Busy month coming to an end

It's not quite over, but the end is in sight. I've basically done no writing this month, which is a first for me, although I may be able to rectify that next week. I've just been too busy on writing-related things!

I got back from my writing retreat in France just before labor day, and spent some time recovering, dealing with 3 weeks of mail, etc.

Then, having accepted an offer to publish my new book (it comes out next fall), I decided to make a big push to publish the rest of the stories. Submission is time consuming, and I spent several days working on nothing else. It's already paid some dividends, however, with a couple of accepted stories this month.

And having just finished a new novel (the retreat was meant for putting the finishing touches on the manuscript), I began the search for an agent. So I needed to write the query letter and also research the agents who would be right for me (and for this book). Being alive is the main criterion, but there are others.

I also needed to prepare for a couple of panels I was on during the first weekend after Labor Day, one at the Write-Brained Network's workshop in Harrisonburg, and one at WriterHouse in Charlottesville.

Then the online class I'm teaching through Writers.com began on September 6, and the face-to-face class I'm teaching at BRCC/WSCE began on the 13th. And I taught a half-day seminar at WriterHouse on publishing and, that same day, gave a reading in Staunton sponsored by SWAG (the Staunton Waynesboro Augusta Group of Writers).

This week I gave a reading in Northern Virginia at the Fall for the Book Festival. And on most days I've devoted some time to planning for the Northwestern University Alumni Association Annual Leadership Symposium, of which I am the co-chair. It starts tomorrow, and I'm heading to Chicago this afternoon.

I think I forgot a few dozen things in that list, including planning for the new issue of Prime Number Magazine, working on the print annual issue of the magazine, and more!

I'm looking forward to Monday when I might actually be able to get some writing done.