The Silent Grind

In writing, the best way to write is to "show, don't tell." Let the reader visualize the story from the words used. "Johnny was mad" should read "Johnny's face achieved several shades of red, his nostrils flaring, the thinning of his lips scary to witness." See the difference? 

     I found myself doing a lot more telling than showing with my actual work. I could tell you the projects I'm working on, or I can show the finished product. I made a conscious decision to focus more on my writing, to outline stories beginning to end, and to be more patient. Anyone who knows me is aware that patience has never been my strong point. 

     I promised myself I'd write everyday, no matter what. My phone, my laptop, and a dollar store notebook given to me by my cousin Coco, accompany me on every vacation, packed in my bookbag. I have no excuses not to write, and writing well is a priority. 

    With that being said, over the last few months I've been stacking my vault with short stories, poems, essays, and story ideas. The only people who know how I've been grinding are my wife Traci and my number one beta reader Sherri Malarkey. Traci has seen about fifty percent of my projects, and Sherri even less. I've become so secretive and selective that Sherri currently has the first thirteen chapters of 'Singing to Butterflies' but I've written seven more. I'll send it when it's finished.

     I'm blogging more, reading writing improvement books, and focusing on personal deadlines. My New Year's resolution was to hit the 'submit' button at least one hundred times in 2018, for better or worse. Today is January 10th, and the number is now ninety-seven. 

     My other deadline is March 1st. The first book of 2018 will be a go, whether with a publisher or self-published. The second book will be finished on that day as well, followed within weeks by the third. Here's the kicker; they're all full-length novels, not collections of poetry or short stories. 

     The poetry, essays, articles, and short stories will be submitted to magazines, contests, and anthologies. Remember, one hundred submissions is the goal. I'm on it.

      Meanwhile, the grind continues. Today, out of nowhere, a short story erupted, interrupting my plans. I wrote it, and it's being sent out in the next seven days, shined up and pretty. Tomorrow, or later tonight on my lunch break, I'll go back to my scheduled programming, chipping away until the project is finished... even if a poem, article, essay, or short story intervenes for a moment.

       Wherever I'm at or whatever I'm doing, writing projects are dancing through my mind. Flavored moonshine or cold beer? Skinny dipping? Maybe? See what I mean. The grind continues...