How Did January Go?

Dean Wesley Smith posted an update on his writing challenge for the month. So I guess I'll do the same.

So how did January go?

Okay, I guess.

Excuses: I had a six-week cold that is coming back at me again. I have a hang-nail. My cat lost his toy squid, and needs consoling. (Okay, we took it away from him, because he kept eating it... but guilt means we HAVE to console him.) Life turns out not to be fair (who knew?) and I am not a millionaire OR a super-hero. I forgot to set my clock. Also there's a major snow storm, and I LOVE snow storms. Also Twitter is changing its interface and Apple is not getting along with Sony. And there's a revolution going on in Egypt -- where they're not asking each other, about Mubarek, "So how much has 'e gypped ya?" (Hey it was funny on Vaudeville!)

Pardon me while I go take another peak at the snow.... Okay, I'm back. Just blowing and drifting at the moment.

Things achieved in January:

I finished and published Harsh Climate, though I got it done a week later than I'd hoped. I found all the pieces and notes for Old Paint:Dead or Alive, but I haven't got as far as I'd like with pulling it into final form. I've also been distracted, because I've found a whole lot of old drafts I want to finish. (If have decided this is an achievement rather than a distraction.) Though I am slow off the start on my W.I.P., I definitely have a ton of stuff I will be able to get done soon and out for folks to read.

I have kept up with "Sample Sunday" with 5 postings for all five Sundays in January. Three of these were whole short stories, which pleases me because I prefer to publish a whole story for folks to read. Sample Sunday, for those who don't know, is an effort by Kindleboards authors to publish writing samples -- either short stories or excerpts -- on Sundays and then tweet the link with the #samplesunday tag. As a writer I feel it's important to get your writing out there, so this seemed like an instantly great idea, Twitter or not. I am determined to keep it up, even if I have to publish poetry or jokes or cat songs on some Sundays.

I also cleaned up my basement office sufficiently to start exercising regularly again. This is Major Achievement In De-Kerfufflizing, and I expect an award for it.

The other thing that I achieved this month is that I broke open a developing idea, and it's really raring to go, even though it's while before I get to it. I also made some progress on other "shelf" ideas. And I readjusted my publishing goals for the year.

Tomorrow IS a snow day. The college was going to make the determination at 4am, but about 4pm this afternoon (Tuesday afternoon) the major university down the street declared it would close for the first time in 32 years, so our little college said "me too!" and all the administrators fled for the grocery store to stock up. Hatches are all battened down. We are snug under our comforters with cats, with nothing to do tonight except write. And run to the window to watch the snow progress. And write.

Tomorrow I want to put in a writing "work" day. I plan to break it up into bite-sized chunks, which will include going outside and taking pictures, at least four writing sessions on the WIP (after which I can do sessions on Shiny Other Things). Some work on future cover art. And I hope to seriously limit my online time. Maybe ten minute breads between work sessions.

I also promised family members to make the filling for fancy lettuce wraps, but that shouldn't actually take long. Might take pictures of that too.

Let's see if this can be the most productive day ever.

But if it isn't... well, this clip of the Snow Song from White Christmas may indicate why: