I'm Shifting My Writing Focus (Short-term), See What That Means...

... in this April update.

TLDR!

Here’s what to expect from this month’s update:

• What lead to this decision?

• How I’m shifting my writing focus

• And I’d like your feedback on something

• Bookish events for April 2024

• March 2024 Accountability

Why am I shifting my writing focus?

My wife and I recently got asked to take on a property management position over the apartments where I live. This has cut into our free time, and shortened my available writing time. However, it has it’s own rewards, which are going to help with some of our long term plans.

So, what about this change of focus?

As noted last month, I shifted to gamifying my writing progress, and it helped for the time I had available. So I’ll certainly be using this method for more of my projects, going forward.

And it’s one of these other projects that’s going to become the focus of my writing efforts (for the short-term). While I adjust to the new responsibilities, and get used to the extra work of being a property manager, I’m going to switch from writing to editing.

For a while I’ve talked about collecting the '“Shadows Over Seattle: Prequel” stories into an anthology. This collection of urban fantasy short stories featuring characters from the novel, showing an supernatural experience that shaped their lives.

I have the stories all merged into one document, and have started making notes, as spare time allows.

What my plans are for this anthology…

I’ve a few plans that I hope will make these stories even better than they were during their original releases (some as many as 10 years ago).

1. Update each story to match my current writing style, while keeping the original story as intact as possible.

2. Update the dates for all the events in the stories. When I first wrote them I thought I had a coherent timeline… Surprise… I didn’t!

3. Update my author bio, forwards and dedications, since a lot has changed in 10 years.

4. Add a completely new short story, that’s largely written already, and is unavailable anywhere else. (This will take the collection from 5 to 6 short stories)

5. Create a cover for the anthology that will help set the tone for the short stories, and the novels that are yet to come.

And this is where I need your feedback…

I’ve come up with a couple of cover concepts for the anthology, and would love your feedback. (Open each image in a new tab to see the full cover design)

Right click and open the image in a new tab, so see the full cover concept. Which image grabs your attention more?

I’d also love to hear what you think of the covers.

• What are your first thoughts on the covers?

• Any suggestions for changes that would make you want to pick it up?

• What kind of stories would you expect in the collection?

• Or, just want to drop an unrelated comment?

Hit the button below, and feel free to have your say.

Which brings us to events for this month…

Bookish events for April 2024

• April 1st -30th : National Poetry Month - Credit to anyone who can write poetry; it’s not easy!

• April 1st - 30th: Autism Acceptance Month - Take some time to learn more about the challenges people on the autism spectrum face. And learn how you can help those in your life who live with those challenges.

• April 4th: National School Librarian Day - I’m grateful to the librarians at my schools for always pushing me to read at higher than average levels. It broadened my reading so much, that I never lost the love of the written word.

• April 7th: National Library Week - As you may have guessed, I pretty much grew up in school and local libraries. Show your gratitude to those who fund them, and those who keep them available for all.

• April 9th: National Library Workers Day - My mum worked in our local library for years, and I did several years in local libraries growing up, and into my college years. I know how hard the job can be some days, so show your appreciation.

• April 15th: TAX DAY - If you’re in the US, this is your last day to file your taxes.

• April 18th: World Heritage Day - Visit local cultural events, locations, and celebrations of heritage around the world.

• April 23rd: World Book Day/World Book Night - Check out local book events, signings, and other celebrations of the written word… Or curl up with a book, and enjoy in piece and solitude.

• April 27th: Independent Bookstore Day - Local, independent bookstores, are a gathering place for readers and writers alike. Show your local indie bookstore some love, because they are often very supportive of local authors.

Feel free to share any local book-related events in the comments.

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Writing/Editing Update - March 2024

• Days I’ve written something: 2

• Days I’ve been unable to write anything: 29

• Outline pages: 13 (finalized)

• Draft pages: 4

• Words written: 4,083 (draft - total)

• Words edited: 2,000 (total)

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