Red Room Where the Writers Are

Where have I been? I'd love to tell you that I've been nonstop writing. However, let's just say I've been busy working on a lot of things that all tie into my writing in some manner.

This week I will move into review phase of the Press Pause Now Anthology. The deadline still is September 25 so if you are putting the final edits to your submissions you have time. There are so many wonderful works to read I thought I should get started. Simultaneously I'm thinking ahead to marketing and promoting the anthology and starting to put together a rough "strawman" of ways to get the word out. Contributors should know my professional background is communications and PR so I'm tapping into my business side to help out my literary side!

I also started a one-year special appointment as an Assistant Professor of Writing at Western Connecticut State University, where I received my M.F.A in Professional Writing. I enjoy teaching the courses I've been assigned:  managerial writing, writing about specialized subjects, and a composition class. I have a motivated group of students and feel good that we have a semester of learning, writing, and fun ahead of us.

I've been working on a client project through my business, C-Suite Communications, that should wrap up this week. I've written a business plan that has helped the client articulate and position their business and have a clear path for growth during the next three years. Ok, this isn't as exciting to most people as writing a chase scene in a novel but I happen to find business writing exhilarating. Really, I do.

I'm excited about NaNoWriMo in November. I have had a YA novel in my head for a year now and can't wait to bang out 50,000 words to serve as the first draft! Any other NaNoWriMo groupies out there? I will admit that I thought I might be too busy to participate this year. But I gave myself a slap and brought back my senses. After the exhilaration of last year's event, I decided that NaNoWriMo would be my special gift to me, one month when I would produce something start to finish, even if it truly stinks, but there would be a draft sitting there on the desk.

Finally, I've received some helpful critiques on an essay I've written that I'm planning to submit for publication so back in the editing mode for this one - again. And, of course, I have another TravelingMom.com Sanity article in the works.

 Hope you're writing, whichever way it's evolving, is flowing and your voices on paper are being heard.