Flippers at the Keyboard by the Pale Moonlight

April 2025

Drake and I met with our editor, Kalli Connor, a few weeks ago, and since then we've put a lot of work into our paranormal novel, Tears Remember. Swimming in the pond of revision is one of our favorite activities because as we add and subtract words to the WIP (it's okay, book math is safe) we can begin to feel closer to typing those two little words all authors crave,

The End.

This book has been in one stage of development or another, on and off, since August of 2019. We were on vacation in Whitefish Point in Paradise, Michigan when the idea first teased at Drake's feathers. We walked through the lighthouse and maritime musuem, and felt the story pull us in deeper. After a two-hour conversation with the docent, and more deep-dive rabbit hole Google searches than I can count, the story finally appeared. We've been working on it intermittently, ever since. Drake is a perfectionist who sometimes gets distracted by new ideas floating around him... but he refuses to abandon anything.

We gave the completed frist draft to Kalli so she could summon her magic over our ink. She dove deep into the story and found pages where we could improve. She helped us rearrange the outline to create a stronger plot arc and timeline. She helped us to more clearly define the emotional story goals for a few characters who hadn't yet shown themselves completely. I can't stress enough how valuable it is to have another set of eyes and the curiosity of someone elses imagination paddle through your work. I do this for other writers, so I get it. Sometimes, the alge at the surface is too think for me to see the sandy bottom. We need editors to skim away the silt. Now that he can see the how the ripples of our story lap into one another more clearly, Drake's excitement to finish the project is revitalized, and his dedication to motivate me is more intense. And it's working.

My late-night Muse is back on his A-game, and I'm loving every moment.

I believe I've mentioned this before, but for those who haven't met him yet, Drake is a nocturnal writer. He loves to fish for words under the blanket of night. He finds it easier to lure in the little bugs of ingenuity when the world is quiet and the interruptions are sleeping. Several times these past few weeks, we've put flippers to the keyboard by the pale moonlight, adding scenes of narration, nuances of dialogue, and refining transitions between chapters. Last night, we were at it until 1:30 am, playing with our characters inside the world we've created... and I'm not the least bit tired. In fact, the opposite is true.

Watch for Tears Remember Coming Later This Summer!

Giving myself over to the Duck Muse and allowing him to lead me through our changes to the story is a freeing and envigorating expeience. My brain stands on the riverbank of reality and simply watches as he sculls deftly through make believe moments that feel so real to me, I couldn't be trusted not to present them as fact. Divested from the distractions of the day, ghosts a hundred years dead come out to play, threaten, and cajole the group of wordsmiths focused on capturing their essence on the page. I listen carefully, working hard to transcribe every quacking detail; even those resonating in muted syncopation.

This morning, I awoke with my brain teaming with the endorphines of creation. It's because I indulge the duck late into the night, that I'm recharged and ready to take on the day's "regular" work, which I also love. It may not be the most popular way to write books while also managing an editorial career. Still, my clients get the best of me during the day because I allow Drake to do what he does in the middle of the night.