The two summer courses I’m taking in my creative writing master’s program are coming to their end this week. Both “signature” assignments, which will end up in my portfolio, are due. I’ve been writing and revising them all quarter as I’ve studied with my fellow online students all about short story and literary genres.

It’s been a pleasure to read the work of my workshop group and to learn how to critique another writer in very constructive ways. I’ve utilized this learning with my students and their writing to good effect. Wrestling with my own writing has been more productive as well, with all the other writer-eyes reading my work as writers. Input from others is critical to a writer, so I must find more sources for willing “pre” readers.

I’ve learned a lot, and I thought I already knew a lot, about managing time. I try to keep to a schedule so I am available to my students, to my own course work, and to the daily work around the farm, not to mention hiking and the flexibility to hop up and take care of whatever might come up in a day.

I started using a new resource in a timing app I found that allows me to input daily tasks with timeframes and different sounds to let me know when to take a break, when to get back to work, and when I’ve accomplished the tasks I’ve put into the app. Mostly, I love the  sounds at the ends of the intervals! With a little breather between summer and fall quarter, it’s time to pursue some publishing opportunities.