Time, stress, and natural disasters

I'm really struggling with finding time to do all of the things writing-related: working on my novel, knocking out articles for Examiner, reading everyone's blogs, keeping up on lit news, updating this blog, and squeezing in some reading when I can. And to top it off, I'm trying to juggle a Facebook account in the mix as well. Good thing I don't have a social life, or this would have been the end of it. This is really getting to be as much of a job as, well...my job. If I had a Twitter account, I'd probably go mad.

But, enough sour grapes...I made my bed, and shall lie/lay (I always get that wrong--just pick whichever is correct and pretend that's what I wrote) in it.

It has, however, pretty much spelled the end of my short story writing for the forseeable future. I really like short stories, but I need to knuckle down and focus on bigger game for the time being. Having two stories out from last year rejected kind of cemented that decision. If things don't work out with Examiner, I may go back to some shorts...but right now, I can't afford it.

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I got an email from Ralan saying that an unnamed market had been declared dead by Duotrope, but was, in fact, still alive, albeit behind on slush and perhaps taking a small break. Does anyone know who they were talking about? Was it, perchance, From the Asylum? Their website seems to be active, but I didn't root around.

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Writing: it's ten to eleven pacific time, and I just broke 1k on my novel, after spending a big chunk of the day with writer's block on Examiner articles. My problem with Examiner is that I understand their goal of being a regional news outlet, but my articles seem, to me at least, to be coming out like editorials. Need more news, less Jeremy.

Reading: I hate to say this about any book, but I got halfway through the audiobook for Ted Dekker's Boneman's Daughter, and I had to quit. I just really wasn't into it. I don't know if it was that I didn't like his writing style, or that I just don't really get into those kinds of books (kind of a suspense/mystery thing, I guess...I never read that genre), or if the narrator was distracting, or a combination thereof. It was like work trying to pay attention to it. If Ted Dekker reads this, sorry, man...I tried. Not my cuppa tea, I guess. 

Since my dog ate the antho I was reading, I might grab Steinbeck next.

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OK, this is absolutely the last you will hear about my vacation...I threw some clips together of our trip to the volcano and put it up on Youtube. From a storytelling perspective, there was so much there that was inspiring. From the point where highway 11 was eaten by the lava flow up to where the lava dumps into the ocean, it was like effing Mordor, if Mordor had ocean frontage. Amazing to think that this particular eruption has been going for like 22 years.