Storms, Traveling and the USB Drive

Wow, we had quite a storm this past month.  The sky was as dark as midnight and the thunder rumbled like there was a bowling tournament in Heaven!  The wind blew the rain against the windows like a car wash.  I made sure to grab my USB drive, which has a backup copy of my novel,  before heading down into the basement.  Whenever the weather radio goes off during this active storm season, I grab the USB drive.  Leaving it behind would feel like leaving one of my children behind.  I've told my hubby many times that I feel like this story is my baby.   If I don't bring my laptop along on trips, even day trips, I like to bring along a copy of my manuscript on my USB drive.  What if there was a fire?  What if there was a tornado that relocated my house?  It's always good to be prepared.  I couldn't imagine all the time and effort I put into it being gone, like it never existed.

I'm currently a little over 61,000 words on my manuscript.  Since I like to read books 300-375 pages in length, that's the size I'd like my novel to be.  Normally, that's about 85,000 to 90,000 words.  That means I have 2/3 of it written!  I still have plenty of revising to do, as well.

I'm currently reading Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick.  She doesn't provide a year for the setting, so from my research, I was able to determine it took place after 1829 when she mentioned Scotland Yard.  She also mentioned traveling by train, which the first passenger trains in England began in the 1830s.  The telegram also became a method of communication in the 1830s and 1840s.  It's good to know these things, so I don't try to incorporate them in my own novel, which takes place in 1820.  I haven't decided if I'll include the year, or make the reader guess like Ms. Quick does.  If you're ever looking for a good mystery, I recommend reading one of her books! 

I hope you have a safe and Happy 4th of July!  It looks like we will be having our backyard picnic again this year.

Veronica