Yes, It Is All My Fault!

I’ve received some excellent critiques of my latest story, and I think I’ll get back to work on another revision pass, hopefully this evening–definitely this weekend. Anyone want to get in on reading the next draft?  That one will be close to done (one hopes), except for minor tweaking. Props and shout-outs will go out to my fine team of helpers when I’ve sent this puppy off into the wide world of hopefully-not-many-rejections, mere days from now.

Finished the first revision pass, changing some things significantly and others not, and now it’s off at my writer’s group where I hope to get at least a few more opinions and comments before I have to tackle final revisions and sending it off. I like this one and had a lot of fun writing it, it’s been a challenge and an educational one. I’ve been working on the idea and the story since I first read about the anthology at the beginning of May, and seeing as how I did no writing at all in May, I don’t think I did too badly. Thanks to my first readers, Kit, Steve, and Jennifer, and any fellow Voluptuaries that want to help out!

Finished the first draft of the short story I wanted to finish this month. It’s not quite right but it’s closer than most of what I’ve been turning out lately. I haven’t actually read it yet, but alpha reader feedback is 3 for 3: “creeeeepy.” Which is certainly part of what it’s supposed to do, so I’m pleased. In the morning Kit will read it again and give more detailed feedback, I’ll read it and give it the first revision, then post it to my writer’s group for a whirlwind critique session before final edits and sending it off. Yay for writing to deadline, especially given unexpected writing-delaying events such as out-of-country travels.

To hear more about that, start with “Off to Mexico” and read up from there to find out about most of my last week’s adventures.

Friday I “finished” the roughest first draft of a story yet. In fact, I felt a little weird about calling that draft done.

But…it has a beginning, an end, and a good chunk of the middle, with notes for the rest of the fill. It has notes about what to fix and add in the next draft and I know what I did right and where I need to delve deeper. Sounds close enough for Shakespeare’s monkeys, a first draft it is.

It’s likely to end up as flash fiction (1000 words or less) and looks like I’m back on my “short story=horror or dark fantasy” trend for now; if it works it should end up a delightfully creepy little piece. However, now that I have a draft I can call done, I’m setting it aside until probably August, since I have another short story due sooner and ready to write.

Working on the other story’s chronological outline now. Taking a short break (yay hot tub) for brain rejuvenation, then to come back and play with the outline.

I wrote 7.5 pages (so far) today on my story in the collaborative project. I spent 2+ hours giving some editing advice to a friend who is newly discovering her prose writing talents, hopefully she’ll go back later and read all the thoughts people gave. It’s gorgeous to see her blooming and turning out quality, literate first drafts, learning how to revise, and having obviously lots of fun playing in the created(-ing) world sandbox. We (DreamCafe) did many household calls and errands and shopping. Had a writing date with fellow Voluptuary Jennifer and cleaned up more parts of rooms and moved a freezer with her help.

A productive day, however you slice it.

So far I’m not worried about my individual writing work, so long as I start on it within the next few days. The whole point of doing this mindfully is to balance being able to work on both personal and collaborative projects without either one suffering from Creative Attention Deficit (or CAD-like behavior). (I’m already doing daily work on the business work.)

The day’s work seems like good stuff, too. Fun to write, full of exciting cool bits, a new genre (for me) to explore, positive feedback on the first written parts. Even if it was utter tripe, I’m glad to be writing again. It’s all (pointy-teethed) kittens and (man-eating) butterflies from here on out!