As I mentioned, I've picked up some new freelancing work, so I'm trying to keep up with the old stuff while getting some new topics going. I'm also finishing up the design and content for Miss Write, which will be launching by the end of the weekend (I hope!). It won't have much content to begin with because I was going to wait until September to launch it, but I'm running an ad in the digital edition of Shroud so I wanted to get the site up now. But just you wait! I've got many things planned for the site and I'm super-stoked and inspired about it. It will include some of my writing articles plus tons of new content, so stay tuned!

I decided to make the decision to drop WeSeWriMo. I hate to do it but things are just too nuts right now. We just came back from vacation, and we go camping in about 3 weeks. All of this, coupled with my juggling of work stuff, and I needed to let something go before I go b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

I hope to get at least some fiction writing in these next few weeks – because I will certainly become Miss Grumpy if I don't – but I'm not sure how much it will be. 

Summer is supposed to be for vacation, right?! I feel busier now more than ever.

When night fell
he put on a long black gown
and when the last stroke of the clock faded
he cried out with a loud shrill voice,
"Behold, the dead ones!
Gather their bones together.
Come, come crawl into the graveyard.
Your desire, I'll follow."

- from The Master Thief in The Complete Fairy Tales of The Brothers Grimm – Page 604

• the I'm-so-brilliant stage where I can't believe the amazing idea I concocted
• the this-is-the-worst-thing-I've-ever-written stage, which comes when I am ~this~ close to being finished and am trying to avoid the inevitable ending and having to find something else to work on

The good news is I'm now at the it's-really-truly-finally-finished-and-I-kinda-like-it stage. Which means one more read, final polishing, and then I'll submit it.

I've been in a funk since Christmas and have started about a billion stories but haven't finished one so this is extra good news for me.

Thankfully I had a few good beta readers point out some places to improve, so I snipped the dead lines and now it's all shiny & pretty (or at least as pretty as a horror tale can be).

So, after I take my editing cap off, I'll be donning my brainiac cap for some new articles I'm working on. I picked up 3 new columns, and 2 of the articles I've claimed are new territory for me. I hope I don't blow it But it'll be nice to branch out from always writing about writing. And having actual deadlines will help, since with Examiner I can post whenever I feel like it.

Anyway, you can check out my first article in the Books column at Bright Hub (okay, so I'm not in completely foreign territory with that topic. But feel free to comment!). I'll be sure to let you know when my other articles are out.

So, there you have it. Busy, busy as usual but it's all writing so it's also all good.

Not this time.

I'm taking next week off and I am SO ready for it. I have blogs I want to write, articles I should finish beforehand – but it all amounts to doing double the work this week, and I just can't get my head into it.

The good news is I have fallen back into a regular writing routine after struggling for a few months there. But I'm afraid I'll slip right back into my funk when I take the entire week off.

On the other hand, we have some fun activities planned and haven't I said before that sometimes you just need to decompress and be inspired by life in order to have something that's worth writing about?

So really, the guilt and pressure are all self-imposed. How about a little self-imposed pleasure? Dip my toes in the pool, soak up some sun, eat some ice cream and get away for a while, right? It'll all be waiting for me when I get back.

My Works-In-Progress

• Well, it took a few weeks longer than I thought but I finally finished my tweet-inspired tale! Maybe once it finds a home, I'll spill the beans on whose tweet inspired me
• I haven't even started planning my WeSeWriMo project yet, not really! I've tried but keep getting stuck. Maybe my week off will allow my thoughts to settle and the perfect idea will come to me. I hope…
• Instead of driving myself completely insane, I'm going to hold off on my RPP idea until later. I haven't even looked at it since NaNoWriMo – I imagine it will need a lot of reworking, which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes the editing goes smoother than diving into something new
• I've been meaning to finalize my swag giveaway but it keeps getting pushed to the backburner. I'll need to tackle it when I'm back.

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg – Vacation
• Aaron Polson – WIP Wednesday: "The End" Never Felt So Good

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – From The Dark Side Anthology Video & Interview with Nicole Ireland
• Ro Van Saint – Z-Cast Ep. 2
• David Sobkowiak – Full bios for all From The Dark Side Authors
• Vange – From The Dark Side Antho Stuff
• Nicole Ireland – Interview with Patrick Pillars

everywhere
the scent of pale flowers in soft soil.
the dark aromatic light…
the trees…
still…
paused…
utterly alone.

—————————

Do you own a copy of Lord of the Flies? What poem can you find inside? Share it in the comments!

I am not a delicate little flower by any means, but with heat, smog and humidity advisories being issued by the city, I am doing my best to stay cool and not provoke any headaches.

So, today's musical choice is Travis. Mellow without being overly stimulating, which suits editing quite nicely (my task for the day).

I fell off the blogging wagon last week, but I've also been networking with my fellow freelance writers a lot lately, which is something I hadn't really worked into my schedule up to now. It's great to have the same support for my articles as I do from my fellow fiction writers for my stories.

The only thing I have to watch out for is remaining too tethered to the computer. Besides needing to give my eyes a break, Summer only lasts for so long (even if it is sweltering out there) so best to enjoy it.

Maybe the Birthday Gods will get my a snazzy new gadget to take outside with me so I can while away my hours writing under a shady tree.

Or – uh – I could just grab my pen & paper

Stay cool, kids!

So, here are a few interesting reads around the interwebs to get you through the holiday (or weekend, if you are not located stateside or like me, already enjoyed our holiday yesterday).

1: The Horologist
Hankering for a little "Victorian clockwork madness"? Check out Katey's new piece in Vol.2 – Issue 2 of The New Bedlam Project

2. Burning Effigy
Toronto's small press Burning Effigy is featured on Torontoist. Great read – the passion of editors Monica S. Kuebler & Jeff Cottrill are palpable.

3. Help Build Stephen King's Empire
Stephen King wants you to help him build his empire! He's looking for photos of places, shops, and items that have names related to his books, stories and King himself. Check out the website for more details

4. Haven
I'm looking forward to checking out Haven, the new series based on King's "The Colorado Kid". And it was filmed in Nova Scotia (Canada for those not in-the-know). The show starts July 12 on Showcase in Canada and on July 9 on SyFy in the US

5. Honour the Troops
One of my articles this week was a call to fellow Canadians to write to their troops, either via message board or through the Share A Cup Campaign from Toronto EMS & Tim Hortons. I decided to share it again here. Wherever you hail from, I hope you will do the same for your own armed forces.

So, that's it! A little light reading, some fun stuff and a bit of patriotism.

Happy 4th to all the Americans reading. My Mom's a Texan, so I get to celebrate a 2nd holiday this weekend

So, even though I feel like this is the never-ending edit, things could be much worse. Wait till you read what task they are tackling

I plan to take it easy for the next few days, but that doesn't mean I won't still sneak in some brainstorming for other WIPs. Besides, what better way to do so than staring up at the clouds from under a shady tree?

In other writing news:

• One of my fave Brits and constant source of inspiration DJR has finished the first draft of his latest novel, Dog Eat Dog. Cannot wait to read it!
• I hear the first edition of the Red Penny Papers is going to be stellar, with pieces so far from Aaron & Cate. I better finish my submission and hope it gets accepted
• Barry Napier really is conquering the writing world with the acceptance of his poetry collection, A Mouth For Picket Fences. GO Barry!
• I'm completely jealous that my fellow hi-fiver Katey is going to the Mutter Museum to do a little research! Yes – medical oddities are fun!
• Miss Beanses has started posting snippets of stories that will appear in the From The Dark Side Anthology. Looking forward to reading more!

Funny how it's Summer and I seem busier now more than ever. I guess when you're freelancing, it's harder to differentiate between seasons. Or week. Or days. Or hours.

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Cate Gardner – WIP Wednesday: Tick Tock, Tick Tock

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Patrick Pillars – Still
• Nikki Ireland – Progress Report #2
  

Dark ambient is perfect for Winter writing time, but Spring & Summer are made for something lighter and brighter.

One of my fave people in the world and an awesome writer to boot, David, shared a little video of his recent road trip. Not only was it cool to see him in action (since we have not met IRL yet – pesky ocean between Canada & the UK and all…), but the video was extra cool for me because I got to see him driving in his now infamous car, through the sunny streets of Wells, with the perfect driving-through-the-sunny-streets-of-Wells song playing.

The song in question is A Million Miles Away by Ulrich Schnauss but I am equally in love with the title track Far Away Trains Passing By, Suddenly The Trees Are Giving Way and Wherever You Are.

Music: Ulrich Schnauss: A Million Miles Away – Far Away Trains Passing By

click below to listen!

Ulrich Schnauss – A Million Miles Away.mp3

So, I only managed just under 3000 words this week, which isn't earth-shattering by any means, but I refuse to make myself feel guilty for not doing more. After all, that takes all the fun out of it!

I didn't hit every goal I set out for myself last Sunday, so I resolve to make up for it this week. Besides, Summer t.v. is terrible except for True Blood on Sunday nights, so I see myself doing much better this summer overall.

How I Kicked It This Week:

• met my goal of hitting a minimum of 500-words almost each day (with over 1K on Friday)
• policed myself better in terms of playing games, chatting and such when I should be writing (hence the improved word count)

What I Need To Improve:

• missed a few of my blog days this week (but I suppose quality is better than quantity)
• Looking at my WAC, I need to read more! I have tons to read, just need to make more time for it

Goals for the Coming Week:

• much more brainstorming, outlining for various projects
• cut the cord on this short story already and move onto something shiny & new

How did you do with your goals last week? What are you hoping to tackle this week?