January 2022 Life Update

Still Living in Blacksburg VA

It’s been a snowy, cozy January. I love looking at the snow. I put a desk in the corner window and feel piles of inspiration as I watch the interesting people in the street.

Like the guy who rides his bicycle wearing a pink tracksuit and a hat with bunny ears.

But I’ve found that I’m not a big fan of the cold. I don’t think my Oregon clothes are really warm enough, and just like the year when I traveled, I’m pretty much wearing the same wool sweater every day because it’s the warmest thing I own.

It makes me feel like a cartoon character.

Also, my cousin Derek and his wife Grace recently moved to town, so that’s been fun! It’s nice to have family around.

Started a New Job

I started a new job as a copywriter for LifeXMarketing, which is the main reason I haven’t been blogging much. I mean, it’s very part-time, so I still have time for other writing projects.

But man, there are so many things I want to write. The ideas never stop. Fiction, nonfiction, blog posts, Patron posts. Other things too, like plays. And speeches. Podcasts. Youtube videos.

Unfortunately, my idea-generator is set to 100 and my energy is set to like, 3.

So having a “real job” of sorts does cut into the amount of time I can spend on other writing projects.

Edited my Novella

I talked about this some last November, but I recently wrote a novella. I basically concluded that this was not something marketable, and just wrote it for fun.

The novella is about a girl who climbs into a mysterious taxi one night because she is so lonely and fed up with her life. Since she doesn’t have any money on her at the moment, she pays by handing over some strawberries and agreeing to tell the curious taxi driver the story of her doom.

The first part of the novella is the story she tells the taxi driver, which ends up being about five people in particular who contributed to her current state of distress and loneliness. In the second part, the taxi driver takes her to a mysterious conference where she runs into all five of them again and discovers what was really going on.

I wrote the story to work through the loneliness and isolation I felt during the pandemic. But I used fantasy to convey it, and I did dumb stuff like naming all the major characters after the characters of whatever book or movie I happened to be consuming at the moment. Also, I threw some real people in as side characters, just for funsies.

I finished the first draft in November and let it rest through December, but this month I edited and revised enough to send it to my editor. Also, I let Jenny read it as a beta-reader. Their reactions were enthusiastic enough that I’m considering publishing it as an e-book.

However, that won’t be for a bit yet. I want to do another round or two of revisions first.

New Projects

I made a new years resolution to write another book. By “another book” I meant non-fiction book, and I know what book it is. It’s the book I was working on with such enthusiasm all autumn before I got discouraged with how vulnerable it was and took a break.

It’s essentially a book of essays about trying to figure out life, love, career, purpose, and community as an older single person.

I’m determined to finish at least a draft of it this year.

But the new fiction ideas burrow into my mind and won’t let go.

And it’s even worse this time, because now that I’ve written a novella I’m convinced that I have what it takes to write a real fiction book.

So yeah…currently I’m spending too much time dreaming up a book that involves completing a bucket list. I only mention that because I could use your help:

What is on your bucket list?

Please let me know in the comments.