Phew, really getting in under the wire here (at least on US EST…) Last week, surprisingly, went pretty well. I ended up hitting midpoint without really realizing it, but the emotional power and turn of events just…yeah. And it’s perfect, length-wise, if I’m still shooting for a reducible 100k final rough draft, almost 50k on the dot. It does shift a number of plot points that I was originally conceiving, but it makes a lot more sense than any of those did in terms of timing and pacing (and length). So I’m good with it. So!
This week, I’m working on: Just plunging on into Act Two/Part II, swinging down towards the end of Act II. I’m hoping to hit that by the end of May, which will mean overall I’m only a month behind schedule (as expected, with the tossed Act I from before). 1k/weekday, chugging right along.
This week, I’m inspired by: I’m sure this is becoming a bit tedious, but Bargue drawings and oil portraits again. I met with the director of a flexible Atelier program here in town, and I’m squared to start it up at the end of June/beginning of July, and I am SO excited. It’s a great opportunity to get out of the house several times a week and do something I love for a few hours, and I’m just thrilled to pieces to be doing at least a tiny bit of formal art training, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years, but just couldn’t quite figure out how to fit it into my life. It’s still requiring a bit of backflipping, given my husband’s unpredictable day-to-day schedule, which is why the flexible, come-as-you-like/late-studio-hours program she offers is so perfect for me right now.
This week, I’ve been avoiding: Nothing specific, other than general household things. Getting set up with the art school and signing the kiddo up for gymnastics classes were the primary focuses this week, which took plenty of energy from my but-i-like-hiding-in-my-house social reserves. And a few car-related things I should get done, but just…ugh…loaners and talking to people and buh… It’s on my “must be done this month” list, though, so hopefully I’ll just bite the bullet and get those things tackled.
Maggie Slater 
Art classes sound exciting, Maggie. It’ll be exciting to see how painting/drawing informs your writing and vice versa.
I can’t wait! My first published story was about a novice artist, and art and the creative process is a theme I love exploring. I’m optimistic that it’ll be an enriching experience, either way! :)