Good News and Other Updates
Dec. 12th, 2020 02:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
singedsunso, Matt and I had to finally breakdown and replace our refrigerator. We spent money earlier this year to get the ice/water working again (after many years) and it was working until recently. When Matt came back before Thanksgiving, the fridge started making some real weird noises like it was starting and stopping constantly, plus the ice overflow was freezing inside the freezer side and it was just generally a problem. Plus, it's original to the house, not to us, so it was going on like 18-ish years. It was definitely time to upgrade. It was supposed to come Thursday, but I guess they put it on the wrong truck so the guy wasn't prepared to bring it in and install it, just deliver it to the driveway? After a call with customer service we sent the fridge back on that truck and it came back on the right one Friday. It looks nice, seems to be working fine and actually fits better in the space than the old one. Hopefully it stays that way.
That's not even the best thing though. Yesterday, I got an email that I was accepted to the Futurescapes writers intensive in January, with classes in March. In order to go you both have to submit 1500 writing sample which goes through a few rounds of judging so they can keep class sizes small to match with the writers they have scheduled. I took a chapter of my recent Nanowrimo novel (because it's the thing I'm most excited about working on right now), edited it down a lot to make it work in the 1500 word max. Apparently, they liked it enough though. By the time I got my acceptance notice, the worldbuilding class with Fran Wilde was already full. But the class with Mary Robinette Kowal and Dan Wells about sci-fi writing (which is some of what my novel is) is open. So I've signed up for that.
I'm know I'm never going to have the money or time off to go to Clarion or Viable Paradise or Gotham Writers workshop programs. And this being an international and digital format is PERFECT. Honestly, Matt suggested I submit something but I really didn't think I was going to get in. I've had a bunch of rejections on other things and haven't really been trying to submit anything lately. So getting that acceptance email yesterday just absolutely thrilled me. The workshop intensive is in January so you have a chance to create a really good work that's good for critiques and actual workshopping during classes and the rest of the experience in March. Anyway, I'm VERY EXCITED about this. And nervous. And I know as soon as I've finished my Yuletide & Critmas stories, I've got to work more on that novel to get at the very least a mostly completed draft. (I'm almost done with Yuletide - which is good since they're done in a week. But have yet to start my Critmas piece. One thing at a time.)
It's been two weeks since I've been back from Florida and I think the weather situation changing from the sea level and storm weather and coming home really messed up my sinuses. My upper gums hurt? Which I know is a sinus infection thing. I mean I feel okay for the most part, just the sore gums and congestion. Aside from writing I don't have much else planned this weekend but to rest up. I'm really hoping it's not a full sinus infection. I normally get an allergy shot this time of year because my sinuses are so bad but I'm trying to avoid both more doctor's visits but also having to take anymore antibiotics because I don't need any hits to my immune system this year if I can help it.
I've also been collecting Christmas presents for family in various rooms of my house. We're not getting together with anyone this year, obviously. So I've got to start putting together what needs to be mailed and then wrapping the rest to deliver to friends and families. The kids stuff has to be shipped to Florida, and then I think we'll just try and do porch drop-offs for all the people in town. If I can get all that together this weekend then we can do that in the evenings this week.
That's not even the best thing though. Yesterday, I got an email that I was accepted to the Futurescapes writers intensive in January, with classes in March. In order to go you both have to submit 1500 writing sample which goes through a few rounds of judging so they can keep class sizes small to match with the writers they have scheduled. I took a chapter of my recent Nanowrimo novel (because it's the thing I'm most excited about working on right now), edited it down a lot to make it work in the 1500 word max. Apparently, they liked it enough though. By the time I got my acceptance notice, the worldbuilding class with Fran Wilde was already full. But the class with Mary Robinette Kowal and Dan Wells about sci-fi writing (which is some of what my novel is) is open. So I've signed up for that.
I'm know I'm never going to have the money or time off to go to Clarion or Viable Paradise or Gotham Writers workshop programs. And this being an international and digital format is PERFECT. Honestly, Matt suggested I submit something but I really didn't think I was going to get in. I've had a bunch of rejections on other things and haven't really been trying to submit anything lately. So getting that acceptance email yesterday just absolutely thrilled me. The workshop intensive is in January so you have a chance to create a really good work that's good for critiques and actual workshopping during classes and the rest of the experience in March. Anyway, I'm VERY EXCITED about this. And nervous. And I know as soon as I've finished my Yuletide & Critmas stories, I've got to work more on that novel to get at the very least a mostly completed draft. (I'm almost done with Yuletide - which is good since they're done in a week. But have yet to start my Critmas piece. One thing at a time.)
It's been two weeks since I've been back from Florida and I think the weather situation changing from the sea level and storm weather and coming home really messed up my sinuses. My upper gums hurt? Which I know is a sinus infection thing. I mean I feel okay for the most part, just the sore gums and congestion. Aside from writing I don't have much else planned this weekend but to rest up. I'm really hoping it's not a full sinus infection. I normally get an allergy shot this time of year because my sinuses are so bad but I'm trying to avoid both more doctor's visits but also having to take anymore antibiotics because I don't need any hits to my immune system this year if I can help it.
I've also been collecting Christmas presents for family in various rooms of my house. We're not getting together with anyone this year, obviously. So I've got to start putting together what needs to be mailed and then wrapping the rest to deliver to friends and families. The kids stuff has to be shipped to Florida, and then I think we'll just try and do porch drop-offs for all the people in town. If I can get all that together this weekend then we can do that in the evenings this week.
