Sadly, my three weeks of buckle-down-and-write time came to an abrupt and unfortunate end at the hands (or infectious claws) of a rather nasty stomach virus contracted from my son’s preschool summer camp. Two weeks later and four pounds lighter, I found myself still playing catch up with all of the day-to-day things that got tossed to the side, like the contents of my stomach during that sad 3 day period, which we will never speak of again. Blech. I did make progress during that first week, but I have so much more work to do that the task of finishing this manuscript seems, yet again, to be monumental and wholly unattainable.
On the upside, I keep getting incredibly polite and personalized rejections for my short stories. And yes, I actually feel quite buoyed by personal notes from venerable editors at top 10 sci-fi magazines. It’s quite a complement. I’ve also been noticing a significant trend towards the same types of criticism. All of my rejections have said something along the lines of “great world building and atmosphere” but “not enough story to keep my attention.” Which really is understandable. I enjoy writing conceptual environments. How people interact with the world around them. What it feels like, sounds like, how it encompasses them.
So, I’ve decided to take a little time to myself and head on down to Uncle Orson’s Writing Class. I was too late to register for the Boot Camp this year, and frankly, I don’t have the luxury of dedicating a whole childless week to the workshop. But the writing class is only two days, hosted by Orson Scott Card, and dealing with a wealth of topics that I’m hoping will help me to expand my writing style and technique and learn a little more about the business. Should be a nice break to the endless summer without childcare or school for the little monkey. I can only set my sights on September and the start of playschool, which will bring a welcome return to a much needed and much longed-for writing routine.
