How to keep your balance by upsetting it
Hello, Write Edge readers! It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? I’m happy to report that the reason why I haven’t posted in the last week or two is because I was finishing revisions on my manuscript to send to my editor at Atmosphere Press. This year, I hope, will bring the publication of The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories — that is, if my editor says my revisions have brought the book up to the speed she wants me traveling at.
It was an exhilarating and occasionally frustrating process to work on these edits. Writing, like all other arts, is most definitely a nonlinear process, so some days you feel like you’re moving in circles instead of forward. I was also worried I wouldn’t make my deadline, because somehow February brought me several different commitments all at once. Most of them were writing-related; a couple of them weren’t. All of them converged in a single month. It was crazy busy but fun.
Of course, that meant that if I wanted to stay sane I had to give something up; hence the title of today’s post. I had to upset the balance of my regular routine by giving up blogging for a couple of weeks so I could address more time-sensitive obligations. I was happy to do all of them and sad that I had to pause the blog, but it was, ultimately, the right thing to do.
As I mentioned before, I’ve also given a lot of thought as to what I want the blog to look like for the rest of this year and going forward. While I’ve had a lot of fun writing short stories for my Monday posts, I think the time has come to pause those for a while. I’ll still be posting original book reviews on Wednesdays and the goal is to get back to Instagram on Fridays. The beginning of the week for me, though, brings many matters to address, and I don’t want to dump writing mush onto a page and post it for everyone.
Having said that, I do want to continue posting on Mondays. For now, I’ll be sharing writing-related opportunities and encouragement for your own writing/artistic journeys. I hope you enjoy them!
The first is about an organization that is fairly new to me but has, in less than a year, become an important one. It’s called Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp, and it’s an in-person, weeklong event that happens in Racine, Wisconsin, at the lovely Siena Retreat Center. I went for the first time last summer and had such an amazing experience that when the current Bookcamp director put out a call for new members of the board of directors, I immediately (virtually) raised my hand.
Bookcamp is a retreat, writing workshops, and fellowship with other writers all rolled into one. I think it’s a hidden gem of the writing community, so today I want to give you the opportunity to learn more about it. Assistant Bookcamp director and celebrated author Deborah King will be holding 30-minute info sessions on Facebook in March, April, and May to share more about this incredible week. If you want to start your summer with a chance to meet seasoned instructors and have the opportunity to meet literary agents one on one in both mentoring positions as well as formal pitches, you definitely want to come to Bookcamp. Attending an info session is a great (free) way to learn more about the organization, the week, and what it can offer you.
Like I said, I will be posting book reviews for you. In the middle of this week, check out my thoughts on the Civil Rights nonfiction book Spell Freedom by journalist Elaine Weiss. You’ll see that up on The Write Edge Bookshelf. Also, on Friday, it’s back to Instagram and more writing (and non-writing) shenanigans. :>
Thanks for your patience in waiting for me to come back, readers. I can’t wait for what the rest of this month and year hold!
E.R.G.
