I have completely forgotten about my tradition to post the first chapter of a new draft here. It tells you how much this book has pulled me away from reality. This, and the fact that I haven't blogged in a week. That's unheard of.

Like I mentioned already, something new is happening. My process is changing. Also, my daily routine is changing. Now in the mornings, before I start writing, I go over the list of new words that have accumulated from yesterday's reading, and look up their meanings in Russian, English, their etymology and, if applicable, images. As a result my ability to absorb new vocabulary has accelerated. I have also created 24 little files for every character, and am populating each with specific speech inflections to keep track of (and translating tons of idioms from Russian to English). This is also new and takes up time.

Are you breathing? Are you breathing?? I'm not breathing. I can't move. I can't even blink. I can't believe it. Out of over 16,100 applicants only 24 writers were selected!

AND I'M ONE OF THEM!!!

What? What??

I have found out the news 2 days ago but couldn't share. I was dying to share, dying! And finally I can! Here is the official press release from Amtrak about it. And here is another blog post I have written about being selected as one of the 115 semi-finalists (including the full text of my application, for those of you curious), at which point I thought, Ah, whatever, I'll never win. I was supposed to send in a sample of my writing for the second round, so I have sent the opening of ROSEHEAD. Did that do the trick? I don't know. No clue. Maybe I will never find out. But what I do know is this.

I will start on a new novel while on a train.

I have a title already.

TUBE excerpt. Draft 2. Chapter 1. Red Shoes

I have won the Amtrak Residency!!!