January has been a splendid month for me, personal writing wise.
With the impetus of the new year, and the major goal I assigned myself, I started to work on my novel again. Originally titled The Whale Singer, a title I think will have to be scrapped as it doesn’t quite fit in with the story that has evolved, the last month I have been working on it consistently (but not always consecutively). I’m really pleased to announce that that work has resulted in another 2 chapters and that I have now broached the 40,000 words mark.
I will state that while it is a quantity marker, and not what I am wanting to measure overall, it certainly is a marker of how I am progressing with my creative long game. The story is progressing (tick!) and it is a milestone because this is the longest I have ever worked on a piece and the furthest I ever gotten with a piece. The feeling for me is that this is about a third of the way into the three main aspects of the storylines.
It helps that I believe in the heart of this story, and while it may take me a while to finish it, I think I have a good chance of completing it this year.
Submissions are light on for January, so I haven’t been on that roundabout as much this month. Mostly that is because several large markets are closed, but it is also because some of my work needs to refined. I like all the original stories, but with some feedback I’ve received, I know that they could be better.
I attribute some of this productivity also to a project spurred by one of my writing collectives, where there was a move to return to journaling. So far as I can tell, it has been a success for all of us, allowing us to clear our busy minds and giving greater mental clarity and freedom. I have some beautifully Japanese paper covered journals with gorgeous paper to honour myself and my words.
For anything I’ve written out there, January 1 meant my review for The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies was published in SQ Mag. Head on over to check out what I’ve been working on for the past few years. The ezine is great, going from strength to strength and it’s all free!
On a personal note, my two day jobs are now being condensed into only one. I will be leaving one of my positions in the wind down to us leaving Canada in May, which will definitely leave me with more time for writing and a more regular routine. I will be really sad to leave the wonderful team I have been working with (in both places), all the friends I have made and Canada in general, but both Greg and I feel the tug of Australia and home.
So I’m hoping January’s feeling and productivity are an omen for an auspicious year, but whatever happens, I’m going to ride this wave for as long as I can.
Thanks for reading and happy February!