Yes, I’ve been AWOL again. And yes, I have all the usual excuses. And I have news–lots of it!
- I’ve finally got a title for my new middle-grade novel, coming out, G-d willing, this fall: Adina at Her Best. Look for it in Menucha Publisher’s fall catalogue. I’m not sure that it will be out in time for Rosh Hashanah, but it should be available by Chanukah time.
- I finished the second draft of my first novel for adults, and I’m getting a lot of feedback from beta readers. It’s been rather harrowing — there’s lots and lots to fix. (I’ll admit to some public ugly-crying.) But hopefully this is another step pushing the book closer to completion.
- It might not all pay off, but two weeks ago, I sent off a picture book submission to an agent, an article submission to a Jewish magazine, and short story submission to a secular venue in a matter of four days: bam! bam! bam! The article was, thankfully, accepted, and I’m very excited. I’m very doubtful about the others–they are definite long-shots–but I’m proud of myself for pushing myself.
- One of my editing/coaching clients is now nearly done with the second volume in their series of picture books! They’ve been working hard for months, and I’m super-excited to see the reaction with the next book hits shelves.
I’m not getting much creative work done. It’s summer and the kids are all home from school. But I’ve been doing a bunch of editing and picked up another client for picture book coaching. Now I’ve just got to figure out how to get the mental space and time alone to revise my novel…
Rebecca Klempner 
Wonderful news! I’d say you have been doing *lots* of creative work (and working to get it to readers, which also “counts”!). Yasher koach!
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I feel like half my time is spent just focusing, being interrupted by life, and then refocusing! But B”H I had a lot of stuff written before the summer but not yet revised, and so I was able to work on those smaller and less-creative tasks and still send things out.
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Mazal tov on everything!
My news is that I just quit my job. Technically, my contract expired; my employer was willing to extend it, but they changed the job description. I was already struggling with my current job description (because of depression, social anxiety and borderline autism) and the new job description was even worse. So I quit, which is scary. It’s my last day tomorrow, although technically I’m under contract until mid-August (as my contract lasts until the end of the academic year, even though I only worked term-time) so I’ve got paid job hunting time! And a trip to New York.
I’m looking for more librarian-type jobs, but for various reasons I want to look at writing and editing-type jobs as writing is about the only activity that I enjoy and which refreshes me rather than depleting me (my job depleted me a lot by the end). Is it OK if I email you some questions about writing Jewish children’s stuff at some point, please?
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That’s BIG NEWS!
First of all, I hope you are going to meet your online New York area friends when you travel to the States!
Second of all, WOW about the job. It’s amazing that they gave you the time/space to check out your other opportunities. Feel free to send me emails about writing for kids — I can give you lots of info. I only wish I could tell you it paid well! (You’d definitely have to combine it with the editing or doing technical writing or the like.)
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Yes, I’m hoping to meet people. That’s the main reason for the trip, really.
Technically, my employers didn’t give me the time to job hunt per se. I had a weird contract that ran the length of the whole academic year (i.e. to late August when enrollment of the next year’s students begins), but where I only came in to work during term time and the rest was compulsory holiday, so technically I’m on paid holiday for the next few weeks, but it is useful for job hunting.
Thanks for the offer of info! I will probably email you in a couple of days, once I’ve got my head around what I intend to do. And I know it doesn’t pay well – I’m just brainstorming ideas for all kinds of jobs along a sort of axis librarianship/editing/writing at the moment and know I may have to mix and match to make a viable career.
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