March 2018 Update

/ Heather

This is less a monthly update and more a quarterly one.

Design

Work ebbed in January, but is in full on flow mode.

I’ve been busy with deadlines at work, which means my writing is suffering. I’m having trouble managing multiple projects and people, especially when the projects take me out of town in overnight trips.

Does anyone have tips for managing your multiple projects? Architecture or not.

Stats:

  • 1 project in contract administration, requiring travel and overnight stays.
  • 1 project about to go for tender.
  • 1 project about to start construction documents.
  • 1 project in early construction documents stage.

I don’t go into the details of these projects, for privacy reasons but if there are published articles then I’ll share.

Write

Poetry:  Even with my deadlines I’ve been getting 1 or 2 of these out each week since January. I’ve noticed the consistency is getting my views up, but readers mostly seem to be enjoying my personal essays instead. As much as I write my poetry for me, it would be nice if they had the same reach as my personal essays. Also FYI, sometimes my poetry is a reflection of the mood of the moment, not necessarily what is actually happening around me.

Fiction:  Arch Villains has stalled. Work is just the excuse. The truth is I went from a 37K word novella to a 94K word novel and it took me 3 years to get there. What if it sucks? More importantly, I know things are wrong. What if it takes me another 3 years to fix it? It’s intimidating. And meanwhile I’m not inspired by other stories in my head. The well has run dry with fear. Which leads me to my next section.

Stats:

  • WIP:  0.
  • Blog Poems:  11 – a significant increase from the last update.
  • Blog (general posts):  2 (including this month’s summary).

Read

Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt. I’ve been listening to his podcasts (Lead to Win – though it’s been paused for a month and I don’t know why) and I can’t afford the course he offers every year. So far I’ve really enjoyed the book and giving voice to my fears and then reframing them. It will be slow but doable.
Indigo by Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Jonathan Maberry, Kelley Armstrong, Kat Richardson, Seanan McGuire, Tim Lebbon, Cherie Priest, James A. Moore and Mark Morris.: I wanted to wait until after finishing my second draft before reading a superhero story from a group of writers I really admire. It isn’t letting me down and I’m going to reread for pacing and character development over the story because it’s really hard to put down. It’s a really great dark fantasy from a number of amazing authors collaborating and I’m dying to know what the process was like. This is good book for me to compare, because my superhero story is about technology more than superpowers, so I can focus on my pacing.

Goals

  • Reread and edit Arch Villains for beta readers. Presently at 94,000 words.
  • Continue to write 1 poem per week from the Poetic Asides prompts.
  • Read Self-Editing for fiction writers.
  • Brainstorm Arch Villains sequel or The Colour of Malice, which would be my third attempt.
  • See if I end up with any other personal essays.

Your Turn

Is you well running dry? Is fear getting the best of your creativity? What are your tips for organizing time and life? Let me know in the comments below.

Let's chat!

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