February’s come and gone in a flurry of snow days and frozen cul-de-sacs. I spent the dreariest of months consuming television and movies, reading an insane amount of all kinds of books, and writing. An actually decent amount of writing.
But don’t just take my introduction as proof! Let’s look at the stats!
Last Month
- Write at least 3x/week
- Read 4 books
- Keep on schedule
How'd I Do?
- Write at least 3x/week
- Nope. I wrote two times a week, every week in February though!
- Nope. I wrote two times a week, every week in February though!
- Read 4 books
- Yep! Actually, I doubled it – I read EIGHT books in February!
- Keep on schedule
- Yes? Aside from not writing the three times I week I wanted to, having a set schedule for writing, blogging, and marketing has been critical to my consistent output this month.
Total Word Count: 11,787
In true February fashion, the month went by in a blur of snow days and rejection letters. The winter months begin to take their toll this time of year, and I start yearning for spring in earnest. That restlessness doesn’t mix well with drafting, and I can hear the ticking clock in my mind – it sounds an awful lot like the clock that hangs over the breakfast bar in my dad’s house.
The good news is that I am really happy with my output in such a short, whirlwind month. Almost 12k words? In February? And I read EIGHT books??? I also rewatched Our Flag Means Death, got caught up on all things The Mandalorian, rewatched the entire five seasons of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and watched several movies. I honestly don’t know where I found all this time… Am I forgetting to sleep? What am I sacrificing?
I think the real answer is that scheduling time ensures that I use it effectively. I know that’s why I’ve been able to be so consistent. Steady. That’s how I’m feeling.
Hours Check
- Novel Writing: 10 Hours
- Reading: 39 Hours
- Willamette Writers Meetings: 12.5 Hours
- Workouts: 2 Hours
- Website Management: 10.5 Hours
- Queries: .5 Hours
- Short Story Submissions: .5 Hours
- Miscellaneous: 1 Hour
- Podcast: 3.5 Hours
Total Hours: 79.5 Hours
For a short month, that’s a lot of hours. I’m feeling really good about this month and all the work I got done. And that reading??? Nuts! But, you can see that it was a very quiet month for queries and submissions. These things have a sort of tide to them, so I’m bracing for the deluge of rejections and the mountain of work I’ll have resubmitting and querying!
I only have one honorable mention this month, and it’s the arrival of the Life Beyond Us Author Edition (aka contributor copy). Now, I’m used to getting a trade paperback as my contributor copy, but Laksa Media ain’t playing around you guys! This thing is GORGEOUS!
So that was definitely a highlight of the month. I also have a story being held for consideration and a partial request on Something Sulfurous still out, so there’s a waft of hope in the air.
I have a couple of exciting things happening in March that I’ll get to talk about soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that!
March Goals
- Write at least 3x/week
- Read a Short Story a Day
- Keep to the Schedule
I know, I know. This looks awfully familiar. Here’s the thing, I’m not interested in fixing what isn’t broken. Last month’s output was very good. Steady. I’d argue I’ve found a flow that is sustainable while also meeting my self-imposed deadlines. So why mess with it?
There are a couple of things about March that warrant further inspection, however. The first is my annual attempt to read a short story a day for the entire month. I’ve never once succeeded. I usually make it a week or two in and get swamped with something and then I’m playing a hectic, insurmountable game of catch-up. I don’t care, though. I love this little excuse to read more current short fiction in my genre. Make sure to follow me on twitter to see my thread about it through the month!
In the middle of the month I’ve got some fun news to share, including a cover reveal for a yet-unannounced anthology, as well as a new story releasing in Tree and Stone Magazine. Keep your eye on the site and my social media for updates.
The last thing we need to talk about in March is Spring Break. This year it’s the last week of the month, and while I usually try to travel during the weeklong break, this year I have a different plan. This year I’m treating the time off as my own personal writing retreat. I’ve spent a big chunk of time reading writing books, magazines, and internet articles on various elements of craft, all so I can tailor a workshop in my own home!
I’ll talk more about this as the week approaches, and will most likely do a breakdown and reflection after the fact. If folks show an interest in the resources I used, I’ll make a little bibliography of sorts too. But the point is to hone in on a specific element of writing craft in the morning, do a lot of yoga and reading, and a lot of writing. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get the book finished that week – or at least within ~10k of the ending.
If I could have it done in time to let it cool in April and May, then revise in June and July? That is the ideal scenario. Now, we all know ideal scenarios almost never happen, but I’ve also shown how lofty goals lead to acceptable, maybe even good, results.
So that’s the plan for March. Lots of reading and writing, a couple of announcements, and then a whole week dedicated to growing my craft and getting this book DONE.
Tomorrow the new episode of Top Shelf Librarians releases! I’ll be back with a post to remind you, otherwise don’t expect me until Monday.
Until then, Bloggarts!
BZ
