The Big Chill

It is cold outside - the coldest it's been this year (granted, the year is only 14 days old).  The little gadget in the corner of my screen tells me it's -13 Celsius in Guelph but having just walked the dog I just know it's colder - windchill and all that, I'm sure.

I have fired off my application for the MFA program and now I wait to see how I'm spending my days come September.  Thanks to those who vouched for me.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Root of Evil is open on the other screen just waiting to be worked on but Patriot keeps catching my eye and I find myself reviewing select parts of it to scope out places for improvement.  I thought the original manuscript was pretty damn good but the perspective I've gained from letting it sit for a while has really shown me how much better it can be.  

I also need to pass along my secret, guilt pleasure.  I love Stephen King - not everything - he's written some real dogs, but I am always impressed by the storytelling, if not always the story.  He has written an excellent book, On Writing, which I recommend to anyone.  For Christmas I received his latest soft cover, Duma Key and I find it engaging.  Duma Key has been eating up my writing time but no more - I'll finish it tonight!

Must get back to work...

 

I'm going to get back to Root of Evil and see if I can put it to bed.

A whole new year

The holidays were busy and filled with delight but it's nice to settle back into routine.

Walked the kids to school today then came home and got right down to business.  Business today was completing my application for the MFA I intend to begin in the autumn.  I am still assembling the "package" - transcripts, letters of reference and a portfolio sampling some of my work but the application itself is done.

While putting together "the package" I rewrote a chapter in my novella Patriot.  I needed to clean it up and flesh it out and I am very pleased with the finished result - so pleased, in fact, that rewriting Patriot to novel length has moved up the priority list.  Root of Evil still needs to be finished and The Witch has been waiting too long and Gerry has barely stumbled out of the gate but Patriot is beckoning.

I guess I have a lot to do...

It's starting to look a lot like...

The atmopsphere is very festive.  A pair of kids are eager for Santa's annual visit and are currently bouncing off the walls.  The tree is lit and decorated and a multitude of gifts are crammed beneath.  In the spirit of the season we are snowed under.

Last night I took Willow out for her midnight constitutional and snapped a few pictures.

I actually find myself not minding the snow...too much. 

 This morning my wife and I were shovelling out when the most musical Christmas noise imaginable drifted on the wind...our neighbour with his borrowed snowblower heading across the road to clear the end of our plowed-in driveway.  Ahhhh - like a choir of angels!

I've been under the weather this past week or so.  Unfortunately Gerry won't be done in time but I plan to secretly work on it while we visit the in-laws over the Holidays.

We have been entertaining visitors - friends from Vancouver - my mother before she left to spend Christmas with my sister in Newfoundland - and I even had a nice little chat with the local Jehova's Witness guy before wishing him a

 Merry Christmas and sending him on his way.

As the holiday descends I, Santalike, am making a list.  I currently have nine items on submission with various publications.  I am in the midst of preparing an application for an MFA Creative Writing 

program.  I have several stories in different degrees of completedness that will need to find homes in the New Year AND I have two kids, a dog and a wonderful, patient wife who all need some extra special attention at this time of year.

Merry Christmas to all.