Tag Archives: Getting Schooled

February 5, 2023 · 9:51 am

How does your garden grow?

Bloganuary: What is something you learned recently?

I’m only a few lessons into the Master Gardener course, but I’ve learned a lot:

  • Like how I can get a soil test from the University of Minnesota
  • Or how I should rotate the “crops” in my raised beds this spring
  • Or how to improve my compost pile—add water. But not now since everything—including the compost pile—is frozen solid
  • Or how I properly (and somewhat unintentionally) prepared my raised beds last year (I’m kind of proud of this one—I was winging it)

Each lesson has additional resources and links and downloads. There’s enough information to provide a framework, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. It’s a nice way to spend a couple of hours each Sunday.

I’m looking forward to spring for so many reasons, but I’m really excited to put this new knowledge into practice.

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July 12, 2015 · 4:08 pm

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

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July 5, 2015 · 9:31 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with summer school

Mattie chairSo, I’m heading into the home stretch with Must Love Ghosts. I think I can finish it this week. Pretty sure, anyway. Fingers crossed and all that.

And … I’m taking another class, or rather, a series of classes.

Yes, I know. I was going to take a break from them for a bit, but I couldn’t resist this offering. It’s based on Wired for Story by Lisa Cron, and it’s broken into smaller, two-week classes, each one based on a chapter in the book. That? That’s doable.

And it’s especially doable now that I have a spiffy summer reading/writing chair. Granted, I have to share, but there’s room for two.

Writing Work:

  • Writing ~ 5,100 words
  • How to Hook the Reader coursework

Submissions:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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June 14, 2015 · 10:53 am

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

So this past week? This was a banner week. I sold not one, but two stories to pro-paying markets, including one of my dream markets, Cicada. They bought reprint rights to Straying from the Path, which just goes to show that you can sell a story more than once, and do so at a good rate as well. One myth dispelled.

Plus, I finally found a home for The Life Expectancy of Fireflies! It’s a quirky, slightly disturbing story that’s received a lot of personal rejections along the lines of good story/not quite right for us/send us your next thing. This sort of response is gratifying if a little frustrating. But Fine Linen Magazine looks like a grand home for it.

I finished up the week with a rejection (because you can’t win them all) and with the final scenes for Gone Ghost. Last week? I like you very much.

Writing Work:

  • Calvino class: Finished reading If on a winter’s night a traveler, drafted my essay. Now all I need to do is post it and respond to the other essays. Almost there!
  • Writing ~ 3,000 words
  • Finished Gone Ghost

Submissions:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies
  • Straying from the Path

Publications:

  • None

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June 7, 2015 · 8:37 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with even more ghost writing

Even more ghost writing this week. I’m closing in on the end of Gone Ghost, and I have story notions for the last story or two (or maybe it’s one long story that I break off at a cliffhanger–I haven’t decided yet).

One thing I know I’m not going to do again: Add in another class at the end of the school year. Things are always busy (and I always forget that). Also? I’m totally in summer mode, and that includes classwork–no matter how much I enjoy it.

No submissions or anything else this week. I am all about finishing the classes and the ghost stories at the moment.

And summer. I am all about summer, too.

Writing Work:

  • Narrative Design class: Done! Workshop portion complete
  • Calvino class: Almost done!
  • Writing ~ 5,250 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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May 31, 2015 · 10:22 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with ghost writing

Giving up the Ghosts

Well, I am staying on track with the ghost writing. And by ghost writing, I mean writing stories about ghosts (and coffee) and not writing a story for someone else to publish.

Here’s what I hope to do with all this ghost writing. I am structuring these stories as a serial. Each story will be a standalone piece (or so I hope) but also support an overall story arc.

In that way, it’s like a television series with episodes. You can jump in mid-season, but it’s probably more fun to catch all the shows from the beginning.

And I have a new-found respect for television writers. Because writing this way? Let’s just say it’s … challenging. So far in the series I have:

I even have the description for Giving Up the Ghosts ready to go:

Katy Lindstrom has used coffee to catch ghosts since she was five years old–a handy skill in a town with an overabundance of spirits. Now Katy wants to make her newly-minted ghost-hunting business thrive. Never mind that her partner, Malcolm Armand, is her former rival, not to mention a bit … distracting.

When a routine ghost eradication ends in disaster, clues point to someone close to Malcolm. But something sinister lurks in Springside Township, something Katy’s never encountered in all her years of ghost hunting, and something that has her doubting all her skills.

It will take more than high-end beans and the perfect cup of coffee this time around. It will take trust and teamwork and possibly a sacrifice Katy’s not ready to make.

Now that it’s out there, I guess I have to finish the series. Just another way to keep myself honest.

Writing Work:

  • Narrative Design class (almost done–story workshop week)
  • Calvino class
  • Writing ~ 4,740 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Incriminating Evidence

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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May 24, 2015 · 10:21 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the Memorial Day Challenge

alphacatI started this blog post with the cat on my lap. Then she moved to my desk. I made the mistake of standing up and she stole my chair. Now she’s sleeping in the dog bed.

Clearly, there’s no winning this game if you happen to human and/or a dog.

It’s kind of like the submission game this week. Three rejections! Boom, boom … BOOM. That’s the way it works sometimes. But I sent two right back out again, so there’s that. I also kept up in class, started a new one (because I’m crazy), and ended up with 4,000 words on a new Coffee & Ghosts story.

So, I’m pleased.

Writing Work:

  • Narrative Design class
  • Calvino Class
  • Writing ~ 4,000 words

Submissions:

  • Gretel and Hansel
  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Rejections:

  • March Madness
  • Gretel and Hansel
  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

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May 17, 2015 · 11:22 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with working ghosts

shutterstock_54282940Lots of reading this week. I hit book # 31 for the year. I worked on some stories, one for the Narrative Design class and the other I sent out. Otherwise, a quiet week as far as submissions/rejections go.

And I found my way into the next “coffee and ghost” story and made some story notes on that. I have three more episodes I’d like to write. Maybe by mentioning that here, it will keep me on track (and honest). We’ll see.

Writing Work:

  • Narrative Design class
  • Story work

Submissions:

  • Simon the Cold

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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May 10, 2015 · 10:41 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with détente

dogsandcats

So, this illustration of dogs and cats, living together, only took +7 months or so. But at long last, we have achieved détente.

This week, I finished up the Description class–so now I know how to describe things–kept up with the other class, and even wrote some non-class related words. I also sent out two submissions this week as well. So, a pretty good week.

Writing Work:

  • Description class
  • Narrative Design class
  • Writing ~ 4,000 words

Submissions:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms
  • March Madness

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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May 3, 2015 · 11:40 am

Weekly writing check-in: the one with oh never mind, I’m too tired

Last dance competition of the season last night. So. Tired. And I’m not even the one who danced. We rolled into the driveway at about 11:30 p.m., which I’ll have you know is way past my bedtime. And the dog’s bedtime. And the cat’s bedtime. Everyone was just a bit off their game due to this schedule change. If sleeping can be called a game, that is. In the case of our pets, I think it can.

Kept up with my course work. This is the last week of the Description class, and while I’ve enjoyed it, I’ll be glad not to have the extra homework to do. Otherwise, I made two submissions this week, had one rejection, and one story short-listed.

And now, I’m just going to go read or nap or something that doesn’t involve moving.

Writing Work:

  • Description class
  • Narrative Design class

Submissions:

  • Incriminating Evidence (reprint market)
  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies

Rejections:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

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