In the Meantime - Still Winning

So much for an amazing 2020. I remember daydreaming about the year 2020 as a kid. As a life-long fan of sci-fi, I imagined flying cars and food replicators that would prevent starvation by now. Never did I imagine the entire world shutting down over a virus. I'm sure we all knew it was possible but felt invincible living in such modern times. Also never thought I'd be in Hunger-Games mode over toilet paper. Wow, 2020, you showed us! Dare I daydream about 2030?

Staying productive!

The pandemic has not deterred me from my writing goals. I've managed to maintain a consistent level of success. During this time of remote work and lockdown procedures, I have been busier than before the pandemic. As an academic advisor, I've been packing in a minimum of 12 hours a day, often more, just to stay afloat of our barrage of emails and student needs. As a freelance editor, I've been busy helping clients polish up resumes and cover letters. I'm also thrilled to be editing a book-length memoir.

Steady as she goes...

I continue to contribute to SMITH Magazine's Six Word Memoirs for which I was thrilled to participate in their first-ever Zoom meet-up with Larry Smith last week. My favorite and most-recent wins of late is becoming a volunteer staff editor with 101 Words, a flash fiction online publication. I've submitted work there before and love reading them. When I saw the call-out, I wasted no time in applying. Imagine my delight when I received the email that I was hired. It was almost like getting an acceptance letter ... but not quite.

Hard work pays off, even when it doesn't pay.

In this new role, I've had to learn new things like the Slack communication tool, Google docs, Wordpress, and the inner workings of Gmail. I've been learning more about fiction writing and study the styleguide frequently. I've written my very first rejection and acceptance letters, taking pride in my work, savoring the chance to help other writers. Volunteer, yes, but the value is beyond dollars.

2020 Begins with a Win

I just realized my last blog post was 1/1/19, haha! That's sad, but here's another similarity that isn't sad but thrilling. This new year's day post will also include a huge milestone that involves SMITH Magazine's Six Word Memoirs. On 12/29/19, I found out I'd won first place in one of their contests for which there was 680+ entries. Check out the announcement on their page, or view my screenshots below. It was just the confidence boost I needed to get me motivated and back on track.

I started this blog to be a journal of my writing endeavors. As any writer knows, those highly coveted milestones are not easy to attain. It tends to be like an actor auditioning for a role with fierce competition. But I won't score any publishing credits without putting forth the effort, which means WRITING. I need to do more of that. I hear it all the time from friends and family. (But gaming Netflix, and crafting are such tempting time snatchers!) Aha, there are always distractions, but in a writer's mind, everything's a story! Life sure keeps my idea bank loaded. So I have no excuse.

Thanks to all who help me stay motivated, and cheers to 2020. Wishing you all a prosperous and joyous year ahead!