How’d I do in March?

• Finish an article for Prairie Books NOW.
• Keep my short stories out on submission
• Write my next chapter in An Excuse for Whiskey.
• Finish editing that December short story and get it out on submission.
• Finalize an old grant.
• Submit a new travel grant.
• Submit a new novel pitch.
• STRETCH GOAL: finish the first draft of a short story I’ve been working on.

Pretty happy with how March went, all things considered.

I turned my article in to Prairie Books NOW, a story about Jack Castle’s Bedlam Lost, which should be appearing in PBN’s Spring issue. It’s been a while since I’ve written for them, my schedule hasn’t cooperated the last several issues, so it’s nice the editor keeps asking me for work.

Finally finished revising that story I’ve been wanting to get to since December. Out the door, and good luck, buddy. While I was working on those revisions, I had some thoughts on how to fix the next fallow short story on my list.

Wrote not one, but two (maybe three) chapters in the first draft of An Excuse for Whiskey. Co-writer Sandra Wickham got her next chapter to me lickety-split, so I thought I’d do the same. The second chapter came in pretty long, almost twice as long as our usual lengths so we may split it in two, and give Sandra’s character something fun to do in the middle when we start editing this beast. We’re over 40K now, so it’s definitely a novel, and momentum also seems to be building as we zoom to the end of our outline.

Also turned in edits on a story I sold back around Christmas, which while not on the list, was a nice feeling. I’m pretty stoked for you all to be able to read this one. It’s in the Thunder Road ‘verse, but that’s all I’ll say for now.

I sent off my final report for an old Manitoba Arts Council grant, and they found my report satisfactory, so I can apply for the next round of grants. I think I have the perfect project in mind. On the grant note, I decided not to apply for the travel grant this time around. The extra money would’ve been nice, but between actually getting words down and trying to reorganize and declutter my house, something had to give. There will be other opportunities to apply for travel grants.

Other big news: I started writing my next novel! Can’t talk about it yet. But it’s the first one I’ve drafted from scratch since November 2013. Too Far Gone had many scenes already in progress, and was winding down a series instead of starting one up. It’s exciting, and things have been going well, I think. Will share what I can about this one when I can.

What’s on deck? A lot! April is a very busy month. What with ChiSeries hosting a reading and workshop, my leaving for the first of two conventions in back to back weekends 3000 kilometers apart, two events in my old stomping grounds, oh yeah, and taxes.

• Keep my short stories on submission
• Finish my taxes.
• Revise and submit another short story
• Prepare a presentation for a teen writing workshop (the same one I used to facilitate!)
• Prepare for a reading and a school presentation in Morden and Winkler
• Attend Ad Astra.
• Write my next chapter in An Excuse for Whiskey.
• Work on my the new novel project, and hit 30000 words so I’m on target to have first draft done by end of May.

Write on!