Twelfth Night Musings

Here it is, another Twelfth Night.  If I accomplish nothing else in my life, I'd like to get this Twelfth Night/Epiphany confusion sorted out.  Twelfth Night is the last day of the twelve days of Christmas, the same thing you count down in the song of the same name.  The ditty begins "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me..."  Well, the first day of Christmas is Christmas Day.  December 25.  Counting the 25th as Day One, proceed to counting off eleven more days.  December 25 = 1, December 26 = 2, December 27 = 3....  That takes you to January 5.  The twelfth night of the twelve days of Christmas.  What is so difficult about this?  Epiphany is January 6.  A completely different event.  Not the same things at all.  I used Twelfth Night and the customs associated with it in my book "On the Twelfth Night of Christmas."  Quite a nice story, if I may say so.  I doubt if I mentioned Epiphany at all in the novel.  If in doubt, read the book -- you might even like it!

Not even one week into the new year and I've finished "Torch Song," the third McLaren novel.  Well, let me qualify that statement: 'finished' as of right now.  I will be mailing it to David in England, then righting the wrongs that his red pen has found when I get it back from him.  But that will be at least a month.  Until then I have free time.

Well, not really.  I have to plot the fourth book of the series.  My brain child, brought on by my recent trip.  I have two scenes figured out.  That just leaves the major storyline to create.  Gee, I'm nearly finished!

But I did add a few scenes to "Torch Song" yesterday.  I'd forgot that McLaren finds an object and didn't follow up on pursuing it as a possible clue.  So I inserted scenes.  I like the story immensely.  My favorite first reader said it was the most complicated plot I'd written yet.  I asked if it was too confusing and was told no.  So that is good.  I didn't begin writing "Torch Song" as a complicated plot, but the more I wrote the more I thought of little additions.  And on adding the additions it grew into a twisted tale.  Which is fine.  But I can't take credit for sitting down and thinking of the storyline all at once like some authors probably would do.  I guess I'm not devious enough to think of this at the start!  Well, that's good for any police officers who might be reading this....

I wonder how Scotland is faring now.  I could go online to read the Edinburgh newspaper and find out, I guess.  I hope the highlands aren't buried in snow.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more snow on the mountains when I was there, but it was very nice how it was.  My first time there in the winter, so I appreciated the white sprinkling for my photography.

Guess I've mused long enough for this round.  Now to recapture the other Muse and get back to writing...something!