cedar_grove | Little Bit of a Writer's Update

I spent a lot of April and May in Chapel Hill with my guy, Mir. It's hard to describe what that feels like to anyone that's never been away from their spouse for any protracted periods of time. It's relief, and joy and hope and love all wrapped up together into a vast embrace of togetherness. Mir and I usually manage around 13 weeks of every year together, unless one or other of us take extra time out of work to add to that, and in this financial climate, that's not very possible. Anyway, mid April to Mid May I spent in cicada-infested Chapel Hill, NC. There's video somewhere, of the sound Mir and I lived with the last month of so, and when it's uploaded I'll be sure to share... suffice to day that to offset the constant hum - which sounded like a Star Trek phaser set to overload - we had to put on the TV, or some music. It was enough to drive anyone insane.

As well as the wonderful and thought provoking entries from The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have., I sent out a short story, which came back to me a couple of weeks later, and has been sent out again today. I also finished chapter one of Use'ara: Thirteen Stars to a point where I'm happy with it for a first draft.

I also did a lot of reading. They say a writer should read, read, read... and that's what I spent a lot of time doing. As well as reading my way through Author Mark A. Roeder's Gay Youth Chronicles. I've also been reading and reviewing on LibraryThing, which really should be discovered. It's an excellent place for bibliophiles everywhere. I managed three reviews and still have another 11 or so to go.

I was going to sit down today and start on chapter 2 of Use'ara, but my copy of Writing Magazine came in the post, and I got caught up in reading that for all the helpful tips and web pages. I had to make myself stop part way through so that I could get some writing done. Which is what I'm going to go and do right now - or at least make a start.