How I lived 
 my writing life 
 today 

SAT JULY 31, 2021

• TODAY ends my ClarionWest Write-A-Thon effort. I am proud to say that I am closer to reclaiming my writing life today than I was 6 weeks ago. I've found a new writing group, have reinserted a creative writing schedule into my days, signed up for several upcoming workshops or masterminds, and--by looking at my report below--find myself doing "all the things" that are part and parcel of the writing life (including, well, writing!).

FRI JULY 30, 2021

• Real life: Remote camping trip 
• Read (Defying Doomsday)
• Scheduled another podcast interview
• Planned my writing schedule for the month of August

THURS JULY 29, 2021

• Real life: Remote camping trip 
• Read (Defying Doomsday)
• Wrote several pages of notes addressing plot changes for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 

WED JULY 28, 2021

• Real life: Remote camping trip 
• Read (Defying Doomsday)
• Wrote several pages of notes for a new essay on living with a chronic illness [Unnamed] 

TUES JULY 27, 2021

• Real life: Remote camping trip 
• Read (Defying Doomsday)

MON JULY 26, 2021

• Real life: Remote camping trip 
• Read (Defying Doomsday)

SUN JULY 25, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Prepared for and participated in the New Books Showcase sponsored by Cultivating Voices Live Poetry

SAT JULY 24, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Participated online in my first critique group in years, giving feedback on 13,000 words (all chapters, three in total), then RSVP'd for the next two groups coming up.
• Signed up for a new in-person writing group beginning to meet in the city in August.
• Cried about releasing my first book during a pandemic. Feeling all the feels. It's never easy, but the lack of live readings really sucks, and Zoom/social media has been no savior. Writers who are selling lots of books right now are outliers or have privileges most of us do not. 
• Bought a book: Pocket Workshop: Essays on living as a writer

FRI JULY 23, 2021

• Listened to six episodes of the podcast, A Beautiful Anarchy 
• Subscribed to One Stop For Writers
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)

THURS JULY 22, 2021

• Attended the fourth night free virtual reading for the Port Townsend Writers Conference 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)

WED JULY 21, 2021

• Attended the third night free virtual reading for the Port Townsend Writers Conference 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Registered for an online workshop via The Word Project
• Bought a book: Wild Milk by Sabrina Orah Mark

TUES JULY 20, 2021

• Attended the second night free virtual reading for the Port Townsend Writers Conference 
• Participated in a writing sprint for the Clarion West Write-a-thon
• Wrote 907 words for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Bought a book: Pictograph by Melissa Kwasny

MON JULY 19, 2021

• Attended the first night free virtual reading for the Port Townsend Writers Conference 
• Participated in a writing sprint for the Clarion West Write-a-thon
• Participated in online Clarion West workshop, "Mental Health & Writing"
• Wrote 1,377 words for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Write Now Podcast
• Researched writing residencies for 2022
• Signed up for a writing-related newsletter
• Followed the Beautiful Anarchy Podcast
• Bought books: Year of the Nurse: A 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic Memoir by Cassandra Alexander, Love Like Water, Love Like Fire by Mikhail Iossel and Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

SUN JULY 18, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Attended full day at Discovery Bay writing retreat
• Listened to 2 episodes of the Kobo Writing Life Podcast
• Researched writing residencies for 2022

SAT JULY 17, 2021

• Wrote 1,374 words for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Attended full day at Discovery Bay writing retreat
• Listened to 2 episodes of the Kobo Writing Life Podcast
• Arranged new podcast appearance for August to promote my new book, INTENTION TREMOR

FRI JULY 16, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Kobo Writing Life Podcast
• Attended half day at Discovery Bay writing retreat
• Fulfilled book orders for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR

THURS JULY 15, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Prepared for and participated in the BARN's Third Thursdays Writing Salon with Martha Salinas
• Planned for two new podcast opportunities to promote my new book, INTENTION TREMOR
• Listened to 1 episode of the QWERTY Podcast
• Listened to 1 episode of the Creative Writing Life Podcast
• Fulfilled book orders for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR

WED JULY 14, 2021

• Revised outline and built out plot points for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Participated in online Poets & Writers workshop, "Anatomy of a Scene"

TUES JULY 13, 2021

• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)

MON JULY 12, 2021

• Revised outline for the short story, "Eminent Domain," part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)
• Read an amazing essay (Anjali Enjeti) on writing while living with chronic pain from Poets & Writers, "Craft Capsule: The 'Routine' of Writing With Chronic Pain"
• Read an amazing essay (Alex Dimitrov) on reclaiming one's writing life from Poets & Writers, "Becoming Strange Again"
• Signed up for a Clarion West Write-a-thon workshop and a Poets & Writers workshop

SUN JULY 11, 2021

• Prepared promotional content and latest newsletter for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR and related upcoming events (3 hours)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Write Now Podcast
• Applied to a writing bootcamp
• Planned ahead for multiple visits (5 in total, about 24 hours all told) to a drop-in live private writing retreat happening over the next two weeks
• Read (Uncanny Magazine Issue 24: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction)

SAT JULY 10, 2021

• Started and stopped reading a new book (not the right fit for me right now)
• Real life: Threw a birthday dinner for 6

FRI JULY 9, 2021

• Prepared promotional content for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR and related upcoming events (1 hour)
• Looked for (but did not find) a face-to-face writing group (I cannot do Zoom due to neurological issues)
• Started and stopped reading a new book (not the right fit for me right now)
• Cried about my lack of writing community (no, 100 percent virtual is not an option)
• Signed up for a writing sprint and two workshops linked to the Clarion West Write-a-thon over the next two weeks
• Signed up for a new local critique group to try them out (it's online but may be returning live within the month)
• Signed up for an ongoing book mastermind workshop in August

THURS JULY 8, 2021

• Finished (Gold Diggers)
• Real life: Remote camping trip

WED JULY 7, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Real life: Remote camping trip

TUES JULY 6, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Real life: Remote camping trip

MON JULY 5, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Real life: Remote camping trip

SUN JULY 4, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Real life: Independence Day 

SAT JULY 3, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Prepared promotional content and latest newsletter for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR and related upcoming events (3 hours)

FRI JULY 2, 2021

• Real life: Death in the family
• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Finished my first silent writing retreat of 2021 (last one was in January 2020) 

THURS JULY 1, 2021

• Outlined and wrote 5,400 words for the short story, EMINENT DOMAIN, part of the TRUST FALL collection 
• Read (Gold Diggers and BoysGirls)
• Participated in a writing sprint for the Clarion West Write-a-thon
• Continued my first silent writing retreat of 2021 (last one was in January 2020) 

WED JUNE 30, 2021

• Revised TRUST FALL (final 92 pages, a total of 234 pages, about 45,000 words) 
• Read (Gold Diggers and BoysGirls)
• Prepared for and participated in my upcoming featured reading for PoetryBridge Live! 
• Continued my first silent writing retreat of 2021 (last one was in January 2020) 

TUES JUNE 29, 2021

• Revised TRUST FALL (144 pages) 
• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Consulted a successful indie writer on paths forward in self publishing TRUST FALL (while still considering small press options)
• Continued my first silent writing retreat of 2021 (last one was in January 2020) 

MON JUNE 28, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Promoted my new book, INTENTION TREMOR, in an encore interview on a live UK radio show spot (Chat and Spin Radio)
• Promoted my upcoming featured reading for PoetryBridge Live! this Wed (7pm) in a virtual tour newsletter blast (Join the event here in Zoom)
• Started my first silent writing retreat of 2021 (last one was in January 2020) 
• Wrote 6 haiku

SUN JUNE 27, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Write Now Podcast and 1 episode of the New Yorker podcast
• Prepared for tomorrow's live radio show spot featuring my new book, INTENTION TREMOR (1 hour)
• Listed my writing, reading, editing, and researching goals for my upcoming silent writing retreat (tomorrow through Friday) (30 minutes)

SAT JUNE 26, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Creative Penn podcast

FRI JUNE 25, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Prepared work for reading at the PoetryBridge Live! event next week (1 hour)
• Prepared promotional content for my new book, INTENTION TREMOR and related upcoming events (1 hour)
• Listened to 1 episode of the Write Now Podcast

THURS JUNE 24, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Journaled for 30 minutes

WED JUNE 23, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers and Steam Laundry)
• Journaled for 30 minutes

TUES JUNE 22, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers and Steam Laundry)
• Listened to 2 episodes of the Chicago Writing Podcast
• Journaled for 1 hour

MON JUNE 21, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Listened to 3 episodes of the Chicago Writing Podcast

SUN JUNE 20, 2021

• Read (Gold Diggers)
• Attended a Zoom literary reading (Cultivating Voices Live Poetry)
• Blogged about my writing life and posted it on Medium

Reclaim daily time toward my creative writing endeavors. No time or word goals, just a daily practice. I write for a living and it can be very hard to turn on my creative writing brain after using my work brain due to issues with a neurological disorder. But I miss my creative writing life and want to reclaim it. I wrote about this act of reclamation at Medium. Thanks for your support.

• Short story collection: TRUST FALL (launching 2022)
• Flash fic collection: unnamed but hoping to launch 2022/2023
• Novel: THE FLARE (early drafts)
• Poetry collections: Several in the literary genre

GENRES

• Literary
• Magical realism/Fabulism
• Speculative fiction
• Social science fiction
• Post-apocalypse
• Dystopian
• Experimental
• Autofiction

FORMS

• Experimental narrative (short form prose)
• Experimental structure (long form prose)
• Flash prose (fiction and nonfiction)
• Longish short stories
• Unusual poetic forms
• Fragments