Newsletter February 2025 - Musical Interlude

Hey everyone,

Under the Diamond Moon is climate fiction, or "cli fi" at it's heart. In light of the state of things, I researched some environmental-related non-profits to support. Some days it feels like there's nothing one person can do, but I can at least donate to folks who are taking action. Once my novel comes out though, everyone will see the error of their ways and it will usher in a solar punk utopia.

In the mean time, I read through my first draft and really liked it! I took a lot of notes and I'm implementing the big structural changes. I cut up my very long prologue and figured out where to insert the pieces as flashbacks. That should make the story flow better. Other than that, there are relatively few places that need major reworking. Mostly I have to grow some of the scenes from the antagonist's point of view so her side of the story is more complete. Doing that early in the book will make the ending all the more satisfying.

My revisioning has been a bit slow, but it's because I've been doing more singing and mandolin playing this past month. I got voice and mandolin lessons (separately) for Christmas, so they have taken up some of my writing time. I enjoyed the mandolin lessons, but I decided to not continue. I had fun, but it was one too many things for me. I wanted to learn the core skills so I could learn on my own without building bad habits, and I accomplished that goal. It's a fun instrument and I love the sound. It has four pairs of strings, so you get a rich sound. Here are the songs I'm focusing on, two classical, and one rock:
- Bach Suite in E minor for lute - 5 Bouree
- Bach Partita #1 in B minor - 2 Double by the amazing Chris Thile
- Maggie May by Rod Stewart

I sing tenor in a choir with Music Education For Everyone, and have been trying to improve my singing. I had reached a plateau, so it was time to call in a professional: the also amazing Monica Slater. With Monica, I've been learning jazzier songs to compliment the choir pieces. My current practice list includes:
- Unforgettable by Nat King Cole
- Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
- Easy to Love by Colin Donnell from Anything Goes

If you'll be in San Francisco on March 28th, please come to our concert!

Take care,
Todd