Big excitement this week: The Country Register came out with my first press release! They even produced my cover in color! That was cool as they also published my longish article on charity quilts. Now to the coming week. Also posted a review of For the Love of Ireland by Judy Leslie.
WRITING: Write 500 words or work 2 hours a day. Section 3 on Years of Stone is now complete, so this week's focus will be to revise Section 1 for the umpteenth time. I'm waiting for a few critiques to come in on the opening (Big disappointment this week: YOS was not selected as a finalist in this year's PNWA Literary Contest). Need to draft Afterword.
ONLINE: Blogs: Update travel blog and writing blogs. For writing blog, maybe do a riff on Paul Theroux's statement, "Writing gives us a second chance that life denies us." And for the travel blog, maybe something about the difference between visiting and living in a foreign country; this week in Turkey, riots over the Prime Minister's decision to close Taksim Park, tip of the iceberg there.
Keep working on transferring photos from CD's to flash drive. Still need to revamp
MERMAID pages and add a separate page for Years of Stone on writing blog. Daily: Read
3-5 posts for ROW80. Goal this week for NOVELS-L? SUB A CHAPTER. Do a critique. READ and Review Ruth Nestvold’s SF collection. Also catch up on 3 writing craft magazines.
MARKETING: Draft marketing article/post. What have I learned so far? Maybe start with pre-launch. Hard work means accepting some days are not as productive as others, even if all the steps are followed. I see so many really fine blogs and websites, yet the 'best' way to reach/build a market for my writing is not certain. Keep working the lemons!
OTHER: Work on WSQ at least ONCE each day. Priorities: Education project. Presence online. Prep for board meeting next week. Quilting: Learn how to use top stitching with fused applique (this takes real courage). Practice piece: Sashkio Salmon wall hanging . Work on hand quilting when weather permits. Keep the office uncluttered. Focus on aging with grace. Cherish each moment.
 |
| WIP: Salmon Sashiko Wall Hanging (Camp 2013) |
These June rains feel out of sync with Nature. Of course I thought the same thing when we had thunderstorms for our June wedding years ago. Maybe we always remember the past through a different lens than reality....
ReplyDelete500 words a day is a good total. I don't know if you ever read Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way but she advocates three (handwritten) pages daily just to clear the mind. 500 words is about two pages back and front... Think you can add another 250 more? ;-)
No panic if you feel you're not there yet. You have a lot going on with editing and promotion. Just keep plugging away, Beth. And enjoying the world around you, as I'm sure you do.
(isn't a bummer when we go to bed feeling energized and limber only to wake stiff and groggy? A cheat, I say. Though, yes, yoga and stretching do help a lot.)
Thank you for your note, Eden. Yes, I have Julia Cameron's book on my TBR pile of craft books. She's just moved to the top of the pile now because of your comment! I'm looking at 750word.com as maybe a way to 'clear the mind' before writing. But I'm talking about writing vs. editing here. Because I write historical fiction, there's a lot of prep work before the story emerges -- though I write as I do research as well, little scenes. I do feel a bit stuck in editing and will work to finish, truly finish. Thanks for your words of encouragement. :)
DeleteHello Beth! Your salmon wallhanging is lovely - is that a Pacific salmon?
ReplyDeleteHello, Lee. The salmon is actually a Hawaiian-Japanese salmon -- a beginning Sashiko kit from Sylvia Pippen, a wonderfully creative quilter who lives in Hawaii. I'm trying to learn how to applique very small pieces -- some of the fish scales are by hand, but some are fused. That's a new technique for me to now machine stitch those tiny, tiny pieces. I keep telling my husband that my practice pieces are to hang in the bathroom, and he keeps saying, we could put this one in the dining room! Thank you for commenting!
DeleteI loved the salmon - not in bathroom in the dining room - I'm with your man there:)We started June with sinshine and a little heat !!! not sure how long it will last but the garden sure looks tidier. Well done on your progress I shoould imagine historical would be difficult editing to be sure every detail is correct and keep the story romping along - all the best for coming week:)
ReplyDelete