It's February! Where did that come from?
What I'm Reading
Since last week I've read Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch - a really fun graphic novel that I recommend to any high fantasy lovers! - and I'm currently in the middle of Rurouni Kenshin, Vol.1 by Nobuhiro Watsuki, My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, and Half Bad by Sally Green.
I'm reading Half Bad with Shannon who I know has already finished it, and I'm hoping to finish it in the next day or so - terrible reader that I am, I let myself get distracted last week!
What I'm Writing (+1 Writing Goal)
I'm still working away on short stories for submissions and competitions, and I'm enjoying writing short fiction right now. It's been a while since I worked on any short stories - while I was doing my MA I worked on nothing but Bloodroot and Bracken for a year - and it's been really fun to write something that actually has an end in sight. There's something very satisfying about just bashing out a 3,000 word story and knowing it's finished!
I didn't complete my writing goals last week, which is really annoying, but I only have myself to blame. Over the weekend I didn't really manage to get much time in which I could work undisturbed. This week, though, I need to complete two of the stories I've been working on, because I have one competition and one submission deadline next week!
Writing Goal: Complete 'Dead Beautiful' and 'Mab' - URGENTLY!
What Works For Me
Making lists. This can be something of a double-edged sword because sometimes I can get so into list making and planning that I end up doing no writing whatsoever, but lately as I've been working on submissions for various magazines and competitions making lists as to which story I'm sending where and what the deadline is - as well as another list for stories that have already been sent off, where they were sent to and when - helps me to de-stress and makes me feel just a teensy bit more organised. And to be honest writing stuff down in my own list on Google Docs is a lot easier than having to find the competition submissions page every time I want to check the deadline!
What Else Is New
First off, thank you to all of you who sent my nana your good wishes last week, I really appreciated that she was in your thoughts, even if it was just for a moment. I'm pleased to announce that she's slowly but surely getting better; I mentioned before that along with the septicemia she'd already been ill for a while, and she was worried she had bowel cancer because her dad passed away from the same disease. Thankfully tests have shown that she's cancer free, and today they're letting her go home!
I haven't really done much this past week! I entered The Winston Fletcher Fiction Prize, and I've sent off a couple of short stories and various poems to some magazines that are currently calling for submissions, but other than that it's been fairly quiet here. Oh, aside from my book-buying addiction that has got somewhat out of control since I started working and earning my own money. I already have no room for books, so I really need to stop buying more! Am I going to, though? No. No, I'm not.
Today, because of our heating not working, I get to work from home where it's nice and warm, and has the added benefit of being able to stay in my pyjamas.
What's new with you?
Good luck with the deadline, and that is great news about your nana :) Enjoy working from home.
ReplyDeleteI love making list. especially love lists (we should do a love list post sometime). It really helps me focus on what I want to write. Thanks for sharing. :D
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah I love making lists too but I have to put a time limit on how long I can focus on lists or else I'll work too much on them too :)
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many books. :P
ReplyDeleteI actually find short stories harder than novels, weirdly enough. Good luck with all the submissions! :)
Great news about your nana! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd as for lists, I'm a total junkie. I make lists for everything to the extent that I'm not sure I would ever remember to do things if I didn't have a list telling me to do it. LOL Lists as a reference are great as well. When I first started querying a couple years back, I had an Excel document with all the details for agents and their requirements for submission. I used it to keep track of rejections, etc. Lists are pretty much the best thing ever. Have an awesome week, Jess! :D
I can definitely see the appeal of working on short stories because there's an end in sight. I've been writing the same trilogy for about three years now, and while I love it dearly, sometimes the process feels never-ending.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to hear your nana's health is improving and that she's on her way home today. That's wonderful!
Better luck this week with your writing goals, and I hope you gets lots of uninterrupted time to work! :)