Wed. Dec. 20, 2023: A Good Writing Day
image courtesy of Pexels via pixabay.comWednesday, December 20, 2023
Waxing Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mercury Retrograde
Sunny and a little warmer
We have two serial episodes going live today.
The first is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 95: Randolph Neville is the Client
Lianna faces the challenge of reading a revered Craft elder.
The second is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 45: One Dead
Charlie and an FBI agent grill Nina about Jake and the dead maid. Then another murder blows Nina’s theories out of the water.
Drafted an episode of Legerdemain, which was fun, although I had to go back and look up a few details, to make sure I’m wrapping up the loose ends on this thread. I want to get ahead and stockpile some episodes on this serial, and then write steadily, so I don’t get into pockets where I’m scrambling, the way I did far too often this year.
I finished the material for the first Ink-Dipped Advice post of the year, and got that uploaded and scheduled.
Wrote the next chapter of the piece I’ve been playing with, Chapter Two. I had to rewrite some of what I wrote at the top of the chapter yesterday, because I realized a theme I hadn’t initially recognized was getting unbalanced. So I fixed that, and wrote just under 2K for it.
I worked on the script, but had to throw out the scene I worked on, because it bogged the script down rathe than driving it forward. I have to re-think this next section.
Did some quick coverage work. Went down a rabbit hole searching for something I know I wrote a few years ago and can’t find. Am also looking for a project binder I remember having here in this house, and put somewhere “safe.”
Did some Vella promotions and reads, starting one story in particular I really liked and will finish reading tomorrow or the next day, I hope. I’ll have to buy some more tokens soon. Did the social media rounds for Legerdemain. I’m hoping next week I can do some serious promotions in the Vella groups.
I’ve been working on a new title for the re-release of the short science fiction/western/horror novelette originally titled “Severance” (and it will get a new cover). Looking for my Cornelia True and Roman Gray notes, because I want to re-release the next two (that start with the quirky “Ramsey Chase” within a short time of each other. It’s time travel fantasy with romantic and mystery elements that is set against a political backdrop even more relevant than when I first conceived them. I remember writing extensive notes for the whole series of shorts – three in Cornelia’s time, three in Roman’s time, and three in a time that is new to both of them. All I’ve found is the material for “Ramsey” and the first three pages of “Miss Winston Apologizes” which is the second one. But I remember writing all of “Miss Winston” AND starting the third one. Cannot find them on any of my drives. I hope I didn’t put them in the dumpster during The Big Purge on Cape. I did find my notes for some pulp-style fantasy/noir/sci-fi. Wondering if some of those would work better, initially as serials, i.e., releasing each short as a multi-episode serial of its own, and letting it sit complete for a bit until I have enough to collect into a book. But I couldn’t even start to work on anything like that until well into next year.
We got some more holiday cards and I got an unexpected check, which is always nice. Not much, but enough to pay another bill. And then, another unexpected check arrived, which I will use to pay for opera tickets so my mom can see some of her favorite operas that will be live streamed from the Met to the Clark over the next few months. So it all works out.
I’m trying to put together my writing plan for next year, and am not sure how I’ll juggle it all. Project by project, I guess, without worrying so much.
I’ve been working a lot with intentions for next year, and how I want to manifest them. I’m a little tired of these motivational gurus and all there “you attract what you are” types. That’s over simplifying things. It’s PART of the equation. But another part is systems designed to keep the bulk of us in poverty. What are these motivational gurus doing to dismantle them? Nothing. Because the systems keep them paid. I’m going to do some posts built around that for the Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions site next year.
I had a good creative day, and yet still fought the “you didn’t get enough done” syndrome. I’m trying to reframe the end of my workday positively, instead of constantly berating myself for not being hyper-productive. I wrote around 5K yesterday. That’s an excellent day’s work. And, I paced it so I didn’t feel burned out by the end.
Leftover meatloaf for dinner (yum) and reading on the couch in the evening, with all the Christmas lights on and Charlotte on my lap. I’m reading Colleen Cambridge’s MURDER BY INVITATION ONLY, which is fun.
Weird dreams all night. Not bad, just weird. Up early enough that Charlotte decided not to get out of bed (which means she missed her breakfast, so Willa did the thoughtful thing and ate both). Humped the laundry over to the laundromat. Got everything done and back to the house a little after 7.
Instead of editing anything, I took Zadie Smith’s newest novel, THE FRAUD, along to read. Wow, it’s good. It delves into literary layers of fiction and reality and pen names and self-delusion, while at the same time examining race and colonialism. A truly wonderful book.
On today’s agenda: another episode of Legerdemain, and whatever other writing I can get in this morning. Then, I have errands: post office, bank, library, grocery store to pick up a couple of things I need for tomorrow’s Solstice dinner. A quick score sheet and maybe some editing this afternoon, and off to tarot circle. I’m also designing an e-card and sending it to some people I dealt with this year, but don’t have an address to send a card by post.
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. Have a good one!
