July writing wrap-up.

Whaddaya mean it’s August already? How the HELL did that happen?

No. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.

Things are definitely busy here at Castle Ward. I’m at that teetering point between enough work to keep me busy and too much to handle, or as I like to call it, “the Sweet Spot.” That said, I’m always on the hunt for the next project, so if you’re an editor or publisher reading this and you need an ace word pusher to help you out, give me a shout.

In the meantime, here’s what went down on the writing front in July:

Advertisements

June writing wrap-up.

And just like that? BOOM! 2018, half over.

Where DOES the time go?

Several things shook loose last month, for the better. Projects that had been in limbo – seemingly forever, in a couple of cases – finally broke loose and are moving ahead. The most immediate impact to me was that I went from having little in the way of freelance writing work to almost more than I could handle. Indeed, I had to make a couple of tough choices and pull back from two different projects because I simply don’t/won’t be able to meet their deadlines under my current schedule.

It was a bitter pill to swallow, because while both projects were interesting and promised to be fun, one in particular was exciting just because of who I’d be working with, and what we’d be doing. But, I was worried about not being able to live up to my commitments, and so before anything was cast in stone or money changed hands, I opted to withdraw.

Dammit.

Meanwhile, things are hopping here at Ward Manor. I know you don’t care about what I do when I’m not freelance writing, so I’ll spare you job tales, and get on with the fun stuff; namely, the June rundown:

May writing wrap-up.

Well, better late than never, I suppose.

May was definitely a “Shifting things into gear” month.

It was a month of gathering together bits and pieces, of reestablishing contact with projects floating in limbo or perhaps thought lost forever. It was a month of reconnecting with past acquaintances and making new plans for the future. Several neat things I thought might not come to pass or would at least take forever to get going are showing signs of life. What does all this mean? Well, with just a couple of emails and phone calls, my summer has drifted off the trail of “What am I going to be doing?” toward the path of “How am I going to get all of this done?”

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a nice problem to have.

So, what’s going on? Have a look at the May rundown…

 

April writing wrap-up.

So. April was a bit of a blur, huh?

The month was a bit of an odd one, with more conversations about work than actual work. The day job was, as has become normal, a big part of my writing output, but I still managed to get a few things done. Meanwhile, things are in motion, pieces are being moved, and so on and so forth.

For now, though, here’s the April rundown:

March writing wrap-up.

2018: 25% in the books. Already.

I mean…..the hell?

At least March brought with it my ability to announce some of what I’ve been working on, with a couple of projects being revealed just as the month rang out. Let this be fair warning: you leave me without much or even anything to talk about, and I’m just going to start making up things. Know what I’m sayin’?

As has been the case since late November, my daytime hours are devoted to writing for my regular day job, leaving me with evenings and weekends – and not even all of those – for my other writing. That said, we did have a few things move around during March. Let’s have a look:

February writing wrap-up.

Two months in, and 2018 is already starting to irritate me.

I mean, I guess there’s something to that old adage about time starting to fly right by, the older you get. I blinked, and we’re already at March? The hell is that about? I’m afraid of hitting the snooze button tomorrow morning and waking up in August, or some shit.

Anyway……

Yep, there was some writerly shenanigans afoot at Ward Manor during February. As with January, I’ve continued to spend a good bit of my waking hours writing for the day job, but there was still time to push ahead on a couple of fronts.

“But, Dayton,” I can hear someone saying, “can you finally announce anything?”

Yeah. No.

Check out the rundown for February:

January writing wrap-up.

Well helllllllllllllllllllo there, 2018.

I see you didn’t waste anytime swerving over into the hammer lane and pounding the gas pedal through the firewall. WHAT IS YOUR DAMNED HURRY? I mean, we’ve got the whole year to spend together, right? Slow down. Take in the view. Enjoy the sights. 2019 will be there, sooner or later.

So, what’ve I been up to? Thanks for asking.

A good portion of my writing in January was for my full-time gig during the day. I’ve completed several pieces and I’m continuing to work on new articles, along with editing a couple of submitted pieces and helping out the other members of my team in various capacities. I’m still re-learning the art of balancing a daytime job, family priorities, and my various freelance ventures. To be honest? It’s been a bit rough. That said, a few things are still getting done, albeit more slowly than I’d prefer. I’m hoping to get back up to full speed sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, on the freelance front, I continue to toil in anonymity, working on various things which haven’t yet been formally announced by their respective publishers. A few of these are looking like that they’ll break out into the open soon…you know…so I CAN MAYBE TALK ABOUT THEM.

:: ahem::

So, with that out of the way, here’s the writing rundown for January:

December writing wrap-up.

So, that 2017 was a bit of a dumpster fire, huh?

Yeah.

It was a bit of an odd year for me, as well. The rather volatile nature of freelance writing in general and writing for licensed properties in particular saw that much of my 2017 was cloaked in “secrecy” as I worked on various projects…most of which still have yet to be formally announced. A couple are (mostly) completed, one hangs in limbo, and another? Well….we’ll get to that.

In related news, much of my December writing efforts were directed toward the full-time position I started at the tail end of November. That’s right, I’m having to “re-learn” the art of balancing my freelance writing with a “regular” job. I’m in the process of easing back into the thick of things, and I expect I’ll be firing on all thrusters again here, fairly soon.

In the meantime? Let’s take a peek at my December rundown:

November writing wrap-up.

November come. November go.

It was a month of change on a couple of different fronts. The big item was my return to the world of day jobs and offices for which I must shave and wear pants, which began this past Monday. Though I’ve reactivated my personal rule against discussing such work in this space, I can say that it’s been a fun week as I settle into my new responsibilities. The work environment is interesting and very much lacking in stress, and I really like my co-workers. I’ve already had a chance to “flex my muscles,” so to speak, as they were standing by with my first writing assignment when I walked in the door. I’ve had to balance my learning the ropes with all the various paperwork and other stuff new employees have to endure, but I knew this first week would be like that. Next week will be more actual work stuff than administrivia (he says, hopefully).

“But, Dayton,” I can hear some of you saying. “What about the writing?”

Ah. That.

Things were somewhat quiet in November. Some pieces got moved around the board here and there, while I awaited word from different clients about projects in play. Here’s the monthly rundown:

October writing wrap-up.

Whoa. Whoa. WHOOOOOAH.

November. Already? The hell, 2017? What’s your freakin’ rush, dude?

I honestly have no real idea where this year has gone. A lot of it has been a blur, and I can’t tell if it’s because I’ve actually been getting stuff done, or else I’ve been running around from thing to thing, working on this or that while frantically trying to keep all the balls in the air and maintaining the illusion of getting stuff done.

I’m guessing the latter.

As with last month’s recap, things remain “unannounced” on several fronts, which means I’m not able to shed new light on some of the things I’ve been working on (or will be working on). Yes, I know it can be irking, but trust me! It’ll all come out, sooner or later.

(He says, with the faintest hint of hope lacing his words.)

So, where do things stand as we jump face first into November? For that, we turn to the October rundown: