Writing and reviewing happened this week. I had three pieces to review for writing groups that meet this weekend. I enjoy providing feedback on others’ work. It’s like a puzzle to solve, trying to figure out what the writer wanted to achieve and nudging that vision along with comments. The tricky part is style. I don’t comment on the style of another’s writing, unless there is a sentence or phrase that is hard to parse. Every writer has their own style and it’s not for me to suggest they write as I might.  This does not include spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPAG), however. I am a tyrant about SPAG.

I chatted with a writing buddy this week about reviewing one of my pieces. We agreed to trade pieces for review. My request to her was a bit odd, hence the chat. I put together six short scenes that comprise the arc of one of the characters in the WIP novel (actually, the arc so far). I want to get feedback on whether the character seems consistent along the arc. I am not sure if this is a well posed request; I’m curious about her reaction.

I revised a piece of flash fiction and submitted it to an online magazine. I continue to research literary journals where I can submit a short story that I believe is ready. This is slow, since for each new journal, I dip in and read a few stories that they’ve published (but it’s very interesting).

Eleven hours devoted to writing, research, and reviewing, about 475 words on the WIP, this week. Writing on the WIP focused on blocking out the next scene (chronologically). I chose the POV character, but I’m still pondering where in the action to start the scene. Chronological all the way through the scene or stick in a flashback in the middle? Thus, a lot of tweaking, rearranging, and saying “Hmmm.” So it goes.