Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #45
This week went by quick, a blur of late night writing, bedtime reading, and morning spent in the fog. Throw in a good friend’s nuptials and the spouse down and out with a sprained ankle, and I can hardly tell if I’m coming or going. Last Week Get word count back on track (20,004 words by end of day Saturday) Workout/Read 30 minutes a day Edit and post podcast How’d I Do? Get word count back on track (20,004 words by end of day Saturday) So. I got caught up on Thursday. I even had a tiny bit of cushion. Then Friday was a friend’s wedding, Trev got hurt (he’s okay!), and then Saturday was busy with helping out with the business since Trev’s out of commission for the next week or so thanks to his sprained ankle. So, now I’m behind again. I want to call this a mixed…
STORY RELEASE – “Lifelike” Out Now!
I posted this sale announcement a few months ago, and I am so so happy to let you all know you can read Lifelike NOW as a part of Wyldblood Press’s Flash Friday Series! “Lifelike” is a spooky little story that waited a long time to find its home. I’m excited for you all to read it, and hope you enjoy it! READ “LIFELIKE” HERE Thank you to Mark at Wyldblood for giving this strange story a shot, and thank you to my readers for all your excitement when I announce good news – it’s always better shared. Also, I just want to say that waking up to a notification for an email saying your story’s been published is my favorite kind of alarm. BZ
The Recap – October 2022
Goodbye, Spooky Season. I’m sorry I didn’t give you the attention you deserve. I promise I’ll try to do better next year… October Goals Nanowimo prep + research Submit Victoria to Neon Hemlock Read and/or Workout 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Nanowimo prep + research Yep. A little last minute but, yes. Submit Victoria to Neon Hemlock Yes! The book is done and gone and I am so relieved about that. Read and/or Workout 30 minutes a day Yes? I didn’ workout while I had a migraine, but I did listen to an audio book. And I don’t feel like I should punish myself for something as out of my control as my migraine attacks. So, yes. Total Word Count: 4,839 Well, hot damn! That was a successful month despite work obligations and a killer migraine. I got it all done and even wrote a short story somewhere in there, which I…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #42
The weather finally broke! Summer is over and Fall is here with a vengeance. Today’s walk was a bit frigid and windy and the fall colors are everywhere. And, best of all? It RAINED! It’s finally autumn and just in time for Halloween! Hurray! Last Week Finish Ramona Rough Draft Continue Research for Nanowrimo Project Workout/Read 30 minutes a day How’d I Do? Finish Ramona Rough Draft Yep! And then some, actually. The story is complete and off to the anthology for which I wrote it. Continue Research for Nanowrimo Project Yes! I spent another three hours in Portland this weekend at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library. Workout/Read 30 minutes a day Yes! I worked out five days this week and spent a good chunk of time reading on the two days I didn’t workout. I’m feeling very good about this routine I’ve built. Weekly Word Count: 1,686 Sooooo yeah. It was a…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #41
This was a busy and very productive week, complete with a trip to Portland to do some research and see some writing friends! Let’s get to talking about it! Last Week Submit Victoria Workout and/or Read 30 minutes a day Decompress from Fiction How’d I Do? Submit Victoria Yes!!!! Yes Yes YES! Workout and/or Read 30 minutes a day Yep! Decompress from Fiction Yes? Maybe… not? Weekly Word Count: 2,517 Let’s get the screaming over with: VICTORIA IS DONE! She is DONE! The novella is revised and submitted and she is DONE! She’s gone, flew the coop and into someone else’s brain! GOODBYE! Okay. Now that’s done, I’ll admit I didn’t feel so giddy about it in the moment. I felt nervous, sending out this little, but ambitious book. It’s strange and complicated and carries a lot of my darkness in it. Actually sending it felt weighty, and I was very somber…
Fall Musings
Is still doesn’t really feel like fall. It’s going to be in the high 80s today. The sky is clear and bright blue, and even the trees seem to be confused, their colors stalled between green and orange and red. I know it’s bad, that the weather shouldn’t be this summerlike in mid-October. This time last year I was on a fall hike with some friends and it was misty, foggy, and FREEZING. I loved every second of it. Yesterday I wore shorts. But the light is different. Thinner somehow. The earth’s rotation has put the sun at a different angle, one that says “Autumn.” The weather, and thus nature, just hasn’t caught up. This time of year is always one of transition. Summers are for revisions remember? Maybe I pump out a short story or two (or four!), but largely I spend the summer months finishing up manuscripts for…
The Recap – September 2022
I gotta say, the view from my desk does NOT look like October. Like, at all. It’s blue skies, a lovely 74 degrees, and the trees are still entirely too green. It feels like the end of summer, not the first, fledgling days of Fall. But how things look and feel ultimately have little impact here. Time trudges on, and the goals go with. So let’s get to the good stuff! September Goals Write Victoria Query Package Rough Draft Read 20 minutes/day Finish Victoria Revision #2 How’d I Do? Write Victoria Query Package Rough Draft Yep! I actually got this to a point where I think it’s closer to a final draft. I’m comfortable sending it out to an editor in the shape its in. Read 20 minutes/day Yes! More on that in a bit. Finish Victoria Revision #2 Close! I am very very close to getting this revision done (3/5 goals completed!). Total Word Count: 3,997 September…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #38
Someone needs to get ahold of whoever is in charge of time and tell them to take a chill pill. I cannot keep up with this calendar, folks. It’s going TOO FAST! Is Ricky Bobby at the helm of this year or what? Last Week Victoria Revision Pass Write 1500 words Read 20 minutes a day Prep Newsletter How’d I Do? Victoria Revision Pass Hahahahaha *sobs* No. Write 1500 words Nope. Read 20 minutes a day Yep! I’m still working my way through The Story of the Hundred Promises, but the Ghost Files series premier came out on Friday and then Trev and I spent Saturday playing silly video games together and split a pizza. I have no regrets. Prep Newsletter Yes! The newsletter is written and scheduled and will be out before this post is published! Weekly Word Count: 870 Look. This isn’t the greatest word count ever. But it…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #37
It’s Monday, y’all. You know the drill. Last Week Victoria Query package Rough Draft Read 20 minutes a day Write 1,500 words Writing Admin How’d I Do? Victoria Query package Rough Draft Yes! This was one of those things that you dread and put of because you think it’s difficult, and then you sit down to do it and it’s cake. Read 20 minutes a day Yep! I’m making slow and steady progress on The Story of the Hundred Promises, and I also read a graphic novel, The Crossroads at Midnight. Write 1,500 words Not quite. Writing Admin Yep! There was a bit of time spent last week on short story submissions, revisions, and querying. I’d fallen behind on a lot of it because school started and I’ve just been so wiped when I get home. But I’m all caught up now! Weekly Word Count: 1,216 Honorable Mentions There were a handful…
Goals Summary 2022 – Wk #35
I’m having trouble pinning down all the things I did last week. What did I plan to do? What did I actually manage to accomplish? Thank goodness for planners and whiteboards, or else I’d never be able to tell you! Last Week Finish Victoria Revision #1 Query Package Rough Draft (Letter + Synopsis) Read a book Edit + post new episode of Top Shelf Librarians How’d I Do? Finish Victoria Revision #1 YEP! And boy does it feel good! Query Package Rough Draft (Letter + Synopsis) Lol, nope. Read a book Yep! I finished reading Gallant on Saturday and I loved it very much. Edit + post new episode of Top Shelf Librarians Yep! The new episode is out now! So give it a listen if you haven’t yet. Weekly Word Count: 606 Not too shabby, methinks. Especially considering how busy my work week was. God, it was so busy. Busy enough to leave me…