishes for good health to you and yours.

  4. I look forward to the horses! We have a new one on the farm where I live, an Arab two-year-old, and she is absolutely fascinated by the laundry. While I’m not a rider myself, my neighbours (who own the farm) are, and it is so enjoyable to read about horses and horse people who actually behave the way they do in real life.

  5. thank you Elizabeth Moon for working through your problems from your past accident! I hope your general health has healed well! I try to check in and am so pleased to see that you are back to Ky and Rafe and life after book 2! While I love your stories and have related to them its great to know others do the same! Your stories give me reassurance that womenfolk in other places are working hard to break the traditional roles. Every one of your stories inspires me when I pick them up and reread. I look forward to reading of more adventures of the Vatta ‘family’! A big big ‘thank you’!
    On another note I passed a car the other day with the numberplate as ‘WEFT’ and felt “Aha – another fan of E.M. and A.McC!!! – Sassinak”… thank you wonderful ladies!!!

  6. why don’t you try posting excerpts from the new book on patreon. I know you don’t need the money, but I’ll bet you can find something to spend it on, if only a new saddle.

  7. So glad the new avatar book is coming on. Can’t wait to read it. Unfortunately I no longer ride but have in the past had opportunity to do so all over the world and miss doing so. Very interested to see how this one goes.

  8. Here is something of interest to Ms. Moon fans:

    “Pentecost’ was as familiar a term in the common mouth as ‘Whitsuntide,’ and thus we find both occurring in the manner mentioned. ‘Wytesunday’ is, however, now obsolete; ‘Pentecost’ still lives.[49] ‘Paske,’ for ‘Easter,’ was among the priesthood the word in general use; old writers always speak of ‘Paske’ for that solemn season. Thus, ‘Pask,’ ‘Pash,’ ‘Paschal,’ and ‘Pascal’[50] are firmly set in our directories; as, indeed, they are on the Continent also. It is the same with ‘Lammas,’ ‘Sumption,’ and ‘Middlemas;’ that is, ‘Assumption’ and ‘Michaelmas.’ Each as it came round imprinted its name at the baptismal font ”

    Excerpt From: Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley. “English Surnames / Their Sources and Significations.” Apple Books.

    Notice anything familiar?

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