Monday 19 May 2025: Last week was relaxed

Once again I forgot to start today’s post on Friday, so I’m doing much of this from memory.

I didn’t have a very busy day on Friday, but I did start the next WMG publishing workshop, this time Advanced Depth. The first session actually pointed us to another lecture, on the stages of a fiction writer. The videos were longer than in the workshops and there were more of them. So that took longer than a workshop would. 

Determined to get back into the swing of work proper, the first job I did after that was the work schedule for the rest of this month and for next month. I’ve built in more revision workshops and I’m making note of the assignments as I go so I can work on them for actual stories. 

The Kickstarter I backed last week has 2 workshops for me. One was part of my pledge, the other was a stretch reward. The pledge workshop starts live on either 10 or 24 June. I’ll carry on revising workshops I’ve already done until that one starts, then I’ll go back to them when it’s done. I have so many workshops, classes and lectures now, I really need to start doing them so I can apply what I’ve learned.

I did my weekly backup, and I did this week’s diary. I didn’t get around to any writing, which means I’m busy this week now, with one deadline this week and one at the end of the month. Finally, I sent another email to the client edit author, because the revisions he’d promised me at the beginning of last week had still not materialised. I’m getting red flags over this now, so I suggested he contact his handler at the publisher and request an extension if he’s struggling. 

Last week was more relaxed as a result of this client edit not coming back. I have time allocated to it this week too. But if it doesn’t get here today, I’ll have more time to work on my two deadlines.

I’ll do the weekend catchup tomorrow. Last week may have been nice and relaxed; this week isn’t.

The magic bakery

A few years ago I stumbled across a book called The Magic Bakery by Dean Wesley Smith. Originally written in 2017, this book turned on a lightbulb inside my head and enabled me to see copyright in a whole different glow. 

One of the first things I did, after reading this book, was start my own magic bakery. And in one 12-month period, I published around 56 books: short stories; collections; novellas; novels; and non-fiction books. Fifty-six of ‘em. I’ve added to them since, but those books now provide me with a steady trickle of income. Passive income.

Well, the magic bakery is back, but this time Smith is updating it, chapter by chapter, first on his website, then in a class, and then in a new and updated book. Here’s chapter two. 

I’ll carry on linking to the chapters, as they appear, so that you guys have some understanding of what I’m banging on about when I persist in talking about my magic bakery. And I’ll repeat this bit of blurb every time for first-time readers. 

For those of you who’d rather read them as Smith posts them himself, rather than when I get around to it, you can go straight to his website here.