Updates

Got to teach for the first time at the new digs for the Alexandra Centre, today. Ten students, everyone from beginners all the way to some really amazing writers. Wonderful participants in discussion, also willing to share their writing, which makes the class always run so much more smoothly. Great day.

Also, the photographers in the new Art Centre were having phenomenal displays and there is to be a gala tonight. Can’t go, but isn’t it awesome to be working in an arts centre with photographers, painters, other visual artists, theatre people, musicians, dancers…? Yeah!!

I was filling out the WWC Grants application profile for the new Canada Council Grant website, and when I was done, it asked if I wanted to be a Peer Assessor. Hey, that would be cool. So I sent in my resume and a letter about why I thought I’d be a good peer assessor. Probably nothing will come of it, but it would be cool if it did.

Nothing like getting away for the “weekend.” Okay, Friday to Tuesday. The 6 hour drive on either end was an opportunity to set writing goals and be accountable, and have writerly friends ask questions to deepen my thinking. The days spent were 8 AM – 10:00 PM devoted to writing except for meal breaks (and writerly conversations). Drafted my WWII novel from an idea rattling around in my head for a few years, to 76 scenes structured with crises, climaxes, internal and external conflicts, motifs, and all the trimmings. Ready to jump in. Oh, except for all the research questions I wrote down.

So in the past week I have caught up on a ton of work. Resubmitted the requested story and five others to various markets, and finished and submitted my AFA grant application. Yay! Now I am freed up to focus for the next 5 days on my writers’ retreat: plotting the WWII fantasy novel. I have 4 books of research to read, as well.

Having finished the novel revision, I have been catching up on my short fiction. Submitted three stories, have a fourth ready to go, and followed up on a fifth submission from a year ago to see if it could be withdrawn (neither accepted nor rejected) so I could resubmit elsewhere. The publisher told me he sent me notes for a rewrite 8 months ago but it never got to me (his submission system was wonky)–but he’s still interested in the rewrite!! And, I can submit directly to his email, not through the regular submission system. Believe me, it is going to be the next thing on my agenda (once the AFA grant application is in on Wednesday).