May Update: On Track and ConQuesT 47

All right, friends. All kinds of news to share. I really should start updating more often.

First, I won Camp Nano and finished the story I was working on. Second, I am back working on Towers of Kansas. The rest of the book is outlined and I'm making decent progress. Most days. This is exciting news because that means I am still on track with the huge project list I made. I'm optimistic that I will get ToK finished by the end of June. July is the second session of Camp Nano, and I have another nearly novella to write for that. I think I can do this. I really do.

Only partially furnished at this point.

Third, WE HAVE AN OFFICE. Jack and I went in with Kevin and Rachel and found a tiny office in a suite of offices downtown. It has a skylight and room enough for three or four workstations. There are bathrooms and a kitchen area and even a waiting room. It's pretty posh. We're doing a six-month lease as an experiment, see how much we use it and how productive it will make us. I am hoping many a novel and short story are written there. It's still in a state of partially furnished, but we're slowly working on getting desk and chairs and, y'know, internet up and working. We have a coffee pot in there. That's probably the most essential thing, right?

As a quick follow-up, I am still firm on my decision to retire as a freelance editor. I just finished what will probably be my last freelance project for awhile. It makes marketing myself weird, since my main website is still my freelance editing one, but I figure over the next year, I will make the transition from freelance editor to writer and editor for Bottle Cap Publishing.

Ok, ConQuesT 47! I will be there. I am moderating five panels. I will be doing a reading. I will probably go to a few panels for friends and colleagues, but also potentially spend lots of time at the bar.

If you are reading this blog and want to know where I will be when, here are my panel titles and times (and a couple lines about them):

Friday

3:00 PM - Writing Groups: This panel is hosted by the LFK Writers writing group and will discuss how to find the right writing group for you.

5:00 PM - Writing Prompts: This panel is also hosted by the LFK Writers, who contribute to the Confabulator Cafe, a website where we write fiction to a new prompt every month. We'll talk about all the different kinds of prompts there are and how to generate story ideas.

Saturday

10:00 AM - Publish Like the Pros: Bottle Cap Publishing will talk about how to self-publish your books.

1:00 PM - NaNoWriMo: A panel talking about the who/what/where/when/why/how of writing a novel in a month.

2:00 PM - Creativity and Mental Health: A common stereotype is that creative types all have some sort of mental illness. Sadly, there is a lot of truth to that. This panel is designed to raise awareness to reduce stigma and also talk about productive ways to work past those illnesses.

4:00 PM - Creative Isolation, Balancing Creativity and Relationships: This panel is designed to open up a dialogue between creative types and their loved ones to make sure everyone is getting what they need, whether it be time, space, or support.

Sunday

1:00 PM - Reading: Not gonna lie. This is my first time doing a reading in public. I am nervous. But. I will try to delight listeners with a short story from a recent publication, an excerpt from Monsters of Lawrence, and some of the ridiculous magnetic poetry I've written.

For a full schedule, check out the ConQuesT Sched website. There are lots of other interesting panels hosted by amazing people.

I shouldn't make promises, but I will try to post a wrap-up post-con when I get back. I am sure I will have lots of thoughts and feelings.

And hopefully more news as far as my writing!