Artist's Way Journal - Week Thirteen, New Year's Day

A day of reading.  A friend at church is writing a book, and I'm lucky enough to get to read it.  Admittedly, I'm finding it very compelling.  I'm amazed at the ability to weave the story around a plot that grows constantly, to move between chapters smoothly, to build tension and move the story forward with enough force to make it hard to put down.  This is an ability I wonder at, wonder if I have it in me to do it, too.  I hope he gets this book published.  With a little honing, it'll be a worthy kids book.  And I feel honored to be reading it in it's infancy.  

Today I transferred files from my pc, to my mac, which is what I work on primarily.  I'm hoping this will be further incentive to send stuff out on a more regular basis.  True, I sent out two mss. yesterday, which was the right way for me to end the old year.  Getting the laser printer, and transferring the files this afternoon was a good way to get the new year underway.  Get organised, see what I've got that can be sent out.  I just need to get my submissions book updated.

Up until just a few months ago, I used to be obsessed with updating and studying my submissions book.  Who accepted which pieces in what amount of time?  Who rejects the fastest, and at what time of year?  Which journals encouraged me to "send again soon?"  Since summer, I've let it go, and now I'm going to be quite "off" on my logging in of dates that I've received the latest rejections from.   I think I *did* log in my Pushcart nomination, though.

There is no really good excuse for not sending work.  And at this point, I will have lots of options, as many of my simultaneous subs have been narrowed down.  I m

ight even have enough material to send to the places that don't accept sim. subs.  Maybe this is a hint to be daring, and aim higher, just for jazz.  Can it hurt?  Not if I'm open-minded enough.  It's worth a try.  (Only thing I don't like about that is my pieces are tied up in one place for who knows how long... but it's probably worth doing once in awhile.)

Photos from yesterday's feast:

My Potato Cakes

My Pecan Pie

A bowl of Kimchee

Empanadas, made by DF

British Bangers

My cat is settling into one of her spots, this one in front of my PC.  Up until yesterday, she slept on one of my printed mss.  Fortunately, I'd printed out an extra cover page, recycling the original one, with it's smudges and dirt.

Time for sleep...