One of the main things that I wanted to do with my summer this year was to get some editing and revisions done on my short story manuscript after completing the Sweetwater Short Fiction Workshop under the tutelage of Joseph Boyden earlier this year. As soon as my application for summer break pogey was sent off, I broke open the collection and ran through each story one at a time with a fine toothed comb, seeing if they had the right balance of description, exposition and dialogue and adding whatever was needed to make the stories breathe better and allow the characters room to roam, as well as fixing the problematic sentences that now showed themselves like grouse that had been hiding in the bushes on my first pass through (sorry, I've been watching a lot of hunting shows lately). Then came re-read after re-read after exhaustive re-read to smooth everything out and make sure the story had good flow and rhythm. After a month of full-time editing and revising, I now have 20 sturdy short stories ready to take on the world. So now comes the task of finding an agent that will help me get these puppies mass-produced and in bookstores.

But it doesn't end there! Because I have another month left free to work, I've turned my attentions back to the novel that I've been developing for the last couple years. I was going to jump into a novel workshop with Sweetwater this spring, but with the work that needed to be done on the short fiction collection, I put it off. Now after all that work, I am ready to start with the next session that comes along. For now however, I'll be looking at the plot to see whether it moves well from chapter to chapter (there's already been a lot of work done on it already), as well as considering what I can add to make the story stronger and more exciting for the reader, which is the be all and end all when it comes to all writing, but especially for novels. As it stands now, the novel has two distinct parts to it. I've filled the first part up with some great rising action with a climax that should come with a great twist, yet I haven't concentrated on the second half yet, and am now thinking how I can continue the energy of the first half into the second with the same intensity. That, along with putting flesh on this big Brontosaurus skeleton I've tasked myself with is now my main job.

That said, I've spent the last three summers basically at this desk scratching and typing away. Last summer that fit just right with the city under lockdown and out-of-house activities being more of a deterrent than anything else, but I have to admit I am tired and I want to get out and experience things now. With venues and locations opening up, I have a choice of places I can go that offer things to see. I've promised myself I will now only write through weekday mornings and spend the afternoons and weekends getting out and doing things, now that I can. I have a trip to Kingston lined up, a possible trip to Algonquin Park and visits with friends and family I haven't seen in years, as well as music, bands and plays. God I'm glad things are opening up!