How are we already five weeks into 2023? That doesn’t feel real! I’m already seeing daffodil and tulip shoots peeking their heads out for some sunshine. It’s going to be spring before we know it, which means I need to get serious about some goal setting!
Last Week
- Write at least 3x this week (~3,500 words)
- Read a book
- Keep up on blog posts
How'd I Do?
- Write at least 3x this week (~3,500 words)
- Nope. Only two writing sessions this week.
- Read a book
- No? I have three books I’m actively reading at the time of this writing, all of them very close to being done. I’ll probably have three books done this coming week.
- Keep up on blog posts
- Yep! There was a lot happening on the blog this week, as usual for the first week of the month, but they all posted and were shared in a timely manner!
Weekly Word Count: 2,790
I won’t lie, it doesn’t feel great to miss my biggest, highest priority goal the very first week of the month. So, what happened? Well, for one, I was sick all week. I rallied on Monday, going to work and a Willamette Writers meeting. But by Tuesday this basic bitch cold knocked me for a loop. I stayed home that day and rested, which was one of my scheduled writing days. Then the rest of the week was spent catching up, going to what felt like a million meetings, and being exhausted by the time I came home.
Good news? I’m feeling a lot better now – just battling an excess of snot – and hopefully I can get back on track this week.
For reading, I’ve got an eclectic pile going at the moment. I’m about halfway through Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse, a Wild West inspired Angel/Demon Urban Fantasy novella. AKA, right up my alley. I’m also listening to Frontier Grit by Marianne Monson. This book profiles several remarkable women in American Frontier history, and I’m really enjoying it. The last book I’m reading right now (and will probably be done with by the time you read this post) is Welcome to the Writer’s Life by Paulette Perhach. As the title suggests, it’s pretty introductory, but it’s been affirming and lists some other resources I want to check out. I’m enjoying my time with it.
And those are just the books I’ll finish this week!
I did go to my local Willamette Writers chapter’s meeting on Saturday. It was an open mic, and yes, I stood in front of a room of strangers and read a couple of micro/flash fiction pieces. They laughed in all the right places, even gave a couple of those hums people do when something resonates, so I think it went well.
What was really nice about it was how calm I felt. I wasn’t anxious or nervous. I just stood at the front of the room and read a story to story nerds. They just happened to be stories I wrote. That felt really good, lemme tell you!
So, What's Next?
- Write at least 3x
- Finish reading at least 1 book
…
…
… That’s it, y’all.
This week’s goals are simple for two reasons:
- Writing this book is the priority. Full stop. I am getting it done by mid-May, come hell or high water.
- I don’t really have anything else going on this week. I’m reading and writing, and that’s it.
So, yeah. I’m in a holding pattern with submissions and queries, there’s no news there. I did sign a contract last week for a previously announced sale, and I *just* received the edit letter for “In the Librarian’s Garden,” but other than that, there’s no news.
My work week looks pretty straightforward this week, but that’s liable to change. I’ve maybe overloaded my plate… again, so last minute meetings and planning sessions are likely.
There’s also a couple things to look forward to, like a Library Pros™ dinner party and the arrival of the paperback contributor copy of Life Beyond Us.
I’m looking forward to a calm and productive week. I am manifesting it.
I’ll be back Wednesday with the newest installment of Outings! As of right now, there’s no plans for additional posts this week.
Until then Bloggos!
BZ
