I checked. The last time I had written on my fifth novel was March 29, 2015 – more than four months ago. That would seem terrible for a writer but not necessarily. It’s not like I feel off the writing grid and threw in the towel, far from it. Here’s what I’ve been doing since I last tickled the keys on my latest novel:

April – I started writing my next full-length play called “The Magic Pool.” It’s about forty percent done, and I haven’t written it in a while either.

May – I was neck deep in producing my musical “A Tad of Trouble.” Writing had to take a backseat.

June – Priority was family vacation in Europe and America. I also started writing my OTHER full-length dramatic show.

July – Family and drama writing. Luckily, family drama didn’t give me any ideas.

August – Finished writing my latest show, “Tales of Wonder,” set to be produced this December as my first Christmas show.

August 8 – Finally, back to novel writing. It’s interesting how the characters were still there, waiting for me to finish them. It’s almost as if they are alive (they are in my head), and they have become quite perturbed at me for leaving them hanging so much. It’s been a fun return as I try to figure out what to do with this story. I’m about 60,000 words in and no end in sight. Could end up being my longest novel yet. I suspect it will be.

My goal for finishing this novel, which will remain unnamed for the moment, is before December. That’s also the goal for my play “The Magic Pool.”

Why December? Because I have a month break in December, and I’d love to get a head-start on novel #6 during that time. I have two or three strong possibilities. One that I’ve even started the first few hundred words of it.

So this is my tentative plan. I think it’s good to have an overall idea of what’s coming. It helps me to plan and think ahead. It also gives me ample time to start making new connections and ideas in my mind as I go about normal life in the meantime.

I have to admit it. I enjoy being a writer. Here’s to a productive second half of 2015.