Writing Projects For This Year

Finally, finally, I want to finish a short story I began years ago.  It is set in the 1950's in the summer in Flagstaff, Arizona at the time two commercial flights collided over the Grand Canyon.  An Indian Powwow was also taking place in Flagstaff.  A teenager is visiting town with her dad who is on a business trip.  Weird stuff happens.  My writing group says, "not much happens."  Yes and no. 

Project # two is another short story, told from the point of view (POV)  of a cat.  A lot happens.  To the cat.  This is based  on a true story, and it's something I have wanted to write for years.  So why haven't I? 

Project # three is a rewrite of a mystery novel I wrote a while back. It was always my critique group's favorite novel of mine.  I liked the story, the setting and the characters.  Went back to re-read and see why it  had never sold.  In the intervening years, I've become a better writer.  And the story needed work.  Pruning.  Whole chapters came and went where not much (maybe even NOTHING happened.)  So the rewrite is coming along.  My NEW (different people) writing group is not convinced, but they are all writing thrillers.  This book has to build. Lots of stuff happens, but not right away, except for the murder.  The sleuth has to feel her way into a strange town and a difficult situation.  Have I set myself up to fail?  Hope not.  Still like the story, the characters and the setting, which is the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  

Other projects:  meet with my agent and find out what's going on with my two novels that she is trying to sell. 
Clean out tons of old projects and useless paper from my office.  This is a tough one.  Why do I keep procrastinating? 

Decide if I want to do a Civil War story I've been keen on.  Is it a short story or a novel?  Maybe a novella.  The thing is, there's a huge amount of research in front of me, and maybe it's only a short story.   What to do? 

Last thing:  some PR to give my last novel, Festival Madness, a shot of adrenaline.  
Last, last thing:  maybe a cookbook?  
So many projects, so little time. 

What keeps so many projects on the back burner?  Inertia, laziness, not enough time, and I don't even know what. Read what the writers below are fixating on for 2016.   Do we all have the same issues?  

Oh yes, and I need to try to sell another short story I've been sitting on.  When I'm looking for something to do, I can always re-read this post. 
Writing is hard.  But you knew that. 

The Late, Much-loved Thisbe, who always inspired my writing

Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
Margaret Fieland http://www.margaretfieland.com/blog1/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Connie Vines http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Bob Rich  http://wp.me/p3Xihq-Bm
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Kay Sisk http://kaysisk.blogspot.com
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Hollie Glover http://www.hollieglover.co.uk
Helena Fairfax  http://helenafairfax.com/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com/

Preparation

Last night I went through Jeff Herman's book and found 7 publishers and about 20 agents who will be hearing from me. Also prepping for a new writing conference, researching the California book, and looking at the beginning of Promiscuous Mode. Still, why do I feel that my progress is so damn incremental, as in friggin' slow?

Once I read that it takes patience to learn patience and I never took the time to acquire any.

A writer needs patience as well as inspiration. My next Toastmaster's speech will cover the topic "what does a writer do?" and of course the audience assumes that a writer writes, which is true, of course, but a writer has to do so much more, the research, the networking, the promotion, web sites, blogs (sic) conferences, speeches, more research, finding agents/editors, critique group. Yes, a writer can get so involved in all the peripheral stuff, that pretty soon a writer is not writing, but always preparing to write, which is what I've done the past year. Oh yeah, I completed three more drafts of the Burning Man book, and some synopses, and a class or two, but somehow this isn't writing, and writing it where it's really at, not all this schmoozing.

Proust was right. Lock yourself into a cork-lined room and write, dammit, write.

Today we joined the 'Y,' to stay in shape or get back into shape, and that will be another excuse not to plant butt in chair.

What to do? Do I need a coach? What is all this business about life coaches and job coaches and every other kind of coach? And while I am on a good bitch session, why do manufacturers change the packaging of items in a stupid-assed way? Came back from CVS gritting my teeth. New isn't always better.

We're having cheddar-broccoli soup tonight, and I wrote on the recipe "good" so that is something to look forward to. No meat to speak of for days. Probably the reason I have a cold. Maybe even why I'm grumpy. No, I'm grumpy because I'm not writing. Grrrr.


Grrrrapeshot.