The concept of a weekend when you work in a shift-based retail job is pretty much nonexistent. Every once in a while, you’ll get two days off in a row, but they’re usually in the middle of the week, so your “weekend” because Tuesday-Wednesday instead of Saturday-Sunday. This weekend, though, I was blessed with the rare combination of Saturday-Sunday-AND-MONDAY off, so I got to experience what people with “real jobs” experience with a “real weekend,” and it’s always lovely and kind of special. But, really, I have nothing to complain about since it’s not like my part-time ass doesn’t have plenty of time on her hands usually. I’m going into a fuller week because our supervisor is taking a vacation, but it’ll be nice to have the extra money.
But you didn’t come here to read about my job that pays the bills. You came here to read about my job that I actually love (but doesn’t pay jack crap…yet). So let’s get in on how the week was and how the week will be.
Reading: I finally finished Night Train to Memphis, which seemed to not want to end at all no matter how much I wanted it to end. And I’ve picked up The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy finally, which I’ve been meaning to get to, especially as I want to start getting back to my fantasy roots a bit more. It’s set up a bit like a textbook, with glossy pages and everything, so that’s a little off-putting, but, I mean, it’s got Terry Pratchett and Ursula K. Le Guin and Lloyd Alexander talking about the craft of fantasy writing. How can it be amazing? I predict I’ll probably finish Galápagos or (speaking of Terry Pratchett) Witches Abroad for this week.
Writing: I finally cracked 40 in rejections last week (currently sitting at 41, meaning I got 4 total since last Monday), which was a little depressing because that means I’ve almost reached the halfway point for a year in a matter of two months. I know the whole point of the challenge is to get as much work out there as you can, but, oof. It can be a little heavy on the soul. Thankfully, just as I marked that number 40 on my board, I received a letter from Bards and Sages Quarterly looking to print my story “The Space Between Worlds” for their April 2017 issue. Since it’s a reprint from Bowlful of Bunnies, it’s a non-paying gig, but it was just the boost of confidence I needed.
Of course, I’ve reached a point again where I’m running out of material. I’ve got 41 stories out there, and nothing new to send until I get my submission for The First Line typed up. And I’m definitely flirting with the idea of releasing a new collection next year. The amount of material I’ve scrounged up this year has been impressive, even I have to admit to that. I’ve got a few stories floating around that need to be finished still, so that will help, and today, I started up a potential piece for Candlesticks and Daggers. I doubt I’ll finish it by the deadline, though, especially since it’s starting to feel like something larger (I think my inner novelist is getting real sick and tired of all these short stories, but, hey, it’s almost NaNoWriMo time, so it can just settle down).
‘Rithmatic: It’s been about a month since I’ve done any walking or exercising, and I’ve really been feeling it, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to get a solid, unexpected nine miles in yesterday. I had been planning to get some work done, but the day was too nice to just sit inside! I might do the same again today, depending on if this soreness sticks around. I also had the chance to go to a concert this weekend with my boyfriend, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend. I’ve never been much of a concert goer, which is a shame, because it was really a fantastic experience! We went to go see Brand New, my boyfriend’s favorite band, for his birthday, at the The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee. I’d never been to Milwaukee, either, so it was all kind of new excitement stuff for me.
Brand New puts on an amazing fucking show, by the way. I know I’ll never get to the level of worshiping them as Ken and his brother do, since they’re not really my kind of music, but I definitely appreciate the hell out of them. It was a lot of fun, and the Eagles Ballroom, for all its crappy sound quality, is an absolutely gorgeous venue in an old 1920s building that made my architectural nerd-self happy.
I’d also like to remind everyone that there’s only one week left to submit your stories to the World Unknown Review! The deadline is October 31st, so get those stories in before it’s too late! Volume III is already shaping up to be pretty fantastic, but your contribution could make it straight up phenomenal!
That’s all (she says, laughing as she reaches 800 words) for now! I’ve got a story to type up and some submissions to read as I enjoy this sudden, random, classically three day weekend!
Happy reading!
L.S. Engler 