I have an acquaintance who regularly insists that once I send a submission out, I should stop thinking about it. Easy for him to say. I tend to obsess. I eagerly refresh pages for contest results, keep looking at NPR’s 3-Minute Fiction page to find the stories there before the program has even started–not that I’ve found on of my stories there yet–and I’ve attempted every single round. I check to see if the status of “Of Wild Rides and Pirate Eyes” is still under review at a magazine that’s had it since April. Submishmash is refreshed so often that I’m surprised it hasn’t scolded me yet. Or sent me an invitation to an OCD clinic.

So it was a shock to open my email after Writer’s Group on Tuesday to see that NYFA was open to submissions. I don’t know how that happened. I’ve attempted to win a Fellowship from them for years. I think I even had it on my list of things to do–have my submission done AHEAD of time this year–and I totally forgot about it.

What I have been doing is clearing the library out for NaNo. I only have a vague idea this year. The working title is “Finding Forest.” I’m signed up on the site and nearly ready to start. I’m looking forward to the camaraderie. It’s a huge task and knowing others are out there helps immensely.

I have also stumbled upon a few contests (free or nearly so) that I’m interested in entering. Today, I found another. It was for a poem with ‘Diana’ (Artemis-not princess) as the subject. I have one. I knew it was saved to a file somewhere but I had to hunt it down on paper because for some odd reason, it was not on a computer file anywhere. When I found it, it was rather sparse, so I knew I had another poem that also mentioned Diana and do you think I can even find it on paper? No. I’m back to the hunt when I wrap this up.

Sadly, I have got to sort the piles of papers out. The office is completely out of control. Looking in the direction of that room makes me want to cry. I’m not usually this out of order. It sucks. Remodeling the house so late in the year wasn’t the best laid out plan… *Sigh*

And I could berate myself for taking off to Indiana but I can’t. I had the most wonderful time with Husband and my “ex” family. So many great conversations and experiences and people! I’m waiting for the photos to be developed and I’ll get to enjoy that weekend a little bit more.

So, now it is off to post this, sigh (or sob) at the sad state of the office and try to make headway before I take off to go grocery shopping, because it’s Thursday and that’s what I tend to do and holding on to some form of ritual seems like the best raft to cling to during this pre-NaNo time.
I hope your next two weeks are far less stressful!