Writing Marathon, Day 82

Wow, has it really been 6 days since my last post? I have been writing every night, but the quality has hardly been worth mentioning. I've been tired and distracted, so my mind skips around from this project to that. So, I've managed to take some notes, but that's about it for my fiction this past week. For this reason I've focused on beta reading, which is what I did tonight. I find that helping other writers with their fiction helps me improve my writing, both directly and indirectly.

Lastly, my review of POD by Stephen Wallenfels came out this week. Woohoo! Next, I need to write a review for Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz. I finished the book days ago! We have to take a break on the house remodel because of the heat, so perhaps tomorrow... In the mean time, Stephen Wallenfels was kind enough to do an interview with me, so that should be coming out soon.

Writing Marathon, Day 76

Sometimes I like to trick that rebellious, pout monster inside of me. The part that whines "but I don't waaaaaaaaaant to!"

I've still been writing every night, with about 30 minutes each night. I only took a short break from blogging about it so that I could feel like I was "getting away" with something, while still meeting my goals. I've continued working on reviews, formatting interviews, and that sort of thing. Even better, tonight I submitted two stories out into the world. One came back from my wonderful beta reader with only a few fixes needed, and that went to the magazine that recently rejected a different piece with a note indicating that they liked my work but couldn't find a place for that story. The other story I sent off has been rejected by several different publications. It's a difficult one to find a match for because the format is a bit experimental. Tonight I suddenly realized that there was another genre label or two that I could search under at duotrope.com .

Now I can reward myself with a bit of beta reading for my beta reader. :)

Writing Marathon, Day 73

Today's writing time: 29 minutes.

I've received a few rejections from magazines lately, and one had a nice little PS. indicating that the story was almost right for them. This makes me feel as if my writing may be a good match for that particular magazine if I chose another piece with more action in it. So, I've edited a few flash pieces that were already on their 3+ draft, and sent them off to a beta reader.

If I went to bed now, I'd be getting to bed early. Haha!

Writing Marathon, Day 72

Today's writing time: 15 minutes, formatting and scheduling reviews.

Father's Day was such a blast and I am so ready for bed. While I was driving home, I was reminding myself of my resolution to write every night, and I realized... Wow, it's going to be harder when we're busting our behinds moving house! I considered, briefly, putting my resolution on hold, but when it comes down to it, it's only fifteen minutes. That was the point of not choosing a higher goal. Never give up, never surrender! I might have to grab some of my writing time during the day, is all.

Writing Marathon, Day 71

Today's writing time: 30ish minutes.

The good news is that I did exactly what I had planned to do, which is polish off that review and send it to the publicist. That might have been after 30 minutes of creating a homeschool plan for my soon-to-be-3 year old. He could use more structured activities, and I love to have a plan. But most of all, I saw this adorable 6-pocket hanging organizer at a yard sale, and I knew the minute I saw it exactly how I would use it for homeschooling. It will be like a treasure trove of activities for the little guys to do throughout the week!