A Word Wenches Christmas and Blog Lists: Writing Projects, I Need An Intern, and Blog Tasks

rganization!

One of the things I used to use this blog for often was as an info-dump for upcoming writing projects, yearly goals, 30 Things I Want To Do, and so on. If they're written down, my brain feels less frazzled.

I've got three such lists today:

Simmering on the Back Burner Writing Projects (not counting items already started):

1930s father

1930s Springsteen

1920s hotel/class-crossed lovers

Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress

possible Lord Rochester romance

Seeing-colours dystopian

Blog Tasks:

Update all the photos in old posts

Compile posts 500 to today, the way I did for posts 1-500 during the celebrations for my 500th post

Related to the above, I'd like to keep track of all my book reviews (see intern list below)

Finish visiting everyone that came by on Blog Blitz Day and keep up with the blog roll

Re-sync with FB and tumblr and Ello and Pinterest

Consider adding tags

Prepare guest posts for Tolkienist, Tolkien Library, ROW80, etc.

Things I Need An Intern For:

Type up all of the scraps and scribbles where I've written my dreams

Type up and collate all my story ideas (the above list is only an indication)

Copy all my book reviews from the blog to Amazon and Goodreads (and vice versa, if necessary)

Add the 500+ books I've gotten since I finished the catalogue, including all items in pdf saved in emails and on the computer(s)

Create a filing cabinet with organized labels for all the articles/webpages/clippings/brochures/etc. I've collected over the years
(this and the next two items involve dealing with our massive pile of items in storage in Canada.
What does one do with about twenty copies of Melody Maker?)

Go through all the piles of "saved stuff" and extract every Folio catalogue, then make a comprehensive list of all the Folio books I want

Create a database to store every knitting pattern/recipe/good idea/remember to look up/quotes/poetry/etc. I've ever collected

Make a master list of books/albums/singles/DVDs I want, including all items in emails

Take care of my plants

Curate my Twitter: Unfollow all the spammers and collate my list of favourites into groups of items to watch, read, research, etc.

Also, figure out whether lists would be useful in keeping up with FB

And so on. There are always items to add to the list.

Time is running out on my main ROW80 goal - I've got half the ending for the short story written. Need to finish it and edit it and polish it before the SIWC contest deadline!

I read this great book this past week:

The Last Chance Christmas Ball

"Christmas 1815. Upstairs and downstairs, Holbourne Hall is abuzz with preparations for a grand ball to celebrate the year's most festive -- and romantic -- holiday. For at the top of each guest's wish list is a last chance to find true love before the New Year...

A chance meeting beneath the mistletoe, a stolen glance across the dance floor -- amid the sumptuous delicacies, glittering decorations, and swell of the orchestra, every duchess and debutante, lord and lackey has a hopeful heart. There's the headstrong heiress who must win back her beloved by midnight -- or be wed to another...the spinster whose fateful choice to relinquish love may hold one more surprise for her...a widow yearning to glimpse her long-lost love for even one sweet, fleeting interlude...a charming rake who finds far more than he bargained for. And many other dazzling, romantic tales in this star-studded collection that will fill your heart and spice up your holidays."

There's something cosy about reading stories set in a bleak, snowy landscape while outside its a warm August day. It's also fun to read an anthology where different authors' characters criss-cross each other through the different stories. All the characters in this collection are well-realised and the romances -- and initial reasons for the characters' troubles or hesitations -- were believable and intriguing. Some of the stories are sweet, while others are a bit more spicy, with some great banter back and forth between hero and heroine. My two favourites are the stories by Jo Bourne ("My True Love Hath My Heart" - this one is actually two romances in one short story!) and Jo Beverley ("Miss Finch and the Angel").

Did I mention that this is a Word Wenches anthology? If you're not following their collective author blog, do! They've always got lots of fascinating book and research and travel related information and discussions and images.

Are you thinking about the holidays already?