Updates

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three stories, have a fourth ready to go, and followed up on a fifth submission from a year ago to see if it could be withdrawn (neither accepted nor rejected) so I could resubmit elsewhere.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).

So, thought I’d check on my submission of about 3 months ago, thinking they sure held onto it for a long time. Good sign, right? Nope. I never submitted. Just re-read the story and I think it has legs. Submitted tonight. Sigh.

Great to have the novel out the door! Now, to dig out from under the pile of stuff that has been accumulating: back to Spa Lady, helping edit kids’ essays, cleaning the house, getting ready for the trip to Europe (next novel: WWII), and a bunch of volunteer work. Not to mention the fact that I want to submit at least one short story and look at 2 finished/partly finished novels (making use of what I learned from Sam on the last one), apply for 2 grants, and plot the WWII novel–I want to have it done before I go on the trip so I can focus my research; of course, in the planning stage it is still all flexible in case I get inspirational surprises in Normandy.