Wow! March flew by in a flurry of days and I can’t believe we’re already in April!
March Results:
Continue Edits on BOOK A
Editing was quite a slow process through March. There were several other projects going, not to mention a bunch of work and personal life changes. Some days it was so hard to just sit and edit when I could be doing so much more. Slow progress is still progress and I’m further than I was when the month started. I’m happy with any progress at this point.
Continue to work on Open Projects
Unfortunately, none of the projects I wanted to finish this month got finished. Excellent progress was made on some days, and other days it was a complete stand still. Progress was slow, but I still had more words than I did when the month started, so I am definitely not complaining in the least. Hopefully in April I can finally get a schedule down that works better for me and my writing goals.
Attend a Writing Conference Online
So this goal was very interesting. I didn’t actually attend anything live, because that week just happened to be the busiest week in March (Go figure!). Lucky for me, everything was recorded and I have 6 months to watch it all. Slowly but surely I’m listening to the presentations as I do my daily walks and get a little exercise in too! I’m learning so many new things and I’m so excited I’m able to access it and still learn even though I wasn’t able to attend.
Prepare for Camp NaNoWriMo
For a brief moment, I wasn’t sure I would get to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo this year. Luckily, an idea came to me and I began to plot it (as much as I can without itching to write it too much) and I made a beautiful cover.
In March I completed quite a few things that were not quite writing goal related:
I went to a castle (thankfully local and hidden away) for a much needed vacation and celebrated and relaxed in a way I haven’t in quite a long time. I haven’t relaxed that much since I started working. It was so wonderful to go and have fun and let loose a little. The time away really put a lot of things into perspective for me, and now I have a bit more direction when looking forward to the future.
I finished A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. What a much needed reading break! I’m one of those readers that once I start a good book, I can’t put it down until I finish it. This book was such a nice change from the crazy work stuff going on and a great lesson on certain aspects that I would like to add into my own writing.
As for other things, I mentioned last month that I was having a lot of changes at work and that was definitely an understatement. As of March 31st, I quit my old job. At the beginning of April, I start a brand new job. Same field, same degree, but way different hours and different responsibilities. I’m really hoping this new job will help with the work life balance that’s been lacking more and more since I started working night shift.
I have also started the process of applying for my bachelors degree. I made an attempt in 2017-2019, but with job changes and new stresses of night shift, I had to pull out of it. I’m two classes away from a BSN, but nursing doesn’t make me happy and the 2 years of that program were practically torture. If I am spending money and furthering my degree, I want to do it in something I absolutely love. I’m looking at getting my bachelor’s degree in creative writing, and I’m hoping to get started in the next few months.
Word Count: 12,695
April Goals
Camp NaNoWriMo
Camp NaNoWriMo is here once more! I’m excited to start a new project (along with my new job) and get the creative juices flowing again. This year for Camp NaNoWriMo, I’m writing a piece called The Hollow Opus and I am so excited for it. I first got the idea for it in January, but haven’t been able to plot it out until March.
The dancer in the snow globe has always watched him from the time he was a small boy. As he grew up into a man, something bloomed within her. She would give anything to be human and stay with him forever, but when the magic goes wrong, they must work together to go under the bed and find the Toy Master and make things right.
Round Two of the Short Story Competition
Round one of the Short Story Competition was in January and I had fun, even though it was a genre I have never written in before. I’m hoping my writing was good enough and I get to advance to round two, so keep your fingers crossed. I should know the first week in April and round two takes place the second weekend in April. If not, then that gives me more time to work on other projects that weren’t finished in the first few months of the year.
Continue edits on BOOK A
I had wanted to finish edits for BOOK A by this month, but that simply didn’t happen, so now I’m pushing through it and letting it go at its own pace. As much as I would like for edits to be done as fast as possible, some of them need time to breathe, so I’m making my way through slowly. If I get through at least a page of my outline, I’ll be happy with that. Even if I do less, that is still more progress and is better than nothing.
Send Out Something Small for Publishing
I have several short stories I’ve written over the last few years, and quite honestly I’ve been surprised at the quality as I go through and edit them. Hopefully this month I’ll be able to send at least one (maybe more) out for publishing and see what happens.
Wish me luck!