Category: Weekly Writing Check In

Weekly writing check-in: the one with behind-the-scenes

Coffee and GhostsAnother week where I do a lot, then when I sit down to post my check-in, none of it seems all that interesting.

For instance, I completed the print and e-book layout for the Coffee & Ghosts series bundle, barring a few tweaks. But I can’t really show you that. I mean, we could sit here and watch the tracking number for the proof delivery.

But that isn’t very exciting.

Well, I guess I can show you the cover.

I also did a fair amount of revision work this week as well. That isn’t so remarkable. What is remarkable is I did half of that work at a coffee shop.

I never thought those studies–about how the noise level in coffee shops can boost creativity–would apply to me, since I’m such an introvert.

I. Was. Wrong. I am seriously pleased with the progress I’ve made, in the evenings no less, while my daughter is at her dance lessons.

I wouldn’t proofread in a coffee shop, but it’s great for coming up with creative solutions to story issues.

Lesson in all this? Even if you think you know yourself and your process, it doesn’t hurt to try something new.

Writing Work:

  • Photoshop tutorials
  • Print and e-book layout on Coffee & Ghosts
  • Revision work

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with cake and ghosts

Whew. The first week of September is always so busy for us. Two birthdays. Back to school. Apartment move in. A video shoot. And somehow, in all of this, I still managed to publish the last episode of the  Coffee & Ghosts serial. Read more about that here.

I also managed to send out a brand new story into the world, along with another to a reprint market.

But now? Now it’s time to go bake a red velvet birthday cake.

Writing Work:

  • Photoshop tutorials
  • Revision work
  • Ghost series bundle formatting (e-book and print)

Submissions:

  • The God of Bright Red Things
  • Incriminating Evidence (reprint market)

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Must Love GhostsThe final episode in the Coffee & Ghosts series, Must Love Ghosts is out this week.

Read more about it in my post from earlier today.

 

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the everything week

Well, if last week was quiet, then this one was more than exciting. Look below. I have something in every category I track, from submissions to publications. I love that sort of week. It’s a writer’s writer sort of week.

I also continued the Photoshop tutorials, did some revision work on a couple of stories, and started getting the last Coffee and Ghosts episode ready to publish.

All in all, not a bad way to end the summer.

Writing Work:

  • Photoshop tutorials
  • Revision work
  • Ghost publication work

Submissions:

  • Gretel and Hansel
  • A Most Marvelous Pair of Boots
  • The Perfect Canvas

Rejections:

  • A Most Marvelous Pair of Boots
  • The Perfect Canvas
  • Gretel and Hansel

Acceptances:

Publications:

CicadaStoryStraying from the Path in the September/October issue of Cicada.

Look at that gorgeous layout!

Weekly writing check-in: the one with a quiet week

No nautical dog this week. Too rainy. Another quiet week. We’re gearing up, I think, for the school year and all of that. One week left of summer? How did that happen?

So this week, I fell down some research rabbit holes while fact-checking my historical short story. A few were quite entertaining. I’m still not sure where I’m going to send it, so those side trips really didn’t delay anything.

I also did some other writing-related tasks, some reading and planning. I am gearing up to start drafting over my lunch hour again.

Writing Work:

  • Photoshop tutorials
  • Revision work

Submissions:

  • A Most Marvelous Pair of Boots (reprint market)

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with nautical dog

nauticaldogAnother quiet week. I did some work on a short story. It’s historical, the first one I’ve written, so part of the revision process is underlining anything I’m uncertain about and researching to make sure the details/phrasing/whatever works for the time period and setting (WWII in France).

So, it was my intention to take all the Wired for Story classes, but now I’m having second thoughts. I’ve done a lot of craft work in the past several months–and my word count has suffered for it. I’m switching gears for a while and will do more drafting and revising.

And boating. With nautical dog. Of course.

Writing Work:

  • Story Focus class (second chapter of Wired for Story)
  • Photoshop tutorials (along with updating the Creative Cloud)
  • Revision work

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with Gone Ghost

sunriselakeI was up early enough today to snap this photo at the lake. But now? Now, I’m a little tired.

So, this week. Well, there’s that reprint sale to Evil Girlfriend Media–my second. Fabulous market with fabulous stories, and it’s nice that The Girl with the Piccolo has a new online home now that Kazka Press is offline.

I sent out a story this week, kept up with classes, and of course, launched another ghost story into the world. I also squeezed in some tutorials (I worked on InDesign last year–time to tackle another program).

Writing Work:

  • Story Focus class (second chapter of Wired for Story)
  • Lit class: The Great Gatsby essay done ~ 1,000 words
  • Tutorials: Photoshop

Submissions:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

Publications:

 

Gone GhostEpisode 4 of the Coffee & Ghosts serial is now available! You can buy or borrow Gone Ghost over at Amazon.

Ghost in the Coffee Machine is still free to read and includes an excerpt from the second episode, Giving up the Ghosts.

You can read more about what’s up in episode 4 in my post from yesterday.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with Gatsby

GatsbyA fairly quiet week. There’s that one rejection, and the only reason I haven’t sent the story back out is there’s a market I’m looking at that opens next week. So, I’ll send it along then.

I’m in the last week of the Gatsby class, so I gathered up all the information I need for my essay.

My topic? Gatsby and the Great War. I even looked up the order of battle for 3rd Division (because clearly, the whole novel hinges on that). I was hoping it would write itself overnight, but that hasn’t happened.

So, that’s on the list for this coming week. Along with … other things.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Must Love Ghosts
  • Lit class: The Great Gatsby

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the view

view

The view this morning. It came with pelicans, but they were too far away for a good picture. Still. They’re huge! Pairs of them were streaming across the lake this morning, quite focused on getting somewhere.

As far as writing? A pretty quiet week, all in all. Some revision. Some work on the Gatsby class.

But! Two publications (see links below). A Measure of Sorrow has a new online home at Evil Girlfriend Media and The Life Expectancy of Fireflies was published in the summer issue of Fine Linen Magazine.

For writers, I recommend EGM. Check out the submission page. For flash fiction, they’re looking for reprints as well as original stories.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Must Love Ghosts
  • Lit class: The Great Gatsby

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Fine LinenA Measure of Sorrow

The Life Expectancy of Fireflies (check out my author copy to the left)

 

 

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the ghost whisperer

So, The Ghost Whisperer ventured into the world this week. After a flurry of rejections last week, things settled down considerably. Well, they settled down to nothing. After last week? I’ll take it.

This week, I’ve kept myself occupied with taking a class on The Great Gatsby.  I recommend the Jake Gyllenhaal narration via Audible. Even better, if you own the iconic blue cover in Kindle format, that version and the audio one are Whispersynced and you can get a reduced price on the audio.

I also revised Gone Ghost and will head straight into revising Must Love Ghosts, just to keep the story continuity in my head. Then? I don’t know. I’m starting to feel the need to go on a writing tear.

Writing Work:

  • Revising Gone Ghost
  • Lit class: The Great Gatsby

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Ghost Whisperer

Episode 3 of the Coffee & Ghosts serial is now available! You can buy or borrow The Ghost Whisperer over at Amazon.

Ghost in the Coffee Machine is still free to read and includes an excerpt from the second episode, Giving up the Ghosts.

You can read more about what’s up in episode 3 in my post of a few days ago.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with all the rejections

So, I’m not sure it’s entirely fair to receive four rejections during the week of one’s birthday. Fair or not, that’s what happened this week. And that’s what happens sometimes when you send out a lot of work. Although I do think four rejections in one week is a new record for me.

But in good news, I sent three of those stories back out again. I also finished writing Must Love Ghosts, which is the last episode in the Coffee and Ghosts serial. I’m thinking a season two is totally possible, although actual story notions for it are a little murky at this point.

Writing Work:

  • Writing ~ 6,500 words
  • How to Hook the Reader coursework ~ complete

Submissions:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms
  • The Girl with the Piccolo
  • Gretel and Hansel

Rejections:

  • The Girl with the Piccolo
  • Like Bread Loves Salt (technically a return, the market is closing)
  • Gretel and Hansel
  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None