Friday 1 September 2023: The month ahead

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I love September. It’s the start of new beginnings as far as work is concerned, the start of a new working year for me.

Because I’ve been busy with the proofreading job, I’ve not done a lot of work this week. Today was finally all the planning work for September, and some of the wrap-up for August.

I’m only planning to write three short stories in September as we have a week off at the end of the month and there may be a workshop right in the middle for which I’ll also have to write three assignments.

I’ve also looked at calls for submissions to the end of the year so that I might get ahead on one or two rather than rush them at the last minute. This is my ambition, to have plenty of time for stories to cool before revision and submission.

Monkey Dust has the first of three September gigs on the bounce this weekend, so I doubt I’ll get much done during these first three weekends.

Hello September

Here’s how I hope September will pan out:

  • complete monthly wordcount & progress spreadsheets for August ✔️
  • monthly schedule planning for September ✔️
  • new month wordcount & progress spreadsheets for September ✔️
  • write the next short story for 12 Stories in 12 Months
  • weekly tech scan & backup
  • weekly diary work
  • attend PF Writing Hour on Twitter every Tuesday
  • revise Fireworks at Killiecrankie and send it to market
  • brainstorm, outline and write The Ace of Swords 
  • finish the Vietnam book
  • continue watching the motivational Monday workshops
  • collect reading list for study-along workshop on writing romance ghosts (if it’s still going ahead – at this stage, though, I doubt I’ll read any of them)
  • watch online pop-up workshop on how to make red herrings invisible
  • attend study-along workshop on writing romance ghosts (if it goes ahead)
  • (if it goes ahead) write 3 assignments for workshop on writing romance ghosts
  • collect reading list for classic workshop on writing mysteries
  • Monkey Dust admin every Monday
  • Diane’s gig list admin every Monday and Thursday
  • continue typing Catch the Rainbow
  • continue writing Project Management for Writers: Gate 3 – How? 
  • continue planning The (new) Fool
  • continue planning The Beast Within
  • July/August/September newsletter
  • have another week off
  • finances for September

Have a great weekend!


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4 thoughts on “Friday 1 September 2023: The month ahead

    1. I’m half expecting the romance ghosts workshop to not go ahead, which means a chunk in the middle will all be crosses. They don’t have anyone signed up for the in-person workshop and they usually still run the study-along. But as the reading list has yet to materialise, and Kris, I believe, has been having various surgeries, I suspect it might not go ahead… But it’s there in case it does.

  1. WOW. What a busy month you have scheduled! I hope you find lots of inspiration!
    I’m glad it’s September…August was the Month from Hell, and I’m so ready for autumn!

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