Summary:

Got all my paid work done well before going away on holiday – but a spanner in the works means I won’t be getting round to working more on my current novel while I’m away…

 

Monday:

I decided to stay at home today, rather than going to the cafe.

I started with the next section of editing for the prison officer memoir, then wrote a review of a film we went to the night before – Don’t Worry, Darling.

I alternated editing the prison officer memoir with giving feedback on the YA novel, and finished the latter, so I sent it back to the client for review and approval.

Still no progress on Darkness – or either of the short stories I’m meant to be working on. My meditation class this afternoon was about letting go, though, so I considered – maybe it’s okay that I’m not working on my novel at the moment? If the choice is between not working on it and being annoyed about it, or not working on it and being okay with that – surely the second option is the better one!

Much later, a previous client popped up with more work, so I edited a book of 500 truly awful dad jokes…

 

Tuesday:

Some edits came through from an anthology publisher on one of my flash fiction pieces, so I reviewed and approved them.

Then it was back to editing the prison officer memoir – final push to the end!

I also had a collection of kids’ stories from a previous client, which I worked on, correcting errors and suggesting more substantial changes where required.

I sent both client books back for review and approval – and my paid work docket was completely clear, ready for my holiday!

 

Thursday:

The editor-in-chief of Black Spring Press got in touch, as I had been shortlisted in their Best of the Bottom Drawer Competition earlier in the year, saying they might be interested in publishing something of mine.

I completed their very lengthy author questionnaire and sent them a copy of Machine to review.

 

Friday:

One of the TL;DR writers posted a story, so I read it and added some comments.

I also finished reading A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne the night before, so I wrote my review. This was supposed to be part of my selection for the reading retreat in November, but I needed a short book I could finish before going away today, so I read it early.

 

Sunday:

Monday through Thursday of next week was supposed to be a glorious writing retreat, to get me properly back into writing Darkness – but now I’m not able to go, due to one of the writers who arrived on Friday testing positive for Covid.

Luckily, the wonderful hosts of the reading retreat I arrived for on Friday have said I can stay on with them and do the weekday reading retreat as well, so I don’t have to go home between now and the group holiday (also in the South West) next Friday!

Several more days of glorious reading ahead! But still not getting back to writing Darkness – ah well…