Okay, kids. Something isn’t working, and I’m pretty sure I know what it is. I have reached that point where I have so much to do that I’m getting overwhelmed and not doing any of it (as evidenced by the 11 books I read this month). Time to re-evaluate and change a few tactics. Because the wrap-up below isn’t pretty.
January Wrap-Up
- I did not write 18k words in Steel Justice this month. I wrote 8k, bringing me to about 49k total.
- The weekend at Broadkill Writer’s retreat got cancelled due to inclement weather.
- I barely touched Steel Shadows, though I did review my editor’s notes and clean up any issues she found.
- I did some minor brainstorming on the short story I need to write, but did not write any actual words.
Even my cat is disappointed with me.
January Book Reviews
- Between the Lines by Sally Malcolm (4 stars)
- Jackdaw (A Charm of Magpies World) by K.J. Charles (5 stars)
- Ragnarok Unwound by Kristin Jacques (3.5 stars)
- “A Queer Trade” (A Charm of Magpies short story) by K.J. Charles (4 stars)
- Rag and Bone (A Charm of Magpies World) by K.J. Charles (5 stars)
- Love Around the Corner by Sally Malcolm (5 stars)
- Into the Mist (Taine McKenna Adventures #1) by Lee Murray (5 stars)
- The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles (5 stars)
- Into the Sounds (Taine McKenna Adventures #2) by Lee Murray (5 stars)
- Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin #1) by Jordan L. Hawk (4 stars)
January Speculative Chic Contributions
February Goals
- Write the first draft of that short story, get it critiqued, clean it up, and submit it by the February 28 deadline!
- Complete a full editorial pass of Steel Shadows and return it to my editor for layout.
- Attend Farpoint 2019, where I will conduct my alternate history presentation along with readings, signings, and panels.
- Attend a much-needed writer’s retreat at Broadkill Resort.
- Survive a trip to New York City for the day job.
But wait! Where is adding more words to Steel Justice on that list? It’s not, alas. I needed to take one of the big things off my plate, and priority has to go to the two projects with solid (and much closer) deadlines. I’m looking forward to a productive March, especially since I already have another writing retreat planned in that month.
I already feel a huge load lifted from my shoulders. Now, time to get to work.