The somewhat tardy June writing wrap-up.

Wait. It’s already July 5th? What happened to the first four days?

Hell. What happened to June?

Oh, it was that blur in my mirrors.

June wasn’t quite as hectic as May, but I still ended up spinning several plates. I’ll be honest, in that sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming to juggle multiple projects. There are times when I can’t decide what to work on, or which one deserves heightened attention, and so on. Sure, deadlines help with that, but what if you have more than one thing due around the same time? I can’t speak for others, but I tend to work at knocking out the smaller, less complicated stuff first before turning my full attention to the bigger target in my sights. That approach works more than it doesn’t. Your mileage may vary.

So, what did all of that juggling get me during June? Have a look at the monthly rundown:

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May writing wrap-up.

That blur in my peripheral vision?

May.

Busy, busy, busy last month, with most of my time dominated by finishing up the most recent novel manuscript. With that out of the way, I was able to squeeze in a whirlwind family vacation down to Florida so we could hang with my sister and her family for a three-day engagement with the House of the Mouse. Now that we’re back, I’ve got a few days of messing about with smaller items on my To-Do List, as I eye next week to start writing on what (I hope) will be the next novel manuscript.

And there are a few other things seeking my attention, as well.

But before we can press forward, we pause a moment or two and review the month that was. So, here’s the May rundown:

April writing wrap-up.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand just like that? BAM! We’re a third of the way through 2017.

2017.

We’re, like, a year or so away from the launch of the seaQuest DSV, and two years away from going full-on Blade Runner, man.

Not here at stately Ward Manor, of course. Here, we’ve so far managed to avoid giant submarines and dystopian futures filled with robots who want to kill us. Here, it’s just writing, writing, and more writing.

April was fairly busy on a couple of fronts, both with the current novel in-progress and the outline for what will (hopefully) be the novel I write after that. There also are a couple of other things on different burners, but as with anything else in this business, things tend to move slower than I’d like, and……

Wait. I’m about to bore you with a whole drawn-out, blow-by-blow recounting of the month’s activities, so maybe I should just get on with that. Here’s the April rundown:

March writing wrap-up.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand just, like that, 2017 is 25% in the books.

It’s like the damned year can’t wait to throw my ass over the cliff and into the waiting embrace of my looming 50th birthday.

Shit.

March’s big news was that I got started on the new novel project, about which I am currently allowed to say nothing. At the same time, I’m working to finish an outline for another book, about which I’m also permitted to share precisely nada. A few other things are percolating on different fronts, as well. Hey! The life of a freelancer is in large part about planning the next few moves on the board.

(Note to editors: Will write for money. Or food. Or vodka.)

February writing wrap-up.

February come. February go.

It was a month of maneuvering pieces around the game board in preparation for the next big long bout of writing. The next month or three promises to be very busy on a couple of fronts, but I’m ready to get on with it.

While I’m getting set to dive into my next novel project, and there are plans afoot for two other books as well as a couple of short stories, I’m always on the lookout for something new to do. With that in mind, I made contact with an editor at another publishing house, and while we’re not discussing a particular project, there’s definite interest in putting me to work. I’m hoping to continue that dialogue in the weeks ahead, and see where things go.

(Note to editors: Have words, will write, yo. 😀 )

What have I been up to in the meantime? Well, let’s have a look at the February rundown:

January writing wrap-up.

So, 2017 is off and running, eh?

Things are cruising along on a few fronts, but a common theme at the moment is that I can’t really talk about things currently in the pipeline. I’m hoping some official announcements will be coming, so that I can start blabbing about them. I guess we’ll see.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep on keepin’ on. So, here’s a look back at what went down during January.

December writing wrap-up.

And now we say goodbye to December, and 2016.

Holy crap. That year went by fast.

As for January 2017? I’m hitting the ground running, that’s for sure. There are already several balls in the air, but I’ll take busy over thumb twiddling any day.

Wanna see what’s up? Read on for December’s rundown!

November writing wrap-up!

So, we’re in the home stretch, with 2017 now looming on the horizon. To be honest, I’m okay with that. 2016 has been a shit year, in several respects, and I’ll be happy to kick it to the curb.

On the other hand, I’ve not had any real cause for complaint on the writing front, and things remain busy even as we careen toward the new year. Indeed, I’m currently arranging pieces on the 2017 game board, as it looks like I’ll be busy well into the year’s first half.

So, let’s take a look at the rundown and see what happened during November:

October writing wrap-up.

Here we are, well into 2016’s last quarter-mile. Where the hell has this year gone?

In and around Halloween, Election Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, shopping for Christmas, the War on Christmas, and the end of football season, I have been and will be moving many pieces around the writing game board as I’m already starting to hone in on the projects which will carry me well into the new year. I’m due to start writing a novel in the next couple of weeks, along with a short story that’ll be due in January. There’s another novel already in the queue, and I’m in talks to add at least one more, depending on how particulars shake out, along with some other projects that are in very early discussion stages.

Meanwhile, here’s what went down, writing-wise, in October:

September writing wrap-up.

Hello, Autumn.

I’m not much of a pumpkin spice guy, so I won’t be partaking of that particular latter-day seasonal tradition, but we are entering my favorite time of the year. The temperatures begin to cool, the leaves start to turn, I don’t have to mow my damned lawn as often, and we’re soon to be approaching my favorite holiday of the year, Halloween.

Of course, this is also the time of year where editors seem hell-bent on making sure writers want to drink themselves into a coma as we all rush toward pre-holiday delivery dates.

But, enough of that.

September was active on a number of fronts, particularly with respect to positioning pieces on the game board that will be the year’s final quarter. I’m setting up to be busy as we rush toward Christmas, and I’m kinda sorta looking at November and the annual National Novel Writing Month challenge to perhaps keep me moving at a steady, rapid pace. I’m still mulling that over.

Meanwhile, here’s the rundown for September: