October 2023 Writing Update

October 2023 Writing Update

I started October off with a shock. It's personal, so I'll keep it brief: I lost a friendship. But between everything else that has been drowning me over the past handful of months - my university studies, my professional development courses, my teaching jobs, losing my home and going on a house hunt, my mysteriously stubborn forearm injuries, the concerning state of the world today, and a host of other personal issues that have been so damn hard to deal with, so damn heavy to carry - it felt like another drop in the lake. One more thing to add to everything else that's not going as well as I had hoped it would. And such is life.

An ode to my garden, which I have lost forever. It's my biggest regret in this whole move, leaving behind a garden as big and beautiful as this. I won't be finding it again anywhere else.

Notice how I didn't add anything writing-related to that list up there? That's because with everything else going on, I've barely had the time - or the desire - to write or work on my writing. And that's OK. For now. I'm alright with giving my body the time it needs to heal. I'm alright with taking things one day at a time.

And, to be fair, it's not like I haven't done anything. For example, I've introduced 3 new characters to Marie/Elise:

1. Lena Thornhill: A tabloid reporter who runs one of the most popular scandal sheets in Blackwood. Always on the look-out for juicy gossip, especially anything that can throw dirt on the rich and powerful pillars of the community, Lena sees an opportunity in the murder of Elise Bellerose, and she'll stop at nothing to get the scoop - even at the expense of the truth. After all, it's the shocking scandal that makes the money, isn't it?
2. Ewa Ilena Adams: Young, intelligent, kind, friendly, and generous - Ewa was all of this and much more. She loved and cherished her community, and was well-known for her involvement in local charities and development projects. So, when she was found drowned in the bottom of her swimming pool, all of Blackwood mourned her death. Officially ruled a suicide, new evidence emerges that links Ewa to Elise. Could their deaths be linked?
3. Agata Adams: Agata never believed her younger sister could commit suicide. But her investigation into Ewa's death will pull her into an inscrutable darkness that might just swallow her whole if she's not too careful. (Did I just name her for the purpose of this post? Yes.)
   

I even made (the quickest and most terrible) sketches of Lena and Ewa. A mixture of right-handed and left-handed drawing. The finished products are not much to look at, and my arms punished me for about a week afterwards, so it probably wasn't worth it. But it's another thing I did. Visualizing them helped me build their characters. So maybe it was a tiny bit worth it.

 I also recorded two whole podcast episodes - only to scrap them. My head's all over the place; I have no writing wisdom to impart (did I ever?), and I have no stories to share. I would talk about Scrittorio, but every day that passes by, I lose confidence in my ability to get the new issue done on time. 

Which brings me to Scrittorio. I announced Scrittorio's December 2023 issue and opened submissions - right around the same time that my forearms began to really act up. (Can the universe just chill a bit?) A few minutes on the computer, and I'm done for. It's not the most conducive condition to be in when you're trying to write a host of articles, run some surveys, and set up interviews with fellow writers. Suffice it to say that things are moving very slowly. Very slowly. 

I am attempting to hire a couple of writers to help me out with a couple of articles. I've already delegated three articles to a writer who has graciously offered to help. That still leaves me with quite a bit on my plate. Quite a bit that I might not get to until the very last minute - if that. There are some parts of the magazine that might simply have to get cut.

So, yes. I am getting frustrated. I am looking at the days pass by, and wondering when my arms will be OK again, and wondering when I can get researching and surveying and writing and designing the new issue of Scrittorio, because time is running short. It's the 23rd of October as I write this. I have about 2 months left to get this issue done. This is not easy.

As you can see, I have been getting some stuff done. Just not enough.

And all of this so far? It's just the stuff I had planned for 2023. I can't wait to see what new obstacles appear when I get to my 2024 projects! 

And alhamdulillah for everything, in the end.