It’s another Friday, except instead of still being somewhere in February (where I am somehow mentally still finding myself? Why?), it’s mid-April. A lot of exciting things have happened. Most recently, the excitement has surrounded the closing for the new apartment (a week hence, ha!) and the move-in date (the following Monday). I’m trying to focus my energy on the move rather than dwelling [nervously] on the full requests I’ve gotten (but more on that later).

As a result of the impending move, the current apartment is filled with boxes, a product of my [obsessively] organized [and very preemptive] packing. We don’t officially move until April 26 and yet most of the apartment is packed. Who’s excited? Certainly not me! (As I look around guiltily and giggle…) Not only is the new apartment brand-new and spiffy (we’re the first owners), it’s located in an entirely new neighborhood (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) and it’s in a high rise. We’ll have an incredible view with lots of sunshine. Nothing motivates me quite like bright sunshine! I’m positioning my “office” right in front of one of the huge windows. I can’t wait! (Though the boy insists I will “nest”—settle in and slowly unpack—for far too long, delaying the writing, but I maintain I will unpack with all haste in my eagerness to feel at home as soon as possible. We’ll see.)

On the writing and querying front, there have been full manuscript requests! It’s thrilling to be at this point, which I know is rare. I am trying to be both up-beat and flattered while not dwelling on the drastic increase in my level of ambient apprehension. I’m forcing myself to be ruthlessly realistic. I have a good feeling, my alpha/beta readers have a good feeling, but that doesn’t mean anything for my level of potential success. I’m still working and pushing onward. The moment I received the full requests, the boy’s prompt suggestion was, “Send out more queries.” No rest for me! (But he’s right. So I am.)

Today my most interesting project was sending out my first USPS mail partial request as opposed to email partial request. (Can I admit to nerdy enthusiasm at the idea of sending pages via actual mail rather than email? This is closer to the process I learned about when I first learned about queries and manuscripts back in high school, before the age of email-as-life-necessity and e-readers and all of that.) I put the new address on it, though, because in one week we’ll have the apartment and keys, so I may as well start converting everything over. As regards everything else, I am going to trust the USPS’s forwarding service and my trusty email account(s) and cell phone (which won’t change) to keep communication consistent.

In other [thrilling!] news, my friend Kristan will be coming to visit New York City this weekend! The boy is hoping Kristan’s actual (rather than typically via-internet) presence will magically amplify both my motivation for writing and my creativity. The weather in New York will be textbook April (60s and rainy), which is a let-down (what happened to the 80s and sunny of ten days ago?!), but one of the best aspects of this city is that you can find a little hole-in-the-wall place to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and relax for a bit almost anywhere. That feels so… stereotypically writer-ish. Thrilling, as I said. Have I mentioned I’m a nerd about that kind of thing?