For a number of reasons that seemed good at the time – it looked fun, or it seemed a nice thing to do, or being scared stiff because I’m not writing and might never write again – I’ve committed to doing far too much in April.
The original idea was that I’d get well ahead of myself by working hard in March, but March has been so bloody miserable I’ve spent much of it under a blanket and have only poked the social media sites that I felt I should poke and have done the things I feel I should do.
Anyhow, over the next few weeks I should be posting daily for the A to Z challenge. Since I’m one of the people who need a theme to write to, I’ll be pointing out the value of primary sources of all kinds, for finding out cool stuff to put in books, although I can’t promise I won’t just post about things that I find interesting or annoying as well.
The first week should cover written, textile, vegetable, mineral, animal and historical information, plus a bit of a rant. 🙂
I also, in a moment of madness, signed up to do Camp Nanowrimo with the intention of writing 30k over the month. A thousand words a day – should be doable, right? *sigh*
From a less self serving POV I have quite a lot of nice people schedule for interviews/ promotion slots too – more on those as the posts roll around.
So what are you lot doing in April?
Elin Gregory 
WOW you sure enjoy punishment…. I’ll be doing A-Z and working on screen play class. Looking forward to your A-Z, mine will be a tour of my blogs, so photos, poetry, stories and silliness.
Silliness is my favourite. Life is far too serious at the moment 🙂
Well I hope you can squeeze in some time to take a peek 😀
Absolutely, looking forward to it.
I’m looking forward to your A-Z posts. Maybe I’ll learn something new about primary source materials! (I can hear my next movers groaning already–all the new books I’ll be adding to my collection!)
Everything I talk about will be online. I haven’t really got time to scan pictures and stuff. 🙂 yep lazy research but a post a DAY @_@
A post a day sounds terrifying to me, and maybe a little nuts, but certainly not lazy!
It’s possible I’ll get to the end of April without more books, but not likely. Research = infinite rabbit holes, especially when i’m avoiding studying to crawl down after some cool info. 😀
Yay, material-cultiure primary-sources posts! A subject dear to my heart – you remember the samphire, and I can now say I’ve made arrack-punch with the true Batavia arrack! Amazing what you can find in liquor stores these days.
For April, well, apart from boring RL things, I’m attending the Rainbow Book Fair in NYC with Storm Moon Press’s marketing director, K. Piet, who’s coming all the way from Florida, and staying at my house besides. I also mean to finish my vampire story, making sure to put in enough winter atmosphere to suit the “Frost Bites” call at Total E-Bound, due sometime in July, because it’s about 2/3 done already and it’s the most entertaining one I have in progress, and working on a story featuring two minor characters (a tertiary and a walk-on) from my novel, for the “An Improper Arrangement” Regency-lesbian call for Storm Moon, due at the end of June. I also have a plotbunny for their “Uncommon Valor” WWII gay men call, but trying not to let it overwhelm the Regency lesbians whose deadline is sooner.
AND I AM WAITING FOR EDITS ON MY NOVEL. And to hear back about a story I submitted for Storm Moon’s “Turning the Tables” anthology for their Wild Moon het imprint. I am shy of saying what the subject of the call was, as I know you put your naughtiest stuff under a cut. Suffice to say it’s naughty.
Oh, and I’m trying to make a point of reviewing the fiction I read. If I tried to review the nonfiction as well I’d go mad. Maybe I should just track them and post “I used these books for research” when my novel comes out.
I am setting these goals for myself with some trepidation, as, until this week, I hadn’t written a thing since mid-January, and totally failed to produce a story THAT I HAD OUTLINED for a Carina Press open anthology call, which they don’t do too many of. I had a real under-a-blanket slump too.
But I’ve been to the doctor and had my prescriptions adjusted, and I hope the improvement will continue.
Good grief, I’m in awe! And a little bit jealous. Since my SO retired last summer I’ve averaged 1k words a MONTH. I hope the under the blanketness eases off for both of us as the weather improves. Have an excellent time at the Rainbow Book Fair. 🙂
Well, in January, I was in a challenge similar to NaNo, but specifically for smut (always one of my strengths) and that’s where I started the vampire story, which is deeply self-indulgent, because the first-person POV character is an author avatar (and I’ve given her my best dating disaster story in the text), and the vampire in question is STRONGLY hinted to be Lord Byron. So. Um. I promise the narrator’s not a Mary Sue…
And it only has to hit 15K, and I’ve got about 10K done. I know that I can do 15K from scratch in a few weeks when I have an actual hook for myself, because I had a super-tight deadline for the Christmas call I succeeded at — I noticed it on 9/25, and the deadline was 10/15. And that sold.
Because the F/F is with characters whose world I already know, I feel like I have a good chance of doing something with them. And I’ve never written in WWII before, but… my plan is to use a template of two boys I know and love, which will make the going much easier. And the plot has a certain debt to The Steadfast Tin Soldier, only a bit kinder.
Thanks for the good wishes! I’m looking forward to the book fair.
It would be really sad, if you didn’t write again, Elin. For your writing is beautiful. At least I enjoy it very much.
I’m looking forward to your A-Z posts as I always learn something new on your blog. So, I can’t wait 🙂
And me, well, apart from visiting you on your blog and running the In Blue Poppy Fields release tour, we have a big celebration in April. A birthday fete for Belial and Adhemar. That’s something we’re all looking forward to.
Aww *hugs* the melodrama didn’t come through very well in text but I’m glad you enjoy my stuff.
Don’t expect scholarship 🙂 A post a day means a quick google, a picture or two and I hope not too many typos.
Looking forward to being your host.
Getting settled in the new apartment. Finding time to write!
I hope you’ll soon be comfortable and have the time to really concentrate. I can’t wait for it to be warm enough to go and hide far enough away from the TV to be able to hear the voices in my head. 🙂
Same as you, Elin. This hop and working on my Ellis story as that seems to be the one that I’m rolling with at present. Good luck and I’ll be routing for you. 😘
Thanks hunny. Tomorrow I’m going to have to get stuck into 11th Hour if I can remember what the lads sound like.
I’m about to send Searching for Julia off for beta/critique. So I suppose it’s time I started getting words on the page for Finding Rupert.
Good luck with all your April challenges.
Oh glad to hear that Julia is that far advanced. Looking forward to hearing more of the story in July.
I’ll have lots more to tell you about Rupert by then too.
I’m waking up in the morning looking forward to reading your blog! Also, started reading The Serpent and The Rainbow, some tasty non-fiction about an enthobotanist researching zombies.
Helloo, fellow A-Zer. I kind of have to agree we are a little crazy for doing this. I am also trying to do this (got behind in March) and finish the novel I’m currently writing. Let’s cheer each other on?
Hi fellow A-Zer. I’m using this program to light a fire in my brain for my novel and my homework. I plan to do the challenge first and then I’m firing on all cylinders and ready to write. Good luck and hope you feel better.