Since the new job began, so too has a new routine. Writing comes first ( immediately after the hygiene and dressing essentials ), and runs from 6:00 AM to about 7:45. Then, it’s work. Once the holidays wrap up, the writing can start at 5:30 AM. With the late night shopping and holiday traffic, turning in early enough for that wake up call is difficult. Once the nights are free again, another hour or so opens up in the evening for writing.

I do like the job, though, as the work is task-driven. That is, the focus is on communicating open issues, rather than obsessing on how something was done. Whether an item is open is far more important to the boss.

Through the office window is a great views of the woods and old, wood frame buildings. Right now the students are on break, so it’s quiet on campus, save for a few instructors wandering the grounds.

Met with The Eight readers ( numbers four and five ) last night and into the early morning about the book. Since one of the two is a die hard mystery fan, this went very well. They definitely got on board with my vision.

I can’t say enough how valuable it is to vet feedback from one reader off another and get real time comments. Stephen King makes a good case for a reader group for all his drafts. Having tried it, I’m sold on this technique; the more eyes, the better. Their contributions can not be overlooked.

For instance, a key character owned a pet with a specific personality, and one reader made a point that the character had no business owning an animal, much less a high strung one. Not only did the pet conflict with their character, the critter added zero to the story. Alas, the the pet was slated for file 13 – the trash.

When I mentioned this cut to the couple last night, they suggested assigning the same pet to another character and renaming it, plus a way for the animal to contribute texture. All made possible by various iterations of feedback.

Who loves The Eight, baby?