With every quarterly update I write, I find myself hoping that I won’t have to mention the COVID-19 pandemic by the time the next quarter rolls around, or that I’ll be able to focus on how much things have improved at the very least. Such is not the case this month, unfortunately, as the United States is now responsible for approximately a quarter of the world’s total COVID-19 cases. And my state, thanks in part to a toxic combination of our toxic governor’s inaction and the fact that our two biggest universities decided to open to in-person classes, is now one of the country’s hotspots for new corona virus cases.
Adding to my frustration are the Memories that Facebook has been showing me on and off for the last three months featuring trips that my husband and family and I have taken together in recent years. Although I’m glad we were able to visit my sister in Canada last year—especially with the borders between here and there closed for the foreseeable future—and visit Oregon, and take a honeymoon a couple of years ago, those memories are tinged with bittersweetness now.
Back in April, I was still hopeful that things would “go back to normal” and I’d be able to take the two trips I’d lined up for this year. Now, I’m forced to admit that this pandemic has become our new normal, regardless of whether it should be or not, and travel as I remember it—along with a whole host of other things—isn’t coming back anytime soon.
General Updates:
Because this update has already been depressing enough, I’m going to focus on the positives of the past few months. One such positive is the amount of time my husband and I have been able to (safely) spend outside. We’ve gone hiking at a few different state parks in the area and kayaked on a nearby lake with friends a handful of times. You all know by now how much I LOVE summer, and being outdoors has really helped me to feel like I’m experiencing the season this year.
My husband and I also celebrated our second wedding anniversary, which was lovely despite our lack of travel plans. We ordered takeout from our favorite Italian restaurant in town, watched a movie together, and enjoyed our day off work. No matter how chaotic this year has been, we both feel incredibly fortunate that we have each other.
What I’ve been Writing
I finished the first revision pass of my WIP, which has been my biggest creative accomplishment this year aside from finishing the first draft. After struggling a bit to get started, I finally feel like I’ve hit my stride. I know I have a lot of work still ahead of me, but I’m still very pleased with the work I’ve done and with how the story’s coming.
I also just finished revising a short story that I thought I’d finished revising more than a year ago. The joke’s on me though, because this version is so much stronger and tighter and clearer than the old draft, and I’m even happier with it now. (On that note, if you know of any spooky story contests happening this fall, please leave me a link in the comments.)
What else I’ve been working on
Overhauling this website was by far and away the biggest project I undertook this quarter, but I’m super proud of how it turned out. What do you all think?
Otherwise, I’ve continued to teach myself with guitar, which is coming along faster than I would’ve thought. I can play parts of three songs, and I’m in the process of learning a fourth. I’ve also been writing letters to potential voters in advance of the upcoming election November 3rd. (You are registered AND planning to vote if you’re reading this, right? Right??)
Five Favorite Reads
1) Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore
2) The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
3) The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
4) Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
5) The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord
What’s Next
Continuing to revise, that’s for sure. I’m still hoping to finish my first full revision pass of this story before the end of the year so that I can hand it off to a couple of my CPs for feedback.
On a less writerly note, I’ll be taking a road trip with my spouse and a couple of friends midway through next month. We’re taking separate cars and staying in separate cabins to mitigate the risk to each other, bringing and prepping all of our own food, and generally aiming to spend as much time out in nature as we can and avoid other people as much as possible. It has been years since I’ve road-tripped, and I cannot freaking wait. Getting out of town for even a handful of days is going to feel amazing after spending the better part of a year stuck at home.
# of Books Read to Date: 74
# of Rejections Received to Date: 28
What have you been up to this quarter? Leave me a comment and let me know!