It’s a paradox.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve finally started to feel seriously worn down by months of lockdown amid the pandemic. I spend 95% of my time, day and night, in the same room. My bed and my workstation are less than four yards apart. My whole experience of the world is reduced to what I can see with a few networked devices. I do get to spend a little time each day at the kitchen table with my wife and children, and every day or two I go outdoors to walk for a mile or so in the fresh air. That’s all – and even for me, introverted and reclusive as I normally am, it’s starting to be difficult.

Even so, I’m surprisingly productive right now.

I’m in the process of rewriting one of my courses almost from scratch, with an eye toward being able to deliver it online rather than in the classroom. Very good progress so far, and the project may be done in a couple more weeks. I’m being called upon to consult with colleagues about other items too.

Meanwhile, I’m just tearing through the second draft of The Curse of Steel. There are a few new passages in this draft, and that slows me down a bit, but by and large, it’s just rewriting. I think I’ve averaged a chapter a day for over two weeks now. At this rate, I may have the bulk of the second draft done by the end of July.

I think I may need to start seriously thinking about a book cover. Finish the second draft, make one more edit-and-polish pass for the final draft, and the book will probably be ready to release sometime in September.