It's been awhile. I've shifted from a writing focus to an editing focus over the last couple of years, which is why it's been pretty quiet here.
I recently set up a website for my editing endeavors, though, so that frees up this space for a focus on my writing pursuits. If you are interested in following me on my editing journey, look me up at selundberg.com.
As I mention in my "about me" section, I do have goals to have a novel published eventually. It's not as high of a priority these days as it used to be, but since I've made a great deal of progress on the editing front, it's time to start thinking about my writing again.
To look back at 2014, here are some noteworthy writing accomplishments:
-I won the Story-in-a-Bag short story writing contest for the amateur horror category at ConQuest
-I won third place (and $200) for the Writers Weekly 24-hour story contest in the fall
-I completed my tenth year doing Nanowrimo, sixth year as Municipal Liaison
-I started writing passages at the new job
To look ahead at 2015, here are some goals:
-Write a short story a month for the Confabulator Cafe
-Participate at the professional level for Story-in-a-Bag at ConQuest this year
-Participate in panels at ConQuest this year
-Start to submit short stories again
-Edit and send out Monsters of Lawrence to beta readers
-Haunted Mansion writing retreat in California in September this year
-Talk to Jack's sister's young adult book club to encourage young writers
I haven't decided if I'm going to participate in Nanowrimo again this year or not. Having done it every year for the last decade, I'm feeling a little run down and burnt out. My fellow writing group members encourage me to still participate even if I don't ML. We'll see how I feel when November rolls around. I'm ok with the idea of retiring. I know I can write a novel, with or without the help of the month-long competition.
It is kind of a relief to switch this blog back to Prospective Writer. I need a place to keep track of my writing progress separate from my editing. They are two different sides of my brain. It's nice to have to completely different spaces to play.
Besides, here I get to brag about the books I'm reading, share any awesome quotes I've heard, and talk about what I'm writing.
Time to get back to basics. I'm shabby and out of practice being a writer. I'm relying on this blog to help me get back on track.
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label editing. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Monday, November 5, 2012
What's This Life For?
I'm having a rough night/day/week/month/year.
This is a long, whiny post, so read at your own risk.
Over the years I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a very flexible person. When things don't go as I expected or I have to change my plans at the last minute, I tend to freak out more than is strictly necessary.
It's led to a lot of issues with stress, depression and anxiety throughout my life. I do various things to manage these three things, but lately, I've sort of lost my handle on them all.
I'm having a bit of an identity crises these days...and the boyfriend, while being incredibly supportive of everything that i do...doesn't really understand.
Not sure anyone else will, either, really, but I'm going to try to explain where I'm coming from and why, suddenly, tonight, I am ready to give up everything I've been working for these last few years.
Ever since I graduated from college, back in 2006, I've been jumping from admin support job to admin support job at the University, never staying in any one department for more than a couple of years, all the while thinking, planning, anticipating the "next big thing," whatever that might be, that would get me out of higher ed. I applied to grad schools, odd writing/editing jobs, and when all of that failed, for awhile thought I was going to pick up and move 3000 miles to do a certificate program in a field I thought I was well-suited for.
All the while trying to write novels, mind you. Crappy novels that will never see the light of day, and a couple of pathetic short stories that read like fan fiction.
I expected that someday, maybe in my mid 40s, I would write a semi-decent novel and make some money off of it - enough that I could write a few more novels and eventually quit my day job.
But I knew I'd probably keep some form of day job until retirement age.
I fixated on editing as that day job. And for that, I needed some education.
I finally gave up on moving to Seattle and settled for an online certificate program offered through UC Berkeley. One of the best online schools out there, I might add.
So there I was, August of this year, excited because I had two novels ready to be edited, several short stories out for submission and one had been accepted, and about to begin my education that would start me on the path to my dream job as a freelance editor.
And then it happened: the beginning of the end.
I knew almost right away that things were not going to go exactly as I had hoped. By the second assignment, I realized I do not have an aptitude for editing, and I basically hate grammar.
Not only do I hate it, but I'm also bad at it. Like, embarrassingly abysmal. We've had our first couple of sentence-level editing assignments, and I have barely passed. The slop I turned in for tonight's assignment is barely recognizable as English.
And here I thought I was supposed to be good with words.
Nope.
So now, I'm not only doubting my ability fix a disaster of a sentence, I'm beginning to doubt my ability to craft a coherent sentence. My writing must be horrible. I have dangling modifiers and split infinitives and comma splice galore in my novels. I'm not even sure, even after almost three months of class, that I know what all of that means.
I've already had my doubts about my ability to make a career out of writing. You've all read my dubious posts about that. But now it seems as if I was wrong about my being well suited as an editor, as well.
And so I stand under a scorching stream of hot water in the shower and cry because I have no idea what to do with my life, and I'm buried beneath my feelings of being trapped at a dead end job as administrative support for higher ed for the next 26 years until I can retire.
It's hard to complain because I have a good, solid job that pays well. The people I work with are fine, for the most part. The work is boring but not difficult. I'm good at it. I get to help people, which I enjoy, so there's some job satisfaction.
It's just so mind-numbing most days and I'm so far from where I want to be in my life. By the end of a 40 hour work week, all I want to do is come home and sleep or zone out to the TV.
I know it could be so much worse. I have a job, when so many people don't. I can pay my bills. I'm saving for retirement. I can actually afford to further my education. Not only that, but I have an amazing group friends, a loving family, a phenomenal boyfriend, I'm healthy, I'm still fairly young, and I have a lot of potential to do a lot of different things and the time to do them if I'm so inclined.
So why do I feel so defeated? So completely miserable? Why can't I be happy with all of the amazing things I have in my life?
What am I supposed to do with myself? Especially when I feel this way?
This is a long, whiny post, so read at your own risk.
Over the years I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a very flexible person. When things don't go as I expected or I have to change my plans at the last minute, I tend to freak out more than is strictly necessary.
It's led to a lot of issues with stress, depression and anxiety throughout my life. I do various things to manage these three things, but lately, I've sort of lost my handle on them all.
I'm having a bit of an identity crises these days...and the boyfriend, while being incredibly supportive of everything that i do...doesn't really understand.
Not sure anyone else will, either, really, but I'm going to try to explain where I'm coming from and why, suddenly, tonight, I am ready to give up everything I've been working for these last few years.
Ever since I graduated from college, back in 2006, I've been jumping from admin support job to admin support job at the University, never staying in any one department for more than a couple of years, all the while thinking, planning, anticipating the "next big thing," whatever that might be, that would get me out of higher ed. I applied to grad schools, odd writing/editing jobs, and when all of that failed, for awhile thought I was going to pick up and move 3000 miles to do a certificate program in a field I thought I was well-suited for.
All the while trying to write novels, mind you. Crappy novels that will never see the light of day, and a couple of pathetic short stories that read like fan fiction.
I expected that someday, maybe in my mid 40s, I would write a semi-decent novel and make some money off of it - enough that I could write a few more novels and eventually quit my day job.
But I knew I'd probably keep some form of day job until retirement age.
I fixated on editing as that day job. And for that, I needed some education.
I finally gave up on moving to Seattle and settled for an online certificate program offered through UC Berkeley. One of the best online schools out there, I might add.
So there I was, August of this year, excited because I had two novels ready to be edited, several short stories out for submission and one had been accepted, and about to begin my education that would start me on the path to my dream job as a freelance editor.
And then it happened: the beginning of the end.
I knew almost right away that things were not going to go exactly as I had hoped. By the second assignment, I realized I do not have an aptitude for editing, and I basically hate grammar.
Not only do I hate it, but I'm also bad at it. Like, embarrassingly abysmal. We've had our first couple of sentence-level editing assignments, and I have barely passed. The slop I turned in for tonight's assignment is barely recognizable as English.
And here I thought I was supposed to be good with words.
Nope.
So now, I'm not only doubting my ability fix a disaster of a sentence, I'm beginning to doubt my ability to craft a coherent sentence. My writing must be horrible. I have dangling modifiers and split infinitives and comma splice galore in my novels. I'm not even sure, even after almost three months of class, that I know what all of that means.
I've already had my doubts about my ability to make a career out of writing. You've all read my dubious posts about that. But now it seems as if I was wrong about my being well suited as an editor, as well.
And so I stand under a scorching stream of hot water in the shower and cry because I have no idea what to do with my life, and I'm buried beneath my feelings of being trapped at a dead end job as administrative support for higher ed for the next 26 years until I can retire.
It's hard to complain because I have a good, solid job that pays well. The people I work with are fine, for the most part. The work is boring but not difficult. I'm good at it. I get to help people, which I enjoy, so there's some job satisfaction.
It's just so mind-numbing most days and I'm so far from where I want to be in my life. By the end of a 40 hour work week, all I want to do is come home and sleep or zone out to the TV.
I know it could be so much worse. I have a job, when so many people don't. I can pay my bills. I'm saving for retirement. I can actually afford to further my education. Not only that, but I have an amazing group friends, a loving family, a phenomenal boyfriend, I'm healthy, I'm still fairly young, and I have a lot of potential to do a lot of different things and the time to do them if I'm so inclined.
So why do I feel so defeated? So completely miserable? Why can't I be happy with all of the amazing things I have in my life?
What am I supposed to do with myself? Especially when I feel this way?
Friday, July 13, 2012
Finally Getting To It
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| Does loving school make me a nerd? (photo) |
After months of stagnation, where I didn't even update my blogs let alone write anything, things are finally moving again. I feel like I am back to making progress towards some of my goals.
First - I am officially enrolled in an online grammar and mechanics for editors class at UC Berkeley. If all goes well, I will earn their Professional Sequence in Editing certificate over the next four semesters. The program starts in September, and while I am extremely nervous and a bit trepidatious about my ability to do school after sitting out for so long, I am also so excited that I have already purchased my textbooks.
Second - I found out today that one of the stories I submitted to a publication has made it through their first round of cuts. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm in - they had over 200 submissions and they can only take about 15 stories - but that means it was good enough for them to give it a second look. I actually assumed it was a rejection when I first saw it, and I had to read it twice to realize it wasn't!
Third - This may be a bit premature, and I reserve the right to revoke ever mentioning this, but I think I might be ready to start editing my novel, Online Dating for Demons. I've been thinking a lot about the world lately and how much the inconsistencies are bothering me to the point where I really want to fix them. I did some preliminary note-taking on changes I need to make, and I am about to start following R.L. Naquin's index card method. I haven't ever significantly edited anything this long before, so I have no process to speak of. Which means I will be stealing hers to start with.
That's it for now, but I think that's plenty. I'm excited. I'm feeling good about writing and editing. I'm daring to hope that my dreams may someday become a reality if I keep working at it.
The only discouraging part is trying to be patient. I wish I could just put on a good song, montage through all of the hard parts, and then when the song is over, I'd be a wildly successful writer and editor.
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Second Year
I turned 31 on Saturday. I had a lovely birthday, filled with good wishes and all of my favorite people. It made my transition from being just 30 to being IN my 30s a little less overwhelming. I think 2012 is going to be a good year.
A year ago Saturday, I made the resolution to focus on my writing career. I set the goal for myself to be published by the time I turned 40. It's hard to believe the first year is already over. Only nine years left to make my goal a reality!
But I made a lot of progress towards my goal in 2011. It was to be my year of creation, and I went above and beyond my expectations.
I pushed myself and accomplished more than I thought possible. I'm starting to believe that maybe I can do this whole writing thing.
Yesterday I made up a list of New Year's Resolutions like I always do, and the first half of them were all writing related. I have my goals set for this coming year. It's to be the year of editing. I will continue to create, but I want to focus on the rewriting process. I know I can write. I know I can finish a full length novel. Now let's see if I can clean up a novel to the point where I can start querying it. Maybe by this time next year I will be negotiating contract details. Hah.
Here is my list of writing goals for 2012:
I will also have my hands full with writing and editing for the Confabulator Cafe, but that's going to be a ton of fun and a great experience. My writing group is amazing.
So my December hiatus is overwith, which means it's time for me to buckle down again. I have a few more manuscripts from fellow writers to read and give feedback for, and then I have to decide which novel to begin editing first.
Requests?
One last thing. I've got to put in an official plug for the group's new website! We're all very proud and excited for it. You should all come see us at the Confabulator Cafe. Meet the great people I get to work with and learn about the craft of writing. You'll be looking inside the minds of local writers and get to follow all of us on our writing journeys. I'll be posting every Tuesday, and we will have original content Monday through Friday. Leave comments, ask us questions, and enjoy the many different perspectives on life and writing.
A year ago Saturday, I made the resolution to focus on my writing career. I set the goal for myself to be published by the time I turned 40. It's hard to believe the first year is already over. Only nine years left to make my goal a reality!
But I made a lot of progress towards my goal in 2011. It was to be my year of creation, and I went above and beyond my expectations.
- I finished the second Sally Prescott adventure story
- I wrote a 30 pages Doctor Who fan fiction piece
- I transcribed a story I started to write by hand several years ago that I'd like to finish
- I finished my 107k word draft of Monsters of Lawrence
- I finished my 55k word draft of Online Dating for Demons
- I became editor and contributor for the writing group's Confabulator Cafe website
I pushed myself and accomplished more than I thought possible. I'm starting to believe that maybe I can do this whole writing thing.
Yesterday I made up a list of New Year's Resolutions like I always do, and the first half of them were all writing related. I have my goals set for this coming year. It's to be the year of editing. I will continue to create, but I want to focus on the rewriting process. I know I can write. I know I can finish a full length novel. Now let's see if I can clean up a novel to the point where I can start querying it. Maybe by this time next year I will be negotiating contract details. Hah.
Here is my list of writing goals for 2012:
- Edit Monsters of Lawrence
- Edit Online Dating for Demons
- Edit Sally Prescott and the Haunted Treasure (and post to Scribd)
- Write and submit 3 short stories to literary magazines
- Write at least 2 writing blog entries a week for Prospective Writer (you are here)
- Write at least 1 wine blog entry a week for Red Wine Reminiscence
- If/when novels are cleaned up to final draft status, begin the querying process
I will also have my hands full with writing and editing for the Confabulator Cafe, but that's going to be a ton of fun and a great experience. My writing group is amazing.
So my December hiatus is overwith, which means it's time for me to buckle down again. I have a few more manuscripts from fellow writers to read and give feedback for, and then I have to decide which novel to begin editing first.
Requests?
One last thing. I've got to put in an official plug for the group's new website! We're all very proud and excited for it. You should all come see us at the Confabulator Cafe. Meet the great people I get to work with and learn about the craft of writing. You'll be looking inside the minds of local writers and get to follow all of us on our writing journeys. I'll be posting every Tuesday, and we will have original content Monday through Friday. Leave comments, ask us questions, and enjoy the many different perspectives on life and writing.
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| www.confabulatorcafe.com |
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Hiatus
It's been two weeks. I am slowly emerging from my Nano induced coma.
This year was especially brutal because I started my Nano book right after finishing my Camp Nano book. Two books back to back wiped me clean out.
For awhile I wasn't sure if I'd ever write again.
I say that every year, of course. And I always bounce back.
So here I am. Back to what I do best.
I've already received a lot of positive feedback on Online Dating for Demons, so the consensus is I need to put the work into it and try to get it published. Part of me is terrified of that notion. Am I ready? Publishing Paralysis aside, I've never significantly edited anything before. This will be my first big novel overhaul. What if I can't do it?
I'm having my fair share of doubts, obviously, but I have an amazing group of writers supporting me through this. I know if I don't work on it, they'll get on my case until I do. And they'll keep pushing me until it's done.
The rest of this year will be spent in input and reflection mode. I have a lot of books to read, I have a handful of other people's Nano novels to enjoy and give feedback for, and I have a lot of thinking to do about Dating for Demons.
But starting next year, it's back to work.
I'll try to check in a few times before then. If I don't catch you, have very happy holidays.
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