Week of: 5/9/26

Don't let's call it a streak!

Three weeks running, are you kidding me? How exciting! And I'm sure you're wondering: did I receive any rejections this week?

Well! I sure did! Including my first rejection in many-a-year from Clarkesworld, so that helps me to feel like I'm right back in the game, lol.

I've been wondering a bit about some of the writerly adjacent activities, like critiquing, etc. It's not clear to me how I can work these things into my schedule at present, but it's always nice to have others around on the same journey, sharing in the ups and downs.

Let's see, news: I finished a flash fiction piece this week, put in time on the first draft of one or two longer stories, and edited an older one to a shape where I think it's more or less ready to go out. I'm a little ambivalent on the value of reworking older stories like this -- it seems to go against Mr. Heinlein's sage advice, never to rewrite (except to order) -- but for the moment, it's at least a process I'm enjoying. So maybe that's reason enough?

On the bookshelf, I'm reading Stephen King's Never Flinch. Yet another step in the never-ending quest to read his bibliography. With some minor quibbles along the way, perhaps, I'm enjoying it. I'm just glad he continues to write. And I'm happy for him that he's found such apparent pleasure in writing his Holly character; it's really nice to see.

Okay, back to it. Till next week! (he said with unearned confidence)

Week of: 5/2/26

Woot!

Do you see this, universe? Two weeks in a row -- yer boy is serious!

Another only somewhat productive week of writing, but I'll take it. Every step forward is a step forward. I've had more rejections, too! Well, one. One rejection. It will take some time to get things cranked back to the point where I'm getting them regularly, but I'm excited for that.

I'm not even being facetious. I love getting rejections! Mostly! Certainly I love getting acceptances more, but I've at least trained myself to understand that each rejection is a stone on the path towards eventual success. (The chocolates my writing group Wordos handed out for rejections helped somewhat in that regard, I'd imagine. Thanks, Wordos!)

Now, you might be asking whether I'm just going to come on here each time and talk about getting rejections... and I'm wondering that, too! But for now, it's just about putting in the time, building the habits that I want to have, so please bear with me: an imperfect man on an imperfect journey.

In other news, I finished Christopher Moore's Fool. It was enjoyable, for sure. Not too deep... and not trying to be, and that's a-okay. I plan on following up with the sequel through audiobook. (Do audiobooks count as "reading"?)

If you're reading this, I just want to wish you a fantastic day/week/life.

Till next time! 😄

Week of: 4/25/26

Gods, what a bland title. But 1) titles have always been a difficulty for me and 2) if I have to come up with something unique every time I post here, well...

I probably would post just as irregularly as ever, but that would be one more thing to discourage my efforts. So here I am, making effort!

The irony of it is, of course, that any time I take "writing about writing" is less time I have for writing itself, but I could say that about almost anything, I suppose. I have to find a way to make all of these things I'd like to do -- all of the things I'd like to be my life -- to work together, somehow. Blogging and various social media have never been my scene, but I further recognize that it is part of what I'm trying to do in the world right now.

So.

I'd said I wasn't going to use this as a reading journal, and yet if you're here, reading this, then like me you care about books. Literature. Stories. That's why we're all here, is it not? Attend, then, my friend: I've just finished reading Duma Key by Stephen King and I've started in on Fool by Christopher Moore.

That's my (primary) reading. As for my writing, I continue to put in time just about every day. I've been sending things out as well -- and I already have the rejections flowing in, on schedule. 😀

I'm sure we'll have more opportunity to talk about rejection.

Till next time!

It's been a while...

And here we are again. (Again!)

With my daughter officially in her rebellious teenage era, I think it's finally time that I let myself play a little bit. I don't want to overcommit, and lord knows my days are still quite full, but at the moment I have hope for the future. I don't just want to "have written"; I actually do want to write.

While I'm here, and though I don't just want to use this as a reading journal, I may as well share that currently I'm reading My Antonia and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, along with some other odds and ends. These early days will probably be rather lean on writing info as I battle the dreaded blank page, though I have finished a few things over the last couple of months, including some flash fiction and poetry. Just starting to send one or two things in for consideration now (though the poetry will wait).

Happy to be back.

Another Recommendation: tick, tick... BOOM!

Film on Netflix by Lin-Manuel Miranda about Jonathan Larson, the writer/composer of Rent. Brilliant.

Things I Love + A Recommendation

We spend a lot of time on hate. What about love? I'd love more love.

Right now I'm listening to Queen (their first eponymous album) and eating home-roasted pumpkin seeds. These are things I love. Also, tonight we finished watching Midnight Mass (on Netflix) which was flipping fantastic. Highest recommends.

Maybe, depending on how things go, this space can be used as a bit of a clearinghouse for the things I love most in the world. If no one is listening anyways, it's not like I have to be super strict with myself. May as well stretch out, put my feet up.

With respect to my reading list, I'm already cheating my own system. I haven't finished 1Q84 -- I've relegated it to the Finnegans Wake seat of honor (aka porcelain throne) to ensure, erhm, daily progress. In the meanwhile, I've read The Hunger Games and started Johnny Got His Gun. It's not totally tidy, but it's something. And something is so much better than nothing.

Reading for 2022 Update #1

 Finished SPQR today (and posted a review of sorts, here); picking 19Q4 back up tomorrow...