Blog
January: Inspired
By: E.B. Page
It’s been a good writing month so far. I never know when one of those is going to come about, so I’ve been thrilled with influx of big and bold ideas. I’ve been outlining for the most part, but I did send my very first submission in to Prairie Fire for their “Work Matters” call for submissions. It my first submission to a journal that wasn’t part of a contest. Although I’ve been writing seriously for a few years now I didn’t feel like I could submit anything that was of the necessary calibre to be a contender.
Once that submission was in I got to work on my entries for the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop contest. My goal is to submit to at least three categories this year. The addition of a middle grade novel excerpt category has my mind spinning with ideas. I’ve never written for children but since two of mine are now in the “middle grade” readership demographic I’m really excited to write something I can share with them.
My novel is progressing beautifully thanks to my writers group friends who recently welcomed me into their Novel Writing Group. Every week the absolute minimum writing requirement I have now, besides my daily pages of course, is to complete a chapter to share with the group.
The fact that I have to write well enough to share it is getting my manuscript into good shape one chapter at a time. It’s also amazing to finally read the books that we’ve all been discussing for years but have never shared with each other. We all write in such different styles and genres and I absolutely adore every single page I read as I cheer on my friends, all striving for the same elusive goal, completing our first novels.
I’ve taken solace in my daily pages this month. My stream of consciousness writing has improved so much since I started. It’s almost effortless now for me to pick up a pen and write what comes to mind. If I’m trying to work through a problem or story idea in my mind I usually find the answer, sometimes unintentionally, before I lift my pen from the paper at the end of a session. I’m also finding I’m able to do this at work. My daily pages are sometimes completed during my first break of the morning and it allows me to feel accomplished and focus on other projects when I get home.
I’ve been struggling with the cold as I do every year. Leaving home in the morning surrounded by darkness and freezing temperatures, only to miss every sliver of sunlight while at work, and return home in the dark is not helping my spirits. Usually I jump on the “new year new me” bandwagon, and as such be even more miserable by February when I don’t look like a supermodel, or manage to increase my productivity.
All in all I’ve committed to making no new year’s resolutions and remain buried in my writing until the winter has passed. I’m trying to be kinder to myself this year, and not set myself up in a negative way with a slew of personal expectations. I’m in stay-home-and-write mode indefinitely. At least until the world starts to thaw a little.