What’s Up Wednesday

It’s Wednesday, so… What’s Up? Before I go there, I would be remiss in the extreme if I didn’t say that What’s Up Wednesday is a blog meme created by Canadian sister-writer-bloggers Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk. Check out their respective blogs, and click on the widgety linky thing at the end of their WUW posts to find out what others are up to. So, here’s what I’ve been up to this week:

What I’m Reading

I have a subscription to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (I enjoy mysteries), but my other reading has prevented me from staying on top of these. The result: a lot of back issues to read through. So, I’ve been doing a little catch-up over the past week, and enjoying and not-so-enjoying some mystery short stories. It’s not all for fun, though. If you recall from last week, I said I needed to start writing some short stories, so this is also supposed to remind me how to structure a short story. More on that in a moment. In the wings, I have THE DAUGHTER OF TIME by Josephine Tey, a book my Mum sent me, which appears to be an investigation into the truth behind King Richard III but in the context of a fictional detective story. Here’s the back-of-the-book blurb:

Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a broken leg, becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard III that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world’s most heinous villains–a venomous hunchback who may have killed his brother’s children to make his crown secure? Or could Richard have been the victim, turned into a monster by the usurpers of England’s throne?

Grant determines to find out once and for all, with the help of the British Museum and an American scholar, what kind of man Richard Plantagenet really was and who killed the Princes in the Tower.

It was written prior to the recent discovery of Richard’s bones, and the revelations from that find, so it’ll be interesting to see what Tey’s take is.

What I’m Writing

I’m still plugging away at revisions on the WIP, hoping to get as much done prior to WriteOnCon as possible. If I haven’t finished by the weekend, I’ll concentrate on polishing the first five pages and getting my query ready for the conference. I’m seriously looking forward to the critiques; they’ll help determine whether I’m on the right track, and how much revision still needs to be done.

I have an idea for a short story, but like my SNVI (see last week), it’ll have to wait. Though I’m more willing to work on a short story while editing WIP than I am the SNVI. But not until after WriteOnCon!

I didn’t place in this past weekend’s Janet Reid writing contest, but it was fun nevertheless, and there were some really superb finalist entries. She’s running another one this coming weekend. I honestly believe these contests have helped my writing, which is why I urge all my writer friends to give them a try. Author A. S. King is also running a flash fiction contest that I’ve entered. The prize is an ARC of her new novel, but again, prize aside, I recommend you give it a try.

What Inspires Me Right Now

When it comes to my WIP, I have to say as I edit it, I’m thinking “this isn’t bad, and this is fun!” So, editing and writing is currently inspiring me to continue editing and writing. Sounds odd, I know, but there you go!

What Else I’ve Been Up To

The usual–family, church, work. FourthBorn has been writing a story. It’s more of an extended dialog, play-style, so I’m encouraging her to re-write it like a “real” story. She’s a bit of a late-starter when it comes to reading, so we’re taking a trip to Barnes & Noble on Friday for some Daddy-Daughter-Bookstore time. I feel good that I can help her navigate the MG section, and point out things she might like.

Also, I’m running a giveaway for my UK readers who want to help me find a suitable British alternative to the Graham Cracker. Enter HERE!

What’s your week been like?