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 was a blur. I know I say that a lot, but with school starting back up, and ASB events ratcheting up, I’m struggling to grasp what all I did this month. I went to a lot of Willamette Writers meetings, I read a TON, and kept up on short story submissions. I know I said recently that submissions have been slow and there’s been little to talk about, but I’ve had, like, five rejections in the last week so I’ve been busy!
I also made decent progress on the Victoria revision, although not as much as I’d hoped. There’s still some work to do, but I think I’m only one or two sessions away from doing a grammatical revision pass. We’re getting very close y’all.
So, how did I divvy up my time?
Hours Check
- Victoria Revision: 4.5 Hours
- As I said above, this is going well! I’m almost there!
- Victoria Query Package: 1 Hour
- Doneski. Feeling good about it!
- Reading: 22 Hours
- Holy moly, that’s a lot of reading time! Between a migraine and the Trevor Project Reading Challenge, I spent a lot of time with books this month. I also want to say a huge THANK YOU to my friends that donated to our fundraiser! Top Shelf Librarians read a total of 3,350 minutes and raised $345! And, if you are a donor, you may want to tune in to the September episode of the podcast. Just sayin’…
- Willamette Writers Meetings: 13.5 Hours
- I also spent more time with WilWrite this month, for two reasons. 1.) My local chapter started up their in-person meetings again! And 2.) I am officially a volunteer for Willamette Writers now! I help host our online social hours (Coffee at Your Kitchen Table), where we hangout and chew the fat each Saturday morning.
- Podcast: 3 Hours
- We just recorded the September episode last night, so be on the lookout for it this Friday! And, if you haven’t listened to August yet, now is the time!
- Website Management: 7 Hours
- Not as much as I’d like, but balancing all this reading, writing, meeting, and work means that something had to take the hit. Sorry, Blogland.
- Fanfic: 2.5 Hours
- I finally finished my giant Dragon Age fanfic (and sobbed about it). Now I’m trying to get back to my Mass Effect: Andromeda fic series. I’m making some progress, but not as much as I’d like. And if it isn’t done by November… well. That’s gonna suck.
- Short Story Submissions: 3 Hours
- Not too shabby! No news yet, but I’ve got a lot of irons in the proverbial fire. It’s just a matter of time.
- Queries: 1 Hour
- This process is sooooooo slooooooow. That’s all I can say.
- Misc. Submissions: 1 Hour
- Speaking of irons and fires, I applied for another residency! Fingers crossed!
- Misc. Revision: 1 Hour
- I mentioned in one of my Goals Summaries that I received my first Revise and Resubmit. That was fun, but ultimately culminated in a rejection. RIP.
- Microfiction: 1 Hour
- The microfiction piece for this month’s newsletter poured out of me. I hope you all liked it! If you haven’t signed up for the newlsetter, you can do so here!
Total Hours: 60.5 Hours
The wild part to me is that I actually put in SIX MORE hours than last month. That’s nuts. I was BUSIER this month! What the heck?! No wonder I’ve felt so tired…
So, what’s in store for October? I am so glad you asked!
October Goals
- Nanowimo prep + research
- Submit Victoria to Neon Hemlock
- Read and/or Workout 30 minutes a day
Victoria is very close to being done. I have a few more hours to spend getting revision #2 done, and then I can do a pass to check phrasing, line edits, and formatting. Formatting a non-linear epistolary book has been a HUMONGOUS pain in the ass, by the way. Do not recommend. Aside from that, I’m feeling confident that I can get it done by October 11th.
Which is good because I need V out of my mind by October 14th, when I make my way up to the Oregon Historical Society museum and library to do some research. You know, for the next book. The book I’m starting in November. For Nanowrimo. Oh, god. That is coming up SO FAST!
The reading challenge was really a wonderful thing last month, so I’m hoping to keep that momentum going, and even upping it a little. But, you’ll also noticed that there’s a non-writing goal on there. Working out.
Here’s what’s up. Basically, I’ve had some health things come up (nothing scary, I promise), but in order to feel my best and live the outdoorsy(ish) lifestyle I want, I need to make some changes. I’m counting calories for the first time in my life (and tracking carbs vs. protein vs. fat) and getting back into yoga to combat an overzealous sciatic nerve. I also need to get some core strength back in preparation for a very big/exciting kayaking trip next summer. And I miss hiking and absolutely refuse to spend all winter indoors.
So, changes are being made to some of my routines. I might actually venture into a gym to use a rowing machine and some weights. I might start swimming a bit to work on upper body muscle tone and cardio. And I’ll be doing yoga and taking walks, because it turns out that sitting at a desk all day is fucking terrible for you.
Brace yourselves for a lot of bitching about sore muscles and exercising in the next few weeks.
I’ll be back Monday with the usual Goals Summary. Hopefully I’ll have some good news about Victoria by then, but I’m not confident I’ll get it all done today. Some done? Yes. All done? I guess we’ll see.
Until then, Bloggos!
BZ
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