Category: writerly resolutions

Finally beginning to get back into a groove on the writing. After much delay, I finished my post-workshop revisions on chapter three and then managed to get a first draft and rewrite of a new chapter (which will become chapter two coming before the existing chapter two). I also think I solved a characterization problem…

This was a terribly unproductive month for my writing. It turns out it still hurts to do things like operate a pencil or scissors. The latter is mostly helpful for things like opening packages, but the former is something I like to do for revising. I did manage to finally finish revisions on chapter two…

So February started strong, which was nice but life can be a real jerk and between a bit of a slowdown mid-month combined with a minor disaster, I kind of stalled out. Minor disaster you say? These used to match: Why yes, I tripped and fell, landing hard on my hands, and, as it turned…

So on the three goals I’ve set for myself, solid progress on the novel, although perhaps not as rapid as I might have hoped. Chapter two is finished, I’m working on the rewrite of chapter three and I updated chapters one and two after workshopping the first chapter. Still working on a new story (something…

I’m feeling pretty good about where things are with my writing at the moment. I’ve cleared off a lot of the decks of things lingering that needed more immediate attention. This year will be focused on getting a complete draft of the new novel finished (ideally well before year’s end, but we’ll see), workshopping those…

I had modest goals for 2024: Get final draft of the novel finished Query query query Get six new stories workshopped and into submissions Maybe start a new novel? Of these, I completed 1, 2 and 4, and partially finished 3: I only got three new stories into submissions, but I did also get two…

The novel continues with a completed draft of the first chapter (although I do periodically think of things to add in that I left out) and a bit of a start on the second chapter, although weekends with the kids have kept me from the keyboard more than I might otherwise. Querying the old novel…

This was a month of getting stuff done thanks to a pair of little writing retreats. I did one long weekend at the Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House for a formal writers’ retreat, although I ended up skipping the structured parts because most of it didn’t really feel relevant to me. Then a couple weeks later,…

This month I workshopped a new story, and while it didn’t get the rapturous reception that I hoped it would (largely a generational thing, I think), it was paradoxically a boost in my mind for the story. Getting a chance to see who responded lukewarmly and why made me feel more secure in what I…