Mull, mull, mull....

I've been mulling over possible changes based on the advice and comments from Anita, and let me tell you it isn't easy. Not that I'm against the changes ("Don't touch my manuscript! NO! Stay away you monster! AAAAAH!!"). I just want to delve into the right places and make the right changes for myself.

Good news is, I have lots of ideas! Yesterday I put together a 2-page outline for my next plans. Now, the implementation begins...

Ugh. And my right knee is still sore. I aggravated it on Sunday while helping Kelly at Aqua Books move junk out of his new building. I didn't think it was that bad, but the more I've walked on it, the worse it gets - and it's not a muscle sprain, more like joint pain. After a few hours of rest it's pretty good, and then after a half-hour or so of walking it starts getting sore again. Yesterday, after three hours of grocery shopping my knee was so sore I was like the shuffling undead!! ("Braaaaiiinssss...."). Ugh.

Well, back at it. Then to prepare some ribs for dinner tonight in the slow cooker (Yumm!) and then shuffle off to work in the freezing c-c-cold.

They're Here! They're Here! The Comments are Here!

Yup! Anita finished reading (and rereading and rereading it looks like) my manuscript for The Ghostcatcher Club, and it returned to me chock-full of notes within, and a 4-page detailed report! Yay!

I've already delved into the notes, and this morning I'm doing the same. Quite exciting to have a roadmap now to help me move forward. There is always a point as a writer where you look at your work and you might see something "wrong" in parts, but you can't quite know where or what or why... you need new eyes.

Thanks for your eyes Anita!

GST and Me

Well, I haven't blogged in a bit, because there was nothing really noteworthy to report.

My manuscript is still being read and critiqued (yay!) and I haven't done anything new because I've been spending my time in the mornings either reading (which is good) or going to work and preparing my financial books for year end (which is also good, but bad for writing).

Today I spent the morning applying for a GST number. The good is that I'm actually making enough money as an Arts Administrator and writer/editor that I need a GST number! The bad is that it's a lot of boring reading about taxes and getting a BN (Business Number). But, it is done! Yay me!

Tomorrow's plans: work in the morning, and do some writing in the afternoon before my brother comes over and we play an evening of Mighty Empires, a great little strategic fantasy wargame (yay games!).

Tonight I was at Aqua Books to enjoy the "AquaBooks Landsdowne Poetry Prize readings" or whatever the title of the event was actually called. Lots of fun (Kelly always makes it a good time with his MC-ing abilities) and great poetry from some great Winnipeg poets like Deborah Schnitzer, Clarise Foster, Lori Cayer, Maurice Mireau. Oh yeah, and Ariel Gordon (if I don't mention her, she'll hurt me! Ha!).
A great evening all around with a big appreciative audience.

Unfortunately, sometimes Work comes First

Last week I had a message from one of our Federal funders that their deadline had changed - from April to JANUARY 15! Thanks for the notice!!

So, needless to say, since the WIWF needs money to pay ME I of course put in a couple of full long days last week. But it's all good! This is the second time around now for me on these grants, so they're much, much less daunting.

I'm planning on working on some more writing later this week (Wednesday), some old short stories that had been abandoned years ago. Looking forward to it!

And right now the Ghostcatcher manuscript is in the hands of the very professional writer Anita Daher! Yay! We'll see what happens in the coming weeks...

I'm BAAAACK! It's a New Year!

Wow! I hadn't realized that the blog had fallen so far behind.
Well, it was just resting for 2008!

Quick 2007 year-end: I managed to finish the 3rd draft of the Ghostcatcher Club (yay!) although I hadn't done another read-through of the entire thing. Christmas was great, with lots of friends and family. I managed to squirrel away about two or three days of my two weeks vacation for myself to just veg and play video games and watch movies and paint miniatures (yeah, I gots meself too many hobbies). A quiet evening at home for New Years with the wife was very pleasant.

Zounds!! Second week of January and I've slept in on my first day back on my writing schedule! Ack! Okay, okay, no need to panic.

I've spent the morning so far catching up on reading other blogs and writerly things. I plan on reading the whole of the whole manuscript of Ghostcatcher Club wholey today and tomorrow. I also plan on getting up earlier tomorrow!

The plan now: hand over the manuscript to Anita for her own read-through and then meet with her sometime in the next few weeks (based on her schedule) to get some professional feedback. Then back at it for another round of edits (I'm sure).

On the side, I want to work on a few short stories that have been hanging around on my computer for a while, and edit a few of my card and board games which have lain unloved for a few years.

I'm really hoping to keep to my part-time sched until mid-March, but that will really depend on what needs doing at the WIWF. My brain is already working full-time thinking about what needs doing before Spring, then during Summer, and Fall, and then THIN AIR 2008.

Gadzooks! 2008 is almost DONE!