The Easter Bunny didn’t visit today, but my Muse did.

Today was a special day for many. Easter Sunday is a day for church goers, family gatherings, and fun times for children as they search for colored eggs, whether real or plastic ones filled with treats.  A time for visiting, taking photographs and relaxing on a nice Sunday afternoon.

This is likely the first Easter Sunday, ever, that I haven’t had plans for a family dinner or gathering. It left me with the feeling that I had forgotten something, that I should be someplace else or the sense that I should be doing something.

I did get to spend some time outside. We’ve had a break in the weather and it was nice to just get out for some fresh air while I tackled a project. Once I got myself planted again at my desk, I decided I had to make good use of this holiday if I was just going to sit around at home. I used the rest of the afternoon to review the earlier chapters of the story I’ve written for my young adult novel. This is a novel I’d like to publish later this year, after the fourth novel in the Jorja Matthews’ mystery series is finally released. The fourth Jorja novel will be edited soon by my editor, but she has a very busy schedule and that edit is still a ways out, so I’m taking the time in between to work on my YA novel. My expectation is that the fourth in the series will be published before the end of summer, and if my young adult is ready and gets on the calendar for a professional edit, it will be published before the end of the year.  It’ll be a challenge but very satisfying to publish two full-length novels before the end of the year. 

As I was reviewing and editing the first chapters in my YA novel, I was once again enjoying how much fun it is to review what I’ve already written. To get back into the story from the first day of my characters’ lives in the world I’ve created. To reacquaint myself with them from the beginning; it’s something I just never get tired of. I find little snippets and trinkets of special details about the characters or details about the story that I may have forgotten about until I read back through it again. It’s always a lot of fun and still one of my favorite parts about reviewing my work. The review went so well, I was then able to add additional details and answer some lingering questions I still had with some of the plot points in the story. The Muse was a chatty Cathy today and I took advantage of it.

So today wasn’t my usual type of Easter holiday; it wasn’t really a day off either. But that’s okay. I was able to make good headway on reviewing and editing my YA novel, and adding to the story, as well, so that soon this novel will also be ready for a professional edit. It feels satisfying to know that this will be a productive year. 

However you spent this Easter Sunday, I hope you also had a wonderful day doing something that brought you joy.

Have a great week!