Month: August 2020

Scatterbrained Sphinx

(Caution: This is a gif-heavy post. I will not apologize.)

I may have taken on too many things.

This has never worked out for me in the past. Yet, I also can’t seem to stop myself.

In addition to writing, which has yet to give me anything but anxiety and heartache, I am starting a new job. My old job has not yet ended. So for right now, I’m doing both. Oh, and did I mention that I have confirmed for a third (second, if the first job ends first) job on the horizon? No? Hmm, can’t imagine why I forgot. And then finally, there is my side business.

So that’s one.

(Actually 5 if you include writing, which you should!)

Two, I am trying to reincorporate some light exercise into my schedule as the gyms are still not a safe place for a Sphinx like me. I’m trying to go slow and be reasonable because I recognize that I have a lot on my plate and I do not want to injure myself. I have kept it up for 3 days so far. Also, this is requiring me to get up earlier than I usually do, so that’s it’s own challenge.

Three, I’ve started “The Artist’s Way“. I won’t be all the way (or even nearly halfway) through it before my rejection timeline ends, but I am hoping that it helps me focus so that I can actually complete this project. Also, I’ve gotten to the point in the Self-Helpless podcast where the next episode is on The Artist’s Way and I don’t want to skip over it. (Update from my previous post: I’m still really enjoying Self-Helpless podcast.)

So far, I’ve done one set of Morning pages.

Four, I’m trying to get into some sort of cleaning schedule/pattern. Due to everyone being home and no weekends (see above re: my work schedule) and really enjoying the Self-Helpless episode on Feng Shui, the state of certain parts of the house are bothering me to the point of distraction. However, I can’t just take a full day off and deep clean, so I am trying to clean in shifts and become okay with cleaning in shifts.

Five (Yes, there’s more!), due to forces beyond my control, I have come into the possession of a large quantity of milk. (Like a lot! No, even bigger than what you’re thinking.) Now, I don’t really drink milk. But also due to COVID, I can’t easily give it away. So my current solution is to start adding it to my coffee. Which I also don’t really drink.

I also definitely do not smoke. How would I even light a cigarette with these paws?!

Finally (at least as far I know), Six, my local library has joined the Big Library Read. Do I have time for this? No. Do I want to do it? Absolutely. Have I already checked out the book and listened to the first few chapters? You know I have.

So yeah, I know that I’m going to crash and burn. But until then…

Virtual Day-Long Novel-Writing Retreats

Join authors Mary Amato and John Feffer and fellow colleagues for an energizing mix of lectures, facilitated discussion, and forced time to write!

Amato and Feffer are both discipline-crossing writers who are simultaneously working on novels, plays, essays, and poetry. These writing retreats will be focused on novel writing, but we welcome explorers of any genre—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screen or stage play, etc.

Use these inspiring virtual retreat days to take a work-in-progress further or to write something completely new.

ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN (US) TIME ZONE.

10:00-10:15         Intro & Warm up Writing

10:15-11:00         Lecture #1

11:00-11:30         Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)

11:30-2:15            Writing time

2:15-3:00              Lecture #2

3:00-3:30              Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)

3:30-5:00              Writing time

5:00-5:30              Final Q/A

$40 per person per retreat. You may sign up for one retreat or as many as desired. Once you have registered, you’ll receive three Zoom links for each of your retreat days. Each retreat day will include three Zoom sessions with writing time in between.

Sun Aug 30          Mechanics & Process: How to handle drafts, revisions, outlining, research, and feedback. What’s your process? What works and doesn’t?

Sat Sept 26          Tense & Time: Pros and cons of writing in the past or present or a combination of both. Are you writing in the best tense to tell your story? What role does time play in the lives of your characters?

Sun Nov 1            Voice & POV: Establish authenticity, commit to a POV or multiple POVS, and know when to come in for a close up and when to pull back. What are the various voices and POVs in your work?  

Sat Nov 21           Recurring Symbolism & Surprising Metaphors: Identify and explore symbols and metaphors and determine how and when they should repeat. What are the symbols and metaphors that are already in your work? Are you doing all you can or do you need more?

Please note that in addition to these retreats, both Amato and Feffer offer partial or full manuscript critiques on a rolling basis throughout the year. $30 per half hour. You can cap your investment at any amount. If you’re interested, contact either instructor individually. 

Self-Helpless Podcast

Self-Helpless Podcast dives into all things self-improvement with Type A comedians Taylor Tomlinson, Kelsey Cook, and Delanie Fischer. The show covers an array of topics – everything from anxiety to Feng Shui to heartbreak, and the hosts are hilariously candid and are often joined by expert guests.

How I found it: Around Father’s Day, this clip from Taylor Tomlinson’s Netflix Special: Quarter Life Crisis made the rounds on Instagram. I clicked on it and the algorithm took over from there. Insta started showing me other Taylor clips and one of them was a reference to a new episode of Self-Helpless. I liked the comedy clip and so I decided to give the podcast a listen.

Why I love it: Intelligent and funny female friends speaking honestly and openly about their lives, hopes, dreams and frustrations. What’s not to love! They’re also really great at bringing you (the listener) into the circle. I’ve definitely listened to a few other “friend-group” podcasts and they were so full of inside name-dropping and jokes that they were unlistenable. (I still have no idea who “Joey” is or why he mattered to a conversation about ‘Rise’. For example.)

My favorite episode (so far): Feng Shui

I’d dabbled with Feng Shui before and recognized some of the very basic benefits of the practice. But then life happened (I finished school, started working, moved, had other priorities, got lazy, you know) and I never got back to it. In addition to making me laugh out loud many times, this episode reminded me of my desire to get my guas (when I learned it they were baguas) sorted out. I’ve even started moving items into their correct guas and decluttering. (I’ve only been procrastinating on that for weeks years!)

Also, they have an episode on “The Artist’s Way”. So many creatives tout this book as one of the guaranteed ways to spark creativity and get through creative blocks. I haven’t gotten to that episode yet because I’m still Feng Shui-ing my space, but I’m looking forward to being reminded that I have the book and workbook and just need to start working it.

Lingering frustration: The theme song (purportedly by Corina Seas) is very fun but I can’t find the standalone audio of it anywhere!

Episodes, Merch, Reviews and Links are all available at SelfhelplessPodcast.com. You can directly support the show by becoming a patron at patreon.com/selfhelpless and gain access to bonus episodes, exclusive content, and rewards.

Related

Be A Good Sphinx – Charlotte’s Purpose: Weekend of Kindness 2020

No act of kindness is too small to be a part of Charlotte’s celebration and there are no limits on the types of kindness you can do.

The Weekend of Kindness is a yearly event organized by Charlotte’s Purpose in memory of Charlotte Elizabeth Carnaghan, who was stillborn on October 21, 2017. Charlotte’s family invites family members, friends, and friends-they-have-yet-to-meet to do acts of kindness and service during the weekend closest to her birthday. 

The 2020 Weekend of Kindness will be October 24 – 25, 2020.

This year’s Weekend of Kindness “BIG PROJECT” is a Book Drive for Monarch Global Academy (MGA). The goal is to purchase children’s books with Black and Brown authors, main characters, and culture to be donated to MGA classrooms. You can support the 2020 Book Drive project by purchasing books from their Amazon Wish List.

Want to Host Your Own Kindness Project?
If you would like to host your own act of kindness to be included in the 2020 Weekend of Kindness, please let Charlotte’s Purpose know. You can contact them through their website, email, Twitter or Facebook page “Charlotte’s Purpose”.

No act of kindness is too small to be a part of Charlotte’s celebration and there are no limits on the types of kindness you can do.  

Need some ideas?

📌Paying for a stranger’s birthday cake at a local bakery in honor of Charlotte
📌Donating to local food pantries or drives assisting those who are food insecure
📌Creating care packages for medical staff, firefighters, and other community helpers
📌Cleaning up a public park
📌Fill a sidewalk or street with uplifting chalk messages
📌Donate blood or sign up to become an organ donor
📌Donate to causes that provide memorial items for loss-parents
📌Creating care packages for the homeless community
📌Plant a tree
📌Shovel snow or mow the lawn for a neighbor
📌Packing bag lunches or serving at a local Soup Kitchen
📌Paying for a stranger’s ice cream, coffee, or meal
📌Writing letters or making drawings for a local nursing home

To learn more about Charlotte’s Purpose, you can visit their website.

The Rejection Project (Part 2)

As you may recall, in the summer of 2019, I gave myself 100 days to get a manuscript ready for submission.

And I failed. Miserably.

So now I’m back on my bullsh*t and trying again. This time I have given myself a month. (Logically, it seems like shortening the timeline isn’t a good idea but that’s all I’ve got.) At this time, I think it will be a brand new story, instead of trying to rework one of my many other WIPs.