Anatomy of a Query Letter

 A Few Thoughts

I was recently asked to read someone’s query letter. In all honesty, I was gentler than I would have been with someone I knew well, gentler than I wanted to be. I wasn’t sure how to frame my comments. My husband helped and reminded me of the poop (sh*t) sandwich method. Start with something nice, then give the critical feedback, end with something nice. What did I tell this person? Only the truth.

I told them that from their synopsis, I would read the story (an LGBTQ+ historical romance). I thought the synopsis did a good job of showing off their style. - That’s the good part of the sandwich. - I gave a gentle critique of the synopsis, stating that it should be shorter, one to maybe two paragraphs. I also thought the comps (comparative works) that they provided were great. Assuming they were accurate, I think they help define a market/fanbase for the writer’s novel. Sandwich complete. 

I did deviate after. I told this person that from what I’ve learned, the query letter should start with a logline/hook. I also gave a few comments regarding query letter structure, which I have seen repeated in most workshops, posts, videos and podcasts. The title of their novel should be the only one in all caps. The other titles (like for comps) should be italicized. Query letters should be double-spaced and one page. I personally add in personalizations for the agent, so sometimes my query letter slides onto page two. 

I’d like to do a deeper dive into what I’ve learned about querying and query letters. I am currently querying an adult epic fantasy novel and I’ve been to more workshops than I can count. I’ve watched multiple panels, participated in one. I listened to The Shit No One Tells You About Writing and found Perfect Pitch from Eric Smith. I’ve changed my query letter between rounds of querying.

I’m still unagented in case anyone is wondering.

The point, I suppose, is that I feel like I have a lot of query letter info stored in my brain and when someone asks to share it, I want to. Even if I’m not getting an agent right now, maybe I can help someone else. Since I told a lot of the above to someone I didn’t know, I’m going to tell anyone and everyone who reads this. I’ll include links too! Resources are important. Any help crafting a query letter is worth it.

https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/

https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/perfect-pitch

What I Read On Vacation

I read 8 books on vacation. 8 books! In 2 weeks. I wouldn’t say that would be impossible during a regular 2 week, if the books were short and we threw a bunch of comics in there too. I read in the car. It was a road trip. We stopped in Quebec, had 2 stops in Nova Scotia and stayed for a while in Prince Edward Island. I love it out east. I love PEI. To get to all those places though, took a lot of car time. So I read. 

The road trip booklist consisted of: 

Burr, by Brooke Lockyer
Chrysalis, by Anuje Varghese
Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks
The Heart Principle, by Helen Hoang
Rapture in Death, by J.D. Robb
Dragons Don’t Eat Meat, by Kim McDougall
Dragon Actually, by G.A. Aiken
Drunk on Love, Jasmine Guillory

I also started Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (which I have since finished). In the car, with eastern Canada zooming by, I wanted love and action. I wanted cute moments that would send my heart aflutter. I wanted to be absorbed by the worlds the authors created. Some were better than others at achieving this, some were too good, and my husband and family would have to shout to get my attention. Sometimes I’d get lost in a thought and find myself staring at the trees of New Brunswick or the winding coast of Nova Scotia. Sometimes I’d be reading on a beach in PEI. 

It was a great trip with great friends, beautiful coasts, and relaxation. I’m excited for the next time we head out on the road. 

Do you have a genre you love to read on vacation? Is it always the same?

Loving Banned Books

Here’s the thing: I kinda love Banned Books lists. Why? Because I like to see which of these banned books I’ve read. It makes me weirdly satisfied to know that I read a book, liked it (maybe loved it) and I’ve somehow defied the people who want to get rid of them.

My children are getting older and their reading is starting to overlap with mine. Either they’re reading books I or my husband read when we were younger, or they’re reading more recent books that we’ve enjoyed. Knowing my children are defying people who want to ban books is also satisfying. This school year, my daughter read The Book Thief for class and LOVED it. It was a group read with a few others in the class. They all loved it. They were excited by it. They told the rest of the class they got the best book out of all the selections. I’m waiting for my children to read more "banned books" and then for us scoff at the people who tried to get rid of them.

A few books I've read that have been banned or were threatened to be banned in various parts of the world:

• The Color Purple
• Fahrenheit 451
• To Kill A Mockingbird
• The Handmaid's Tale
• 1984
• The Giver
• Brave New World
• The Satanic Verses
• The Harry Potter Series
• Lives of Girls and Women
• Their Eyes Were Watching God
• Where the Wild Things Are

You can find these books and many other amazing books listed in the links below

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/banned-books/_/N-rtm

https://bannedbooksweek.org/

https://www.cbc.ca/books/29-books-that-were-challenged-in-canada-1.4551912

https://www.rd.com/list/banned-books/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_banned_by_governments

https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1417106201/im-with-the-banned-books-cover-poster

How many banned books have you read? 

Are You Ready To Take Over The Family Business?

A Trope Question - Come On A Journey With Me

I have a plot question and I’ve wondered if it actually happens in real life. Do parents really expect their children to taking over “the family business”? It’s something I’ve been seeing on screen and in books forever. The earliest example I can think of encountering is While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman and the most reason is Book Lovers, by Emily Henry. I understand the idea of wanting to build something for your family, so support and sustain them. I understand the pride of creating something to pass down to your children. Yet surely a mature adult will understand that their children grow to be their own people, and might have hopes and dreams that differ from theirs. 

Do I understand parents putting pressure on their children? Of course. That’s a different talking. 

I think it’s time to search for the “Family Business” trope.

Okay, Googling “the family business trope” led me to some mafia movies. Not what I was looking for…

Searching “taking over the family business trope” led me to tvtropes.org and this link: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FamilyBusiness which I think explains it pretty well. It’s a relatively common trope used in all genres, not just the romantic comedy.

I also found an interesting article in the Harvard Business review about family businesses and how from large to small, families stay in the business, even if some lines of logic think eventually the “family” should be taken out of the business and led by professional management: https://hbr.org/1976/07/transferring-power-in-the-family-business

From my brief dip into researching the “family business trope”, I’ve learned that it’s something that happens now and has been happening for a long time. How many families pressure children into taking over a business they don’t want? I guess there’s no way of knowing how often that happens in real life. It does happen though. Searching “people who don't want to take over the family business” led me to these top two results: https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/10-reasons-why-your-kids-don-t-want-to-take-over-the-family-business/ and https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/en-us/insights/business-succession-when-your-kids-dont-want-to-take-the-reins. So, it happens. Often enough that resources exist to help people whose children do not want to take over their business.

I learned something about the real life inspiration for a popular trope. I have resources if this ever becomes a part of one of my stories. Hopefully, this helps someone else out there too. 

Some Thoughts on Procrastination

Is Substack a new way for me to procrastinate? I have a blog I started way back in 2006, and I wrote a lot. I used to post all the time. What if I had spent that time writing a novel or short stories? 

Maybe I wasn't ready for that. 

The year I started my blog, I got married. Soon after, I had children. Work, responsibilities, busy, busy, busy. Blogging was a fun break.

I think I’ve decided… When I have something non-fiction-esque to say, I can say it here, on Substack. 

Why not on the blog anymore? Well, I will cross-post there, but this platform offers something different. It's like a blog, MailChimp and Twitter (old Twitter) rolled into one. So far, I like it. Will that change? Well see.

It's also done a good job of enabling my procrastination. I need to create a limit for myself, since querying my fantasy novel and writing my gothic novel are my priorities. I don't want my new Substack to whither and die, therefore I think I should also set a minimum for myself. Three posts/articles/letters per month. I don't want to get districted: maximum six. I'd like to average four posts per month / once per week. That's reasonable, right? Will that change? Probably.

Does this count? It's just me thinking out loud (on fake paper).

It probably counts.

How do you procrastinate?

First appeared on my Substack

Where Are You From?

At my day job, I volunteered to write a blog post inspired by an article a D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) committee member came across. It was shared on the company's intranet. I got positive feedback from the committee members and a few others, but I don't really know how many people saw it. I really wanted to share it with more people. So, here it is....

What are you? Where are you from? Where are you really from?

Sometimes I think about context. Context is important. If we've recently met, there is the potential for friendship, this is something that could be asked.

Where are you from?

When I answer, Toronto or Canada/Ontario, that should be accepted. Maybe there is a response, like, what part of Toronto (Canada/Ontario)? Or, I love Toronto! Or, are you a fan of the Raptors/Leafs/Blue Jays? Or, have you been to the ROM/AGO/Canada's Wonderland? Or even, Toronto sucks! I love Montreal/Vancouver/Halifax.

A follow up question is fine, like where is your family from? Or what I find more acceptable, what is your background?

The question I hate. HATE - Where are you really from?

I hate when I get asked that question. Deeply.

Where are you really from? Like I can't possibly be from Canada.

The question is often responded to with a look, one that makes the questioner act as though I'm being difficult. You know what? I am being difficult. I know what they want to know, what answer they want me to give. I want to be difficult. I want the person asking the question to know that I don't like it. At this point, I want them to know I don’t like them.

The question is dismissive. Of me. Of my story. Of my history. It is the search for a label. So that they can tuck me away in a box. Categorize me.

When I was young, I answered the question. I hoped to avoid conflict. Honestly, safety was a consideration. As I got older, I grew more confident (and annoyed), so my answers became snarky, sassy, rude, though not so much when the questions happened at my place of employment. I was always aware of context, but at a certain point, my answer to, "where are you really from?" became, “No, really, I'm from Toronto. Born and raised.” When I got, the look, I'd give them a look back. A look that plainly expressed what I thought of their question.

If a person wants to know about someone's background, it can be okay to ask them. It’s part of getting to know someone. I know the backgrounds of many friends and colleagues, their families are from Jamaica, Scotland, Taiwan and many other places. The questions happen naturally. Often these parts of a person are revealed through conversations about food, hobbies, and childhood. If a person is just dying to know what a person’s cultural or ethnic background is, maybe they should ask themselves, why? Why is it that one of the first questions they want to ask is “what are you?” or “were are you from?” Why not ask about where they grew up or what school they went to? Ask about what they did on the weekend or what they like to do for fun. There are so many more wonderful, kind, inclusive ways to ask about a person’s history. 

It's Been A While - Looking Back at 2020

At first, nothing really changed for me.

My day job is work from home gig. I was already home everyday. The biggest difference was having the children at home. Initially, I blogged (among other things), more than I had in a while. It felt good. I was sharing what I was doing/watching/reading. It was nice to share again.

I wrote a lot. I finished a draft of my work-in-progress and started editing. I discovered I might have a mild obsession with my characters' hair. I mention hair a lot.

Then I stopped blogging. I'm not sure why. I was still blogging for the WCYR and doing other work for them/us. I love my writing community. Many like-minded people coming together for the love of writing. We share our ideas, our quirks, unique habits. We're a support and a resource for each other. I'm glad I found them years ago and that I'm now a part of them.

Exhaustion gets me at inconvenient times.

I still did a lot. I attended online meetings/seminars. I read. I watched movies and television. I continued to work at my job. 

Months have passed in this new normal and I find I want to blog again.

Here I am.

I have used Goodreads to track my writing progress for many years. I really like how they put together my year in review. It's a nice way to look back on the books I've read, remembering favourites from January or February, seeing where my reading trends took me. I read by feelings, cravings, imaginings.... 

I read a lot of rom-coms/romances this year. I guess I needed some "Happily Ever Afters". Some favourites? Get A Life, Chloe Brown - I may have cried. The Friend Zone - Not what I expected. Wrapped Up In You - That's 2 for Talia Hibbert. Boy Toy - That title, plus a post-baby body. Meet Cute - The main characters needed so many hugs. 

I also read a lot of fantastic fantasy. Deceptions - Kelley Armstrong making me long for the characters. The Ghost King (The Legend of Drizzt) - Surprisingly sad. Six of Crows - For the win. Rebel - Giving me an amazing end to Day and June's story. Carry On - Surpassing expectations.

I also read All Systems Red - Science-fiction at its best, I think. I read some graphic novels (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Lumberjanes, Avatar, Hawkeye). I read three more Stephanie Plum books. I just realized I didn't read any In Death books this year. How did that happen?

I watched Mulan and Wonder Woman (yes, I paid the premium price). I watched Lucifer. I was sad when Flash and Supergirl abruptly ended in the spring. I enjoyed My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (RDJ has llamas). Nostalgia had me watching War on Cybertron. The need for laughter had me watching Mr. Iglesias. I've been watching Star Trek: Discovery. I loved Star Trek: Picard. I watched the final seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Anne with an "E". 

Though 2020 could have been [a lot] better. It also could have been worse. I've come out of it with my health and the good health of my loved ones. I know that can't be said for everyone, so I'm more than grateful for that. 

Will the coming year see me back on my blog? I hope so. I'd like to think so. I've always enjoyed writing out some thoughts here. I know I'll have to tell someone when I read the next Murderbot book. 

Now, for the traditional picture of books.

What I Watched Last Week #2

Let's start with Stephen Colbert fixing his bike. Remembering things you used to know how to do. So true.

Also, I quite enjoyed on Tuesday's show watching Jimmy Fallon interview Trevor Noah about doing shows from home.

Also, Seth Meyers talking about learning to make YouTube videos in the middle of A Closer Look is pretty funny.

This week on Netflix I watched The Letter for the King. An easy 10 episodes. It's got some really interesting and unexpected twists. The relationships between the characters were interesting. The ending, while a good conclusion, definitely left room for the series to grow.

I also rewatched a favourite episode of Lucifer because, ya. If you haven't watched Lucifer, it's so good.

My daughter discovered Carpool Karaoke. We watched Niall Horan, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran and Adele. All good. All fun. Though we did get into the discussion of the Carpool Karaoke "scandal" from earlier this year. It was funny. "So, he's really driving?"

What I Watched Last Week

I've been putting some time in on Netflix. Most of us have, no? At this point, I'm happy to have more than one streaming service and some cable. Though I really miss sports. 

I watched the latest season of Castlevania. I was waiting for my favourite trio to get back together... and if I say too much, it'll be a spoiler. I did, however, watch them all survive the horrors of a post-Dracula world. Like, wtf?

I decided to try a new anime too. Beastars had a big banner at the top of my Netflix page, so I watched. The show is weird. I can't say if it was good or bad. Just weird. But once I started watching, I had to finish. I needed to know how it all turned out.

Also, I may have finished YouTube.

I have been enjoying the late night hosts "at home" shows. I like Stephen Colbert's elements theme. Jimmy Fallon's house looks amazing and super fun. His daughters are incredibly adorable. Trevor Noah is basically doing his whole regular show, just from his couch. Unlike Colbert and Fallon, it looks like Trevor Noah's crew is still putting in time, just from home. There's even a "moment of zen" at the end of each episode.

I've been watching a lot of news too. CP24 sometimes in the morning. I have alerts for whenever CBC or CTV says the Prime Minister is talking. I've watched the WHO broadcasts too. I'm trying to keep informed, check my sources, but not become too overwhelmed. There's a lot of information out there.

Helpful links:

Canada Public Health Services - COVID-19: 

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

WHO - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic: 

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

What I Read This Week

I needed a happy ending. That lead to Romance, which read to Meg Cabot. I enjoy Cabot's writing, her style, her characters. I knew that not only would I get a happy ending, I would get rich, interesting characters, and maybe a crazy fun plot. No Judgments did not disappoint. Even though the natural disaster the characters are going through is different that what's happening now, I found some of the isolation and attitudes of the characters similar to what we are dealing with.

I finished The Ghost King, by R.A. Salvatore. The Ghost King is the 19th book in The Legend of Drizzt series. It was a great book. Lots of action, adventure. I got to spend time with characters that I've been reading about for years (and will continue to read about as there are at least 15 more books). It's a good thing I sandwiched this fantasy between some happy endings, but this one was and emotional end for me. I yelled at my husband when I closed the book. (He's read all but the most recent of the Drizzt books.) He knew what was going to happen! Not that I'd want him to stop me from reading it, but I had to let that emotion out somewhere.

I also read Chaotic Good, by Whitney Gardner. It's a teen romance, but it's so much more. They play D&D in the book. It was so good. The title, of course, is what first got me. But it's also about growing up as a girl, and as a geek girl. What it's like to feel alienating from the things you love. How much easier things would be if you were a boy. It's also about how evil the internet is. I kept thinking, the main character is a CHILD. She hasn't even started her last year of high school! Honestly, I'm so glad they didn't have social media when I was in high school, but I worry about what it's going to be like for my children. I hope not like this.

I've been reading the Government of Canada COVID-19 website a lot too. Mostly, so I can look at the stats. I want to know how many cases are in Canada and where. My local sites. The WHO website. I have to really watch that I don't read too much of it, because then I'll just go into information overload.

I have also been spending too much time on Twitter. Also bordering on information overload. I do like the photos I saw of the Venice canals being clear though. It's strange how this lockdown / isolation is changing the world around us.

Things I Learned Today (and Yesterday)

Well.ca is offering online medical services in Canada. I just saw an ad for it. It looks like you have to make an appointment, but then you can video chat with a doctor. There are definitely things you need to see a doctor in real life for, but this seems really useful.

Various Modo Yoga Facebook and Instagram accounts are live streaming for classes. It seems that each yoga studio is doing their own classes with their own teachers, as well as the main Modo Yoga account. Modo Yoga Online is also offering one month free. I'm sure we could all use a little more fitness and zen in our lives.

Helpful links:

Well.ca Services: https://well.ca/index.html?main_page=landing_page&id=2312

Modo Yoga: https://www.instagram.com/modoyoga/

Canada Public Health Services - COVID-19: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html

WHO - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic:  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Best Things I Watched Today

To help with our Social Distancing / Self-Isolation / Self-Quarantining, here are some things I watched today which I enjoyed.



I love Stephen Colbert. He's so smart and he makes me laugh. I also love how John Batiste plays us out.



Jimmy Fallon's daughter did the "graphics". His wife's laughter made me so happy.



PIVOT!

Global Lockdown

The world is shutting down, but we’re still here. Don’t forget. Don’t take this lightly, but don’t go nuts. The precautions are real and necessary, but after a few more weeks, a month or two, things will go back to normal. At least normal-ish. 

Social distancing. I love and hate it. I grew up in a culture of hugs and kisses, but I’ve also been more reserved, forcing myself to engage in the expected norms. I’m fine with that too. If I didn’t, I’d be a recluse. I’m still a homebody, so not going out isn’t a big deal. But it is. Events have been cancelled. Baby showers and birthdays. Will my friend’s wedding shower be okay in May? My cousin’s wedding in June? I can’t say for certain.

I just told my Hubby that I’m fine. I’m not fine. But I am.

I’m worried, but optimistic. I think as with SARS and H1N1, this will pass. Is it worse? Something to take very seriously? Yes. It might forever reshape how we interact with each other and the world. I’ve never had a problem placing a grocery order before. I laugh when I think of us ending up like the chair people in Wall-E. But we won’t (probably).

So ya, I’m having some feelings and I’m worried. Life isn’t stopping though. I’m working (from home). I’m talking to my family and friends. I’m cuddling my children as much as I can. I’m reading. I’m writing. I’m going to blog. I’ve just been getting back into it. I’m looking forward, while being aware of now.

Helpful Links:

WHO - Coronavirus

Canada - COVID-19 Updates

*Source your information. It matters.*

Forward and Backward: Goodbye 2018

I've seen so many "best of 2018" posts in December, and every December, I wonder how do people already know? How do you know which book was your favourite? Which movie? 2018 isn't over until December 31. So, I wait. I'm glad I waited too, because one of the best things I saw in 2018 was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Musical. It was fantastic. Hubby and I took the kids to see it on the 28th, a gift from his dad. The songs were great, the acting was great, it was fun and funny. The kids loved it. After seeing The Little Mermaid earlier this month, my son is totally a fan of musicals. My daughter loves going to the theatre. It's so much fun dressing up a little and taking them.

What were the other "bests" of 2018?

The movie that made me the happiest was probably To All The Boys I've Loved Before. I loved it. It put a smile on my face, warmed my heart and was just so full of happiness, with a good dose of teenage angst.

My favourite movie of the year was Black Panther. It was just straight-up amazing. It makes me excited just to think about it.

But what do I do more than anything else? I read. So here are some thoughts on the books I read in 2018:

I only read one book of poetry this year, but the sun and her flowers was amazing. I picked up milk and honey and will read it in 2019.

I also did not read a lot of non-fiction this year, but I have to say, Dear Ijeawele,or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions was a great book and I really recommend it to everyone.

Looking back, I thought I read more classics. I usually do. From the few I read, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the best of the year for me. It’s a lesson in unreliable narrators.

The best mystery was easily The Surgeon. I need more Rizzoli &Isles in my life.

In literary fiction, the best book I read was one of those few classics. Fahrenheit 451 should be on everyone’s to-read lists.

I read a lot of fantasy this year. I guess it was all about living in another world in 2018. But the one that was probably my favourite was the urban fantasy, Visions, by Kelley Armstrong. It might be a sequel, but it definitely sucked me in more than Omens.

Romance made a surprising surge this year. I’ve just needed the feel-good nature of romance novels. The collection of short stories I recently finished, My True Love Gave to Me was probably the best, but Geekerella might make it a tie, since Geekerella was also pretty funny. Since those are both Young Adult, I’ll say my favourite “Adult Romance” of the year was Bursting with Love.

Choosing a favourite graphic novel is hard though. I read quite a few this year, especially in March (apparently). Wonder Woman: Bones really stands out for me. Though I am currently reading The UnbeatableSquirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe! and assuming I finish it before midnight, December 31, it might be my favourite of the year.

I have to say I was really surprised by how much I loved The Scorpio Races. I still think about Puck and Sean. I really hope they are living happily-ever-after.

I’ve been trying not to start new series, since I have SO MANY unfinished ones to read. I couldn’t resist Omens though. I had been wanting to read Kelley Armstrong for a while and when I got the first couple Cainsville books, I couldn’t stop myself.

I’m glad to have discovered Kelley Armstrong’s writing, as well as Karen Marie Moning and Ernst Cline. I’m looking forward to reading more by all these great writers.

Based on my Goodreads stats, the shortest book I read was Unlocked (63pgs) and the longest was It (1090pgs).

I’ve been looking for books that make me happy this year and the most fun I had reading was with Geekerella and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe!.

I went for the fun and happy books, but I was also capable of other emotions. The book that made me the most mad, was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. If you’ve read Agatha Christie’s classic, you know why. If you haven’t, you really should.

Those are a few thoughts on books for 2018. It was another year of great reading. I explored new genres, read new authors, but also came back to reliable friends. I feel kind of bad for not mentioning The Invasion of the Tearling and pretty much every graphic novel I read. There is just not enough space or enough categories (I used The Perpetual Page Turner as inspiration.)

This is much longer than I intended, so I'm going to stop here and maybe look back at my 2018 writing journey in the next post. Thanks for sticking with me through 2018!

I love this! From Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries of Jealousy

NaNoWriMo Is Over

My first ever NaNoWriMo is completed. Did I get to 50,000 words? Yes! I actually got to just over 54,000. I must say, I'm pretty impressed with myself. However, is my novel done? No. I'd say it's about two-thirds to three-quarters done. I was wondering if I should take a break or just power through. Hubby thinks I should just power through, basically NaNoWriMo-Lite. 

Today being December 1st, I felt like I needed a little break. So, I haven't written anything today...yet. In the car coming home, I had a thought, something that I realized would help not only the battle scene in which it takes place, but also a thread running through the overall novel. I only have to add in a few sentences too, which makes it even better.

The most important thing for me about last month, besides the word count, is what I learned. I need to schedule my writing time and stick to that time. I have a supportive Hubby and if I say I'm going to write between 7pm to 9pm, he'll take care of all the house and child responsibilities. I also learned when my most productive time is during the day. I learned how to turn off, or at least turn down my inner editor, and that getting it on the page is more important than having a "perfect" first draft. All these things, I think will help me with my writing moving forward. That's part of what I was hoping for, I wanted the words, but I also wanted to learn.

NaNoWriMo Update - Halfway

But not really.

The story I want to tell isn't going to fit into 50,000 words. I feel like I'm going to 90k. Can I do that in a month? Maybe if I had realized this on November 1st. Now? Nope.

Enter the mom-guilt.

I tried to type out a non-mean, non-sucky description about what the last couple weeks have been like in my house, but it's not working. Let's just say that November has been different. I've appreciated it, but also felt bad, and so many emotions.

So, NaNoWriMo...That's where I'm at. I'm halfway done, but not exactly. At least I'm confident that I can write 50,000 words in one month.

It's Been A Long Time Since I Finished Something New

Not counting blogging, of course, but even that has been affected lately. It took me a month just to finish this post.

Fiction-wise, I haven't finished a new short story since my most recent job began, and I had decided that all my spare creative energy was going into my novel-in-progress. That's not finished either. I feel like it could be, if I just had the brain-power to fit all the pieces together.

So, I haven't finished any new fiction in a long while, and what do I decide to do? NaNoWriMo. 

I thought to help myself along, I would create an outline. I already had the idea for this story for a while. Characters and scenes have played out in my head. This is a story that has been asking to be told. I hope that it's the perfect story for my first NaNoWriMo. I hope that I finish it too. Not just with NaNoWriMo, I want to finish more stories, more posts, more. I want to stick a fork in it and say, I'm done.

Thoughts Before NaNoWriMo

Mostly one big thought, "Should I do it?"

After deciding that I will do it, "Am I crazy?"

I have never participated before. I've had small children, a full time job, and other responsibilities (and excuses). This past year however, I've gotten more involved in my writing community. The children are older. Do I have more free time? It doesn't feel like it, but I've been writing more in the last year, so maybe that's where my "free time" has gone. I have a supportive family as well... and my Hubby thinks this is a good year to give it a try. His support has really helped me move forward with different projects and endeavours. Also, he's going to picking up a bunch of parenting tasks once November starts. 

I went on to the NaNoWriMo website and was reading, with a renewed interest, the information they provide. Honestly, I wanted to see what would be considered cheating. Now, I feel like I'm behind in terms of planning. I looked at the badges and that sort of made me feel better. There are "Planner", "Pantser" and "Plantser" badges. I think I'm the third... The more I think about participating in NaNoWriMo, the more excited I am.

The 2018 Worldwide Counts map kind of blows me away. There are people participating EVERYWHERE! Writing is such a solitary exercise, but really, the writing community is global. Even though I know I might not "win", I'm glad to do this, to make this concentrated focus on finishing a novel, along with the writers I know in my community, as well as the writers in the global community.

If you want to be my "buddy", my user name is LoniC. That's all you need, right? Also, I'm going to need to decide on a widget for my blog before November 1. I like watching my progress with reading, so watching my writing progress will totally be exactly the same.

So, ya. Excited. Crazy. Ready to go.

Classics List

The deadline I gave myself for the Classics Club has come and gone. It came and went 9 months ago. Some life-related things got in the way. I was having a hard time with reading and blogging for a while there. But that's just life.

What do I want to do now?

My priorities have shifted. I'm still reading and I'm still reading classics, but just not as much as I meant to when I started this challenge. I usually choose books based on how I'm feeling and how I'm feeling lately is busy. That does not often lead me to a classic, though I did manage to read more than half my list in those 5 years. I know it should be more, especially with all the short stories and poetry, but the last 2 years have seen some life changes.

I still plan on reading through the list. I hope the new moderators at the Classics Club will let me continue to add my reviews to their ever-growing list and keep me as a member. Now that it does not have a specific goal date, I have let the list grow, as other classics catch my eye. Though, if I do that, I may never actually finish. Part of me is okay with that. I am also left wondering if I should give myself a new deadline. The end of this year? The end of next?

Any classics readers out there? Anyone not finish their 5-year goal?

Writing Course Fail

I didn’t fail the course, I just didn’t finish it. Again.

I wrote for the WCYR blog a post about tips to keep writing in the summer. I even did some of the things I wrote about (carrying around a tiny notebook is very easy). One thing that was harder than I expected, was keeping up with a short and easy writing class. I signed up to participate in Sarah Selecky’s Six Weeks, Six Senses summer writing course. Every week for six weeks, I received an email with the assignment. For three weeks I did well. I was feeling good about it too. Then week four rolled around and something happened. I think the busy summer just got busier. On the last day before school, I felt like I should try to get at least one more is the assignments finished. It didn't work out. Technically, it is still summer. Maybe I will get the course done by September 21st.

I did other things from my list. I joined a summer writing group. I attended bookish events. I talked to other writers. I wrote to prompts. I read, a lot (reading is one of my favourite things to do). Somehow though, this writing course, which I tried so hard to treat like a real course, which I tried to "attend", like my summer writing group, just didn't work out. In addition to the summer social life, the day job went a bit nuts in August. In the end, I didn't finish.

It feels kind of like a fail. Like I failed. This feeling is the reason I don't sign up for other courses or groups. I just don't think I will be able to do it. It's the same reason why I haven't done more reading challenges, not to mention that I failed the Classics Club Challenge. Life gets in the way. When I have those few precious free moments, there are other things which seem to take priority. Is that bad? Should I continue to try these online courses?

Maybe it's the online thing. Like the writing group I belong to, if it was somewhere I had to go to, I'd be more likely to finish? Maybe. I attend (almost) all the WCYR events. I'm a computer/techy person... Maybe because there is no one holding me accountable, I feel less of an obligation. These online courses though, they're free. FREE. I like not having to pay for writerly learning. Is that part of the problem too? I suppose if I take a third course and this happens again, I'll be able to really see the pattern instead of just worrying that there is one.