Highlights
- The Novel Incubator Alumni Writing Retreat is imminent. Next weekend, 14 of us head to northern New Hampshire to shut out the world and write as much as possible in three days. Michelle Hoover, our amazing instructor and fearless NI leader, will conduct daily classes on revision. We’ll also have readings at night in front of a fireplace with wine and snacks, some of my favorite things. I’m prepping by outlining the shit out of novel 2 so that when I’m there, I can write the revisions vs. plan the revisions. #fridaycometomenow
- Novel 2: I have a new structure as well as an additional POV. This could be a disaster. But I have to do some off-the-page writing for the new POV anyway. If I don’t like it, I’ll remove it. And I need to remove about 40%-50% of the first draft. This is fine. It was boring.
- A Little Life: still reading. I have until December 1 to finish it for my book club. Having some thoughts, withholding until I read more.
- My session proposal for GrubStreet’s Muse and the Marketplace conference was accepted. Hooray. My topic is project management techniques for writers. I have until December to create a catchier title and bio so that maybe at least one always-in-progress writer will want to come and learn how to GSD (Get Shit Done).
- I am now the proud owner of compression running pants, which is important given the amount of sweets I’ve consumed in the past week (and my whole life, which is why I need compression pants).
- Trip planning: I love the idea of visiting beautiful and rugged and adventurous places where other people of my ilk rarely go, but the poor kid who grew into a frugal adult cannot abide the cost. Four continents down, three to go. Farewell (for now) dreams of Antarctica and over-the-water bungalows in the South Pacific. The search continues…
- I forgot that I have an unwatched episode of How To Get Away With Murder. Yessssssss. This eases some of the Sunday Night Dread. But I saw something on Twitter re: “Glen and now Oliver,” so I also have some Sunday Night TV Viewing Dread. If anything happens to my beloved Oliver, I will RAGE.
Lowlights
- The Mist was kind of terrible, even though it was fun to see some of my favorite (and now dead) The Walking Dead faces again. I never lose hope that a horror movie will come along and surprise me (such as Cabin in the Woods, which was wicked and fun), even though I am consistently disappointed.
- The Great British Baking Show finale is tonight. I don’t want it to end. The BBC and PBS make it incredibly difficult to purchase past seasons. Don’t they want my money?
Image credit: “Cows and Doublehead Mountain”
by Dan Connolly
