I'm blaming the cold for any real lack of forward momentum in my writing - as opposed to my just feeling somewhat slack and seriously lacking in any real inspiration (only half this sentence is true - guess which half! Hint: Take out everything between 'blaming' and the second instance of 'my').
I did manage to wrap up a draft of my New Bedlam submission. I'm now going to let this sit until I've read the next issue (due out the beginning of next month) before I decide on the next move. Jodi Lee, you'll be pleased to know it looks to be coming in within the short fiction guidelines. Working title "The Grass is Always Greener..." - yep, I'm a tease.
A side note. I have a requirement to write the whole name of the editor of The New Bedlam Project as my wife has the same name, with the same spelling. I know they both read the blog, so to save confusion, my wife is Jodi, and my friend is Jodi Lee.
Now, moving on...
I read and reviewed Jeremy C. Shipp's debut novel and now have his collection of short stories in my bag to do next. After reading Vacation, I had one major thought in mind - Ben should read this, so Benjamin Solah - go and buy this book. It's right up your alley.
And next...
Alan Baxter (author of RealmShift and MageSign), has posted an excellent bit of webtrickery (TM) about importing blog posts to other areas. I've managed to follow the first bit and reproduce this blog onto FaceBook so that space is no longer just sitting there doing nothing. Hopefully I'll be able to the same to other spaces currently acting as place holders for the Brenton Tomlinson or MusingsOfAnAussieWriter brands.
Lastly...
I received my final assignment back for Module 1: Write for TV and Film. In way of background for all of you coming late to this topic, and for my copious amount of new readers on FaceBook, I have just completed semester 1 for my second year in an Advanced Diploma of Art in Professional Writing. Each semester I am required to submit 8 assignments. So far this semester I have received the following grades: B, B, B, B, B, C, C - and the final grade - insert drum roll here - was another B! All together, this gives me a Credit for this module - which I think is pretty much the standard mark. It should be a pretty good mark (the levels being pass, Credit, Distinction), but it doesn't seem so, which is part of the reason I'm leaving. I won't open up that whole thing again - this post is probably long enough already.
So that was my weekend. I hope yours was filled with all sorts of awesomeness and sparkles (you have a lot to answer for Carrie).
The Time Machine Australia Bound
5 days ago
Weather is a great excuse. For example, it was VERY hot here these past few days ; )
ReplyDelete*waves to Jodi* ;)
ReplyDeleteThose are quite good grades, I would think. I'd've been happy with all those Bs!
Yes. Tease. O_o
Nothing but rain, rain, rain here. *sigh* Summer is slowly drowning; it's difficult to write because of the blahs.
ReplyDeleteYour unproductive state is still better than my productive times. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteNat - obviously the opposite of me - in some ways. I love writing when it's hot and your skin sticks to the seat.
ReplyDeleteJodi - Jodi waves back :c)
Hi Rebecca - No excuses for you. I've heard what winter's are like in Maine - how someone can't write horror living there would be a little beyond me. Take the summer off - paint me envious as hell.
Jamie - I don't think so. I've not written or edited novella length for some time. I've been writing in less than 5k word snatches (leave it Nat!). Even when I was writing AKL it was in 2-3K parsels. But if you want to see really busy - go see Jodi Lee's blog.
It sounds like you've been kind of frustrated with the program for a while, so it's probably a good thing you're leaving. At the very least, it'll give you more time to concentrate on the writing you want to do rather than writing assignments.
ReplyDeleteToo cold to write sounds like an excellent excuse to me. I hate the cold. I'd much rather stay in bed and read when it's cold out.
KC - I find you learn a lot more from others if there's a degree of trust involved. I simply didn't trust my lecturers because they'd give me good grades, and then make odd comments throughout the assignment, which contradicted other comments they'd made, and/or the level of grade.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah - I was frustrated.
When it gets really cold where you are, do you get fog rolling through those hiking trails you go on? I'd wrap up like I was going to the South Pole and still go hiking if I had access to that - well, I'd do it at least once...
We get fog all the time here, even in summer in the mornings when fog rises from the creeks and streams and fills every hollow. I loathe cold weather, though, so I don't hike (or leave the house unnecessarily) in winter. On the other hand, it doesn't get really cold here that often. I'm just a wimp about cold weather.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever visit here, let me know and we can go hiking. :)