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December 22nd, 2009
04:22 pm - It's been a long, long time
I can't believe it.
Yesterday, I spent most of the day procrastinating, surfing the web, and by the end of it I wanted to write. But when I opened a word file and began typing, all I could do was rant. So I let it out, ranting for about a thousand words about my current predicament with the J-situation.
It felt remarkably good to get it off my chest.
I then proceeded to follow some excellent advice and wrote an email that (a) made me very emotional but also (b) made me feel good (okay, not right away, but after I'd had some time to think about it and allowed myself to be proud of the step I'd taken). Good's a feeling I've been sorrowfully lacking in my life of late.
Today, motivated by a dream I had the night before last, I wrote a *new* story. 5,300 words worth, a start-to-finish little nutshell of a first draft. And there's actually hope that I can get some quick first-reader feedback and submit the thing for the December 31st deadline for Writers of the Future.
Only a couple of days ago I would've LMAO at anyone who had suggested that I would not only want to write, but could actually finish a story and like it.
Granted, I haven't read it over yet, and who knows how I'll feel about it after I do, but g-dash-it, I'm pumped.
Maybe the fog of frustration is finally lifting???
Current Location: Urbana Cafe
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/pink/working.gif) accomplished
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October 30th, 2009
10:13 pm - Chapters tomorrow
On Saturday, October 31, I am doing a book event at the Chapters on King St N in Waterloo. Drop by between 1 and 3 pm for snacks and a reading from Tesseracts 13. Look for a review of the anthology in the Kitchener Record on Saturday as well.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/pink/tired.gif) exhausted
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October 14th, 2009
03:08 pm - Flight
In an effort to ready myself for the upcoming NaNoWriMo, I did some soul searching today. I'm still not sure if I will change my mind and write something new, but for now, I know that I want my efforts to go towards something important.
My novel, "Flight" is at the top of that priority list. No matter what, I must put my efforts into it, come hell or high water, as often as I can, or I will lose the small amount of momentum I gained this summer at WorldCon and DragonCon.
Today, I figured out how to transition from the new beginning into the old beginning for the one character. Kyle is another story. His beginning is so radically different, I still don't know how I will merge him back into the middle of the novel. For now, he has his own crisis, his own directives, and I hope, soon, an epiphany will hit me hard enough to get me through this land of unknown-mixed with doubt.
SK has promised to read it over, and I haven't forgotten. I know she was busy the last couple of months with her own commitments, but I want to get something in her hands soon, and that means repairing the breaks I've made to solve the mistakes I wrote myself into.
This novel stuff is hard, gosh darn it.
Current Location: Urbana Cafe
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/pink/thoughtful.gif) contemplative
Current Music: NaNoWriMo '08 mix
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11:04 am - Hey, if it worked before...
I finally had the chance to give, "Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle" a final read-through today. Now it's in the hands of the editors of Tesseracts 14 to slush as they will, so to speak.
My total number of subs for the year has risen again to a whopping 7. Yes, I know, it's low, but it's all I've got. (And I've reached the lucky 13%! Woot!) The shiny counter:
7 / 52 submissions. 13% done!
Current Location: Urbana Cafe
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: the NaNoWriMo '08 mix
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October 2nd, 2009
12:25 pm - Out and about
I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Toronto, taking in the vibe, hoping to be inspired to write something. I might give "Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle" a read, and decide if it's worthy to sub to Tesseracts 14. I will definitely send them something (maybe two somethings, if they allow multiple subs) because I like the antho and hey, it's Canadian, eh!
The weather here is dreary, so I bought myself a new purse and scarf -- perfect accessories to get me through the fall.
Current Location: Starbucks
Current Mood: thoughtful
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September 25th, 2009
02:10 pm - Words on Paper
I have finished draft zero of "Jelly and the D-Machine," which weighs in at about 4,800 words.
I wrote the opening of the story in January of 2007, and haven't touched it since. With a little polishing, I'm liking what I've done with it.
After a couple of passes, I do believe I will send it to WotF, as the deadline looms. I don't really have time for crits, which may be a HUGE mistake, but it's my own fault for leaving things until the last minute.
Current Location: my office
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: iPod shuffle
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September 11th, 2009
09:01 pm - Tesseracts 13 Launch at Bakka-Phoenix Books
Just a reminder of the launch party for Tesseracts XIII at Bakka-Phoenix Books tomorrow (Saturday, September 12) at 3PM.
With any luck, I will be reading from my story, "The Tear Closet."
Hope to see you there.
Current Location: my office
Current Mood: accomplished
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08:52 pm - It's a Miracle
You should sit down...seriously, because I wouldn't want you to faint and crack your head open.
Okay...you sitting down?
I submitted a story today. It's true, I swear! I sent "The Needle's Eye" to Asimov's. That puts my number of subs for the year at...I know, it's embarrassing...5 for the year.
The sort-of-shiny counter:
5 / 52 submissions. 10% done!
Oh, and I updated my website, including the Gallery which was sadly, horribly behind the times.
Current Location: my office
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: Seether
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July 6th, 2009
05:59 pm - Words on paper
I finally managed to write today. After a long, thought-filled hiatus.
I managed 2,600 words on the first, rough draft of a new story, tentatively titled, "Wear Life Like a Eulogy."
It felt good to get out and write. I'm in Starbucks in Chapters, comfortable, excited, and filled with the promise of "the new." I've been so blindsided by life over the last few weeks. Writing is what I love to do, and I'm glad I'm finding a way to fit it back into my life again.
Could it be that the block is lifting? I will give myself the space to watch, wait, and see.
Current Location: Starbucks
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: their piped in stuff
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June 17th, 2009
04:07 pm - A reminder about my submissions
Received my "no placement" letter in the mail today from WotF. It reminded me how little submitting I have done over the last three months. Not only that, I hadn't even included "Cold Feet" on my submission tracker spreadsheet, but that has now been rectified.
I began a new story on Friday, and hope to finish it, though whether before the next WotF deadline or not is unclear. I require some healing time and will not be pushed.
Current Location: my office
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May 20th, 2009
01:35 pm - It happened
It's a miracle, you're thinking to yourselves.
Yes, I drove to the Starbucks in Chapters today, and YES, I worked on the novel. I wrote a new chapter one and half of the new chapter two. Both of these chapters will appear before the original chapters one and two, for those of you who have read the previous drafts.
I'm feeling good, so far, though I know these are very rough drafts. I have plenty of work ahead of me, but at least I've found the stamina to begin!
Current Location: my office
Current Mood: accomplished
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April 21st, 2009
10:14 pm - Home, for a change
I have been extremely busy of late. Things I have done:
- drove to Arlington for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) reddherring1955's mom's funeral
- drove to Toronto for my cousin Jonathan's wedding
- drove to St Catharine's to help my sister pack up her life for the move
- with my mother's help, finished the rough draft of my income tax return (will take the pack to my accountant tomorrow)
- had one wickedly nasty bout of stomach flu (or food poisoning? either way, BLEH!)
I've also been reading David Morrell's The Successful Novelist, and though I'm not far in, it's been useful already. It actually guilted me back into writing again. I've done a couple of days of Club 100 which isn't much, but considering how little time I've actually been home (and not behind the wheel of my car), it's a miracle, IMHO.
The kids are in bed, and my sister is hanging with me at the moment. She goes back to Alberta soon, which is a total drag.
I will now return to burying my head under a pile of "to-do".
Current Location: in bed
Current Mood: exhausted
Current Music: the sound of kids snoring
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March 26th, 2009
09:24 pm - A submission, you say? It's true, I swear!
I mailed "Cold Feet" to Writers of the Future today. Woot! That puts my number of submissions for the year at four. It's sad, but it's all mine. The shiny counter:
4 / 52 submissions. 8% done!
I figured I would dabble in my financials, starting the business statements for my tax return. I planned to work for about an hour then do some other submissions. Five and a half hours later, I was rushing out the door to pick up my older son and hadn't even gotten as far as I wanted to get.
Did I mention I loathe tax season??
Current Location: in bed
Current Mood: exhausted
Current Music: the sound of my kids reading
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March 25th, 2009
08:44 pm - Almost in the mail
I made a few last minute changes to "Cold Feet" and sealed it in an envelope ready to head out to WotF. Tomorrow, I will mail it on the way home from driving my older son to school. I am DAYS ahead of the deadline.
Go me.
Current Location: in bed
Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: the sound of the kids horsing around
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March 19th, 2009
11:11 pm - edit, edit, edit
Spent some time at Urbana Cafe today, editing. "Cold Feet" is closer to ready and I finally had a chance to work through a good chunk of reddherring1955's crit of "Flight." But now it is late and I am spent.
Current Location: watching TV
Current Mood: exhausted
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March 18th, 2009
10:37 am - Did I mention...
I've received a couple of rejections in the last few days: a 38-day pass from Strange Horizons and a 32-day nope from Interzone. Now I have absolutely no stories out at any markets.
Is this intentional? Yes
Will I be changing it soon? Yes (with a WotF entry)
Will I be discussing the why's and the strategies soon? As soon as I can get around to it.
Current Location: the dining room
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: silence
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10:29 am - How did that giant pile of work end up on my desk??
Yikes. It's Wednesday already and I haven't accomplished very much of anything yet. Sure, I've done the dishes and washed the bedding and tidied my house. Sure, I've printed the stories I need to read over. I've even met with a few people who I haven't seen in a while to catch up on things.
While I was doing all of those things...no writing of my own has taken place. I must find time to work through reddherring1955's comments on "Flight." I must make time to read through, "Cold Feet" before the WotF deadline. Gosh I hate it the way those deadlines just fly closer by the day!
Someone invent me a time turner!
Current Location: the dining room
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: silence
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March 13th, 2009
03:53 pm - Writing Time! Hoo-rah!
The cold seemed to have passed enough that my younger son made it to school today. Yay!
So I was finally able to look over the crits of "Cold Feet" and make some changes (especially to the beginning) of the story. I printed it off and will give it to Michael to read tonight. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I can get it out the door to WotF on time this year.
In other news, I gave up almost all desserts for Lent. No, I'm not catholic, but it's a long story. Suffice it to say, today was very hard. I ended up eating a few pieces of a chocolate bar (I refused to give up chocolate) and that helped. Whew!
Current Location: my office
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/pink/cold.gif) cold
Current Music: The guitar heros
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February 18th, 2009
10:41 pm - It's that time of year again...
Yes, it's time for me to start blogging, and sorta complaining, about financial paperwork. As my first T slip arrived from beyond, I realized I need to get some financial paperwork together for the taxation year. Blah!
I did the first round of sorting, but haven't done much in the way of data entry.
The novel has been ignored for several days. Oops. Tomorrow, I hope to put some novel time in and get some paperwork done. It'll be a multi-tasking day, fingers crossed.
Current Location: the dining room
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/punquinheads/pink/angry.gif) cranky
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February 10th, 2009
09:58 pm - One chapter closer
After another successful editing session at Starbucks, I edited about a chapter and a half of "Flight." The end creeps ever closer.
On the submission front, I sent "Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle" to Interzone. Holy cow, postage to the UK is expensive! That puts my total subs for the year at 3. The shiny counter:
3 / 52 submissions. 6% done!
Go me. :)
Current Location: in bed
Current Mood: accomplished
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