Hello Friends,
Three months have come and gone as the leaves fell, the ground froze, and the sky started dumping mountains of snow. It’s been a time of productivity, reflection, and regrouping—both in writing and in life. Here’s what I’ve been up to:
Writing Updates
Despite some ups and downs, I made solid progress over the past few months:
- Finished “Breaking News!” – A short story I started before Can-Con that I was determined to complete.
- Wrote a new flash story – Currently titled “In and Out of Light”, this one came together quickly and has an eerie, atmospheric vibe that I really enjoyed working with. It is based on my previous newsletter’s writing prompt.
- Romance Writing – I completed five romance stories across various sub-genres, each in the 3,000–3,500 word range. These will either serve as ghostwriting samples or extra material for future submission opportunities.
- Editing and Light Months – December and January were slow writing months. I wrapped up a bit of editing in December, but I didn’t do any writing in January. It was a needed break.
- Anthology Release! – We wrote our one-shot anthology over 24 hours in November and it officially launched on January 1st! A great way to start the year. You can read it at the link above.
Writing-Adjacent Work
- Attended Can-Con in November – The experience was inspiring and gave me a creative jolt that had me writing 3,000 words a day for over two weeks. It was a reminder of why I love being part of this community.
Rejections & Submissions
With so much happening, I put off submitting for a bit, but now I’m getting back into an editing mindset and preparing for a huge submission push. I didn’t send anything out in December or January, but I’ve collected 20 of the roughly 30 stories I wrote over the last two years to finish polishing and submitting. Time to take a page out of Michelle’s book (our group’s short story queen) and flood the markets! Here’s to making 2025 the year of submissions.
Life Updates
November started strong with Can-Con, and I was riding the creative high for weeks. But then, something deeply traumatic happened within my immediate family. It’s not something I’ll discuss here, but it forced me to step back and put things into perspective. My emotions were all over the place, and writing took a necessary backseat.
December was all about family and friends—exactly what I needed at that time. Then, in January, I spent a lot of time alone, meditating and dealing with the winter blues. It was a quiet month, but one of reflection and resetting.
I also took a break from breakfast writing sprints for a few weeks over Christmas, but now we’re back at it, full throttle.
Basketball & Raptors Updates
I didn’t get as much time to watch games as I usually do, but I kept up with the chaos of the season:
- LeBron’s wild streak – From triple-double dominance to barely being able to buy a basket.
- The 76ers’ mess – What a disaster.
- Surprise improvements – Detroit, Orlando, and OKC have been slowly putting pieces together. It’s exciting to see them develop.
- Flagg Race? – I’d still join the race, but they might be too good at this point.
By the end of January, the Raptors went on a hot streak, winning a bunch of games—most likely to showcase their trade pieces. I’ll be heading to Fan Appreciation Day at Scotiabank Arena on February 1st, and I can’t wait!
Reading Corner
I dove into some great books over the past few months:
- Dennis E. Taylor’s Not Till We Are Lost – Always love his work.
- First five books of The Chronicles of Amber – A great mix of intrigue and adventure.
- James Downe’s Sisters of Jade – A writing group partner’s book, though I paused it to switch to another one of his works we’re reviewing.
- Rio’s book – Another writing group member’s work that we discussed in one of our sessions.
- Halfway through The Mists of Avalon – I’m enjoying it so far, though I know there’s been debate about continuing to read Marion Zimmer Bradley’s work given their personal controversies. Still working through my thoughts on that.
Looking Ahead
Now that I’m getting back into an editing and submission mindset, February will be about pushing stories out into the world. I’ll also be at breakfast sprints, keeping the momentum going.
Thanks for sticking with me through the ups and downs of the last few months. Writing is a journey, and sometimes, stepping back is just as important as pushing forward. Looking forward to what the next season brings!
Until next time,
Tim Windling
Tim Windling 