still afflicted

Spring, George Tissot

At home, sick with the flu, glad it’s a long weekend.

afflicted

Rio dei Mendicanti with the Scuola di San Marco, Bernardo Bellotto

A bit of catching up to do…last week came down with a flu bug that sparked a lupus flare, thought I was getting better Saturday/Sunday–fever’s gone, aches and pains gone–but now I’ve got a head and chest cold. I’ve coughed so much my teeth ache. Woke up this morning with eyes bloodshot enough to give a drunkard pause. I know this too will pass but when–!?

Saturday, when I thought I was on the mend, I devoted the day to writing work, following along with the annual New York Writers Coalition WriteAThon where you devote a day to your writing, doing whatever you want or need to do with your projects, including any and all associated writing activities. Found out about it via Editorial Ass by way of the Running After My Hat blog. Since I’d planned to devote May 16 to working on my WIPs, this was perfect. The idea is to devote a full day to your writing, 10 to 6, officially, with an hour’s break for lunch, but really whatever fulltime hours you want, and the idea is to devote the day to your writing, not necessarily write all day. 10 to 6 was my original plan anyway, but I didn’t get started until 10:30. It was a productive day.

I sent off two short stories, finished the edits on Loose Daddy, and wrote a new scene for Sweet Taboo. I finished the Sweet Taboo scene at 5:45, worn out and still afflicted, but happy.

gray

Judith, Giorgione

Gray Wednesday, a pale and moody sky, and me, pale and moody too. Couple weeks ago I was feeling positive about my writing, about the goals I’d set, but this week and last week too I’m low and at loose ends. Ah well…some days are good, some days not so much.

Used my time this morning to continue researching markets for the handful of short stories aging in my file cabinet, narrowing down the possibilities. This weekend I’m devoting Saturday to writing activities–some writing, some contemplation of stories I want to write, some work on Sweet Taboo and Loose Daddy, two short stories off to market, and some writing. Must recharge so that when the weekend rounds the corner into Monday, I’m up and running, and not feeling like spilled water.

like water through a sieve

The Danaides, John William Waterhouse

This week a wasted week as far as writing anything. I did nothing all week despite last week’s plan. The days slipped through me like water through a sieve.

Saw an early screening of STAR TREK, courtesy of a friend’s pass, loved it. Won’t say anything now ’cause my friend Michelle reads this blog and she has not seen it ’cause it opens today. Seeing the movie was the highlight of this wasted week.

close, but no cigar

Reading through my rejections for the short stories I’ve submitted over the years, I realized from the tone of the rejections that I write well enough to sell, but my stories lack that one special ingredient–whatever that is. One editor of a well-known science fiction magazine wrote me a very nice letter; another apologized for holding the story for a long time but was trying to decide if it suited his publication; another told me he’d almost bought a story of mine, but it just barely missed the mark. Seems like I usually make it to the second round. They all complimented me on the writing. So, I’m not a total loss, and the rejections I’ve received are encouraging. And that’s the best take-away.

okay, break’s over

Finished Breaking Dawn, the final book in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, last night. Wow. Great reads all the way through. Kudos to Meyer, who has written an entertaining and compelling tale. Being the avid vampirophile that I am, I loved these books. She built so much tension in the final chapters of Breaking Dawn, I had to take breather breaks as I read it. Wish there was another one in the series. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve watched the movie (hangs head).

So I’m back. It’s May 1 and I’m feeling bright-eyed again. After giving myself a spirited talking-to, I blew the dust off of a batch (yep, I’ve actually written a batch) of short stories and decided to send them out. This week was market research week. I haunted Ralan’s, Duotrope, and Asbiewe’s (I’d link but it’s too much work at this hour.) and compiled several market lists for my hopeful batch.

And the stories are:

The Red Goddess
Shadow
A Haunting of Roses (which I plan to re-title ’cause I’m stealing that title for an as yet unwritten fantasy novel)
A Terrible Thing
Auno’s Widow
The Ghost Jewel
Fast Money
… and one more whose title I can’t recall at the moment.

Tomorrow’s Writing Saturday with Michelle. Not sure yet what I’m going to work on.