Accountability Check-In #2
June 15 - July 15 2024
Another month gone by and I have loads I want to share as I work my way through organizing myself. Sometimes I feel like I am all over the place with the many projects I want to start, continue, and finish! If you feel the way that I do, one easy way to figure it out is to sit down with a pen and paper and write it all down. Sense can only be made when it is seen. You must face the chaos to organize it! Here’s to facing the chaos!
DISCLAIMER
If you are a fiction writer and unsure of what length something should be, please DO NOT go by my methods. This is something that works for me but won’t work for everyone. Understand that writing is fun and unless you are a fiend for spreadsheets and charts, this might seem overwhelming and unnecessary. If it’s not fun for you DON’T DO IT!
Things were canceled (temporarily) and new projects begun. Let’s see where we are:
FICTION
THE 100 WORD STORIES
June 15 - July 15 = 3,100 words written. With The Fourth 100 book under way, I spent the rest of June finishing up my journey through some truly amazing Criminal Minds episode titles. In July and into August I will get through the remaining suits of the Tarot deck, Mystic Madness which combines The Wizard of Oz with Alice in Wonderland.
SHORT STORIES
My two short story collections are on track, contrary to what I might be telling myself behind the scenes. Yes, it is true I did not finish sharing the end of The Flat and The Neighbors Car (tentative title cause I hate this one) has not yet begun. But ever since finding my old stash of stories I’ve been hard at work editing and rewriting those which are just as fulfilling for me.
Old Wounds—New Beginnings
Happy Last Day | A mother’s love for her twin boys is unmatched. Written in 2020 (3,347 words) | Rewritten in 2024 (4,103 words)
What Big Teeth | A fairytale retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but this time as a real legend as opposed to a story that happens to one little girl. Written in 2020 (4,512 words) | Rewritten in 2024 (5k+ words)
[Anatomy of Typewriters] Returning soon.
MINUTE MYSTERIES
Because I love a challenge and putting ANOTHER THING on my plate, I came across Minute Mysteries, written by H.A. Ripley long time ago and now I want to learn how to write them. Go on this journey with me for the next 71 weeks where I hope to come out of it learning how to write my own Minute Mysteries!
COMMUNITY WRITING
Microfiction Weekend is fairly new and is taking the place of Friday Fiction. Encouraging writers to tell their stories with the use of images as inspiration. Join in and write your own 6-word, 50-word, and 100-word stories!
June 28th, Don’t Knock! / July 12th, Angels are Watching
OTHER WRITINGS
A WRITER’S NOTEBOOK
I finally accept that my stories are in the horror genre!
An open conversation about our work and what it’s worth.
I share my journey discovering stories written during the pandemic and what I intend to do with them.
AI generated images are truly making me sick and I’m finally ready to talk about it after almost a year of staying silent…
I share my ideas for KILLER rewards you can provide paid subscribers.
Substack is working on bringing Post writing capabilities to their dedicated mobile app, starting with iOS and I got BETA access!
MURDER PEN SOCIETY
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie read along has come to a close. We watched the David Suchet version together online (thank goodness for modern technological advances). And not wishing to rest there, I figured why not continue this not real, but totally real, book club of reading horror stories together by delving into some short stories found in the public domain:
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs (1902)
What are your goals for the next month? Share them here and let’s check back in with each other mid-July to see how we’ve done.