So… I’m still alive… the May blogging break just somehow morphed into June, and now we’re almost halfway through the month without any new posts from me. Sorry!

Not intentional. Rather, I started heavily rewriting my YA Paranormal novel from NaNoWriMo 2009, with the goal of having it completely rewritten and off to betas by the end of August. I’d like to be querying sometime in September.

I don’t know how realistic that is, but it feels good to be making solid progress again. I’m finding that I actually believe in this story again, and I can see the way around some of the roadblocks I hit back in 2009 while writing it.

This comes with a shift in focus and a real, solid attempt to get me on a regular schedule. I have a new laptop on the way, some new tools to make it easier to write around the house, and the realistic threat of finding a “real” job if I don’t start accomplishing more than what I have been.

I love writing short stories, but being a short story writer ISN’T my goal. I love writing novels, and I want to be a novelist… so as sad as I am that I have to put short story writing to the side for awhile, I’m glad to be making headway with what’s most important to me.

Hopefully I’ll get a few more posts up this month explaining some fun things like the business side of writing (which I recently took a webinar on), marketing yourself as a freelancer, and editing through a world of distractions.

So I’m still here… just working on other things. I’ve noticed a lot of people in the writing/blog sphere are taking things easy or taking time off from blogging this summer, so I guess I’m in good company.

See you around.