If you’ve been waiting for new posts on this blog, you’ve been waiting a long time. I’m truly sorry about that. I tend to overextend myself and since I’m also a perfectionist, things like putting together blog posts get shunted to the side.

Since I’ve realized that with my current schedule I can’t possibly spend as much time planning posts and being themed and scheduled and consistent, I’ve rethought the format for this site for the new year. I’m going to throw aside any regular programming for a while and simply post as often as possible, on whatever strikes me.

As the first order of business, what in the world has had me so busy for the past six months?

• I spent August in hard final revisions for the novel I was working on at the time ( let’s call it Novel #1). Novel #1 got sent to an editor who requested the full as a result of a manuscript critique at the SCBWI Summer Conference in LA. (Yes, yay!) I also queried several agents she recommended. No news on that front yet, and all I can do is wait.
• At the beginning of September, I started teaching a class in legal research and writing at a local law school. Teaching a graduate-level course is a blast, but requires some time and a lot of effort.
• Also at the beginning of September, I started my first semester over at Simmons College Writing for Children M.F.A. program. What am amazing ride this has been so far…and a lot more work than I expected. I went into the program thinking, “two classes per semester, no sweat,” since I did a dual-degree program in law school which required me to take five classes per semester (hard ones that required a ton of work) and I worked part-time. I underestimated how much time would be required and how much time I would want to spend on the program. I’m better prepared for this semester, I hope!
• Along the way, I have been teaching and tutoring the LSAT for Kaplan. Also fun, but the class and tutoring hours add up in a big way when you’re handling several at a time.

This left me with precious little time to work on my own writing (let alone live like a human being), and thus the blog (and Her Side of the Mountain) had to be sacrificed.

So here I am, starting second semesters of both my own program and the one I’m teaching, starting new Kaplan classes, querying additional agents, meeting with my critique group, and writing, writing, writing.

Happy New Year, and let’s make 2013 a good one!