CATCHING UP

CITY SKYLINE

I've finally got an evening at home so I'm trying to catch up with everything from bill-paying to blogs. It's been a busy time for me, but fortunately it's starting to wind down and my classes will end in a couple of weeks for the Spring break. At this point, although I enjoy doing them, I am looking forward to having lots more time to myself in order to catch up with my own writing.

I am running behind in my schedule for finishing SHADOW OF THE LION, due to the fact I am so busy with classes, spending a lot of time travelling on buses across town a couple of times a day, and when I do get a bit of time off I'm trying to catch up with housework and other mundane chores.

Yesterday I grabbed a bit of time to do some editing and tonight I'll finish that. I'm still not satisfied with the last chapter segement I wrote for SHADOW, but I'll let it go until I workshop it at my critique group in a couple of weeks. I'm anxious to get on with the rest as I actually only have six more chapters and the Epilogue to write and then I am finished!

POINT GREY HIGH SCHOOL

What else have I been doing with my time? Well for the last six weeks I've even been teaching classes on Saturday mornings -- two kid's creative writing classes (ages 11 - 13 and 7 - 10) at this lovely old art-deco school on the west side of town. It's been a challenge and a lot different than doing the adult classes, but I was thrilled to get the job as I know what it's like to be a kid who is dying to be a writer. When I was in school there was no such encouragement. There's some pretty bright, talented youngsters in these classes although there are also a few of them who are there simply because their parents wanted them to improve their English. (This is where the challenge comes in!) However, we've had fun and I've seen a few of them turn in some well written stories. One of the most fun days was our playwriting day when they had to write and perform "The Three Little Pigs". Lots of laughs that day. We also did a day of pretending to be journalists and interviewing each other. Today was writing about other places, travel writing and how to write historicals. Some of these kids are pretty well travelled so they had some interesting tales to share.

Besides this, and my 3 memoir groups and 1 night school travel writing class, I am writing 4 pieces a week for Planet Eye which keeps me busy.
Needless to say, my blogging has been sporadic and I haven't even had much time to read other people's blogs. I do look forward to returning here more often very soon. And probably in a day or so I'll be ready to post another 'Progress Report."

DUCKS LAZING IN A POND