Just a quick pop-in this week, just so I can say I did it!
What I’m working on this week: The summary draft for Draft 2 of the novel is done and cooling, so it’s onto something else for the month of February. I’d really like to get a new short story written and submitted this month if at all possible, so that’s my primary goal. With that in mind, I’ve got a rough idea sketched out, though it’s been so long since I wrote a short story that I’m a weeee bit worried I don’t remember how to do it, so I’m going to prioritize reading short stories this week. If I can get the prose-draft written this week, I should be in good shape to polish and edit over the next few.
What’s inspiring me this week: Just finished reading The Wave by Susan Casey (about freak waves and big wave surfing), and other than a penchant for really annoying/overbearing metaphors from time to time, it was a very interesting non-fiction read that taught me so much about what I don’t know about waves and wave structure. (For example, I didn’t realize that to study wave structure, you basically have to be a quantum physicist with a knack for chaos theory.) I completely enjoyed it, though, and it’s definitely inspired the story I’m working on now.
I also just finished Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami, which I did not realize is a direct sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase (which, thankfully, I have already read, though it’s been a long time). I really enjoyed this one, not quite enough to dethrone my favorite of all time (1Q84), but it was a great example of Murakami at his creepy/surreal best. I just love the dynamic of totally mundane real-world (like, seriously mundane, borderline boring–except somehow it’s more meditative/relaxing than boring to me) and bonkers, off-the-wall bizarreness that comes in like a swift left hook right when you think everything’s just going to stay normal. I freaking love that combination.
What action do I need to take this week?: It would probably not be a bad idea to sit down and do a rough annual checkpoint to determine what year will look like, since I’d pretty much figured out: January = summary draft; February = not summary draft. But beyond that, I haven’t really thought about how to fit in the various goals I’ve made for the year.