The Doll Collection: Volume 1–There are now nine out of thirteen illustrations completed for this volume, so things are more or less on track. I have just a little more formatting to sort out for the interior, but otherwise, a release for October is still a go.

TDC: V2–While on my trip to MA, I got struck out of nowhere (well, when I came across a rather bizarre but stunning photograph) for a new TDC story. I figured it would go into a later volume since I already had so many stories in progress, but I ended up writing the entire twenty pages during my train rides. Since then, I’ve been working on the last four stories for this volume (which could be four out of the five that keep showing up under my pen). I’m pretty close to getting two of them done, though the ending for one of them is putting up a fight. I will keep going on it and see what wins.

TDC: V3 & 4–Also while in MA, I went to the toy museum in Wenham. They don’t have an extensive doll collection, though quite a few more than I remembered. I came out of there with three more story ideas, including one for a music box with dancing mice. This does put me into Volume 4 territory, which I’m extremely excited about. It will, however, keep postponing the completion of anything else. I think that, for now, it’s okay. There are certain elements that I would rather have direct life experience with in order to move forward with Darling Orphan in particular, and they are currently lacking. Someday, they will return.

I’m in the middle of another major purging of stuff. It’s, as ever, slow going, but terribly necessary. If only I could get away with less sleep! I think I could get more done that way in every area of life.

Thursday evening, I attended Paranormal Cirque (Cirque Italia) and that was an entertaining time. My only complaint is that there is no program–no cast list. Otherwise, a few creative sparks flew while watching it and enough are taking hold that it’s requiring a second viewing–which, for me, will be at 4:30 this afternoon. It seems silly in a way to go again, but at the same time, I feel that I should while I can. Also: it’s all in the name of creativity, and that makes the necessity of it dire. May I get everything I need from it today, because who knows when I’ll be able to see something like it again.

Last night, I revisited the Marionette Theatre and saw “The Death and Life of Sherlock Holmes”. Entertaining as always, but it was the fact that 1 marionette that had been lying over the back of a chair during my first visit, and 3 others that I had not seen before, were on display. That one on the chair, now in good viewing order, is the Arlecchino (named Pietro for TDC purposes) in “Revolution”, which will appear in TDC: V2. It was quite nice to see his big, blue eyes instead of having to imagine them. When I go back to do my 1st edit pass, I will be able to better describe him just as he is.

Back to the purging and organizing of things before I must get ready for this afternoon’s event!