I thought I might chronicle my day today to see just how I spend my time. I’m hoping to finish editing a short story today so that I can submit it to L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. So, here goes:

Monday, March 31: 9:50 a.m.

Woke up about five minutes ago and ate a little something, then fed the cats. Will now make a quick run-through of my e-mails and Facebook, then hit the showers. I never feel fully awake until after I’ve showered and changed.

11:35 a.m.

Back at the keyboard…

Found some interesting articles while surfing Facebook feeds and Twitter. One is about a Pulitzer Prize winning series of articles and book written by a pair of journalists exposing police corruption in Philadelphia. The article interests the former journalist in me as well as the novelist in me, as I am working on a thriller involving a corrupt sheriff. I’ve bookmarked the site to read later and added it to my “To Read” list I keep near my computer.

I also came across an interesting blog post from Bare Knuckle Writer here on WordPress about those “inane” Buzzfeed quizzes you see all over the Internet. You know, the ones where you take a quiz and it reveals what type of super-hero or Star Wars character you are. I generally regard the quizzes as a total time suck that keep me away from what I should be doing, which is writing. But BKW makes a good point on how the quizzes could be useful by putting yourself in your character’s shoes. How would your character answer the quiz, and what would the quiz in turn reveal about your character? Neat idea.

OK, I’ve got to pay a couple of bills online now and then set my DVR to record the Red Sox season opener (to watch this evening when my brother gets home). Then I’ll start on my short story edit.

4:17 p.m.

Making good progress on editing my short, I think. Probably about halfway through. Story is coming along nicely, I think. I shouldn’t have any problem submitting it in advance of Hubbard’s midnight deadline. (Knock on wood).

I stopped for a short lunch break, started a load of laundry and the dishes, strolled to the mailbox and even took a 10-minute nap. Back at the keyboard again …

2:02 a.m.

Yeah, I’m still up. I’m a night owl. Stay up late, sleep a little later. It’s how I roll.

Anyway, I finished the edits to my short for the WOF contest and submitted it around 8 p.m. So, mission for today accomplished.

Am I happy with the story? Well, let’s put it this way…I like the idea of the story. It’s unique and it’s kind of a fun “what if” type of story.

Will it win or place? Honestly, who knows? Depends on the competition for the quarter. Depends on whether the judges believe I pulled off an effective story. I think I did, but we’ll see.

Short stories are tricky and I haven’t had much luck with them as yet. I feel like I’m learning from each new short I finish and submit, though, so that’s got to be a win right there. Time and perseverance, as they say, will tell.

I rounded out the day by watching the Red Sox lose their season opener to the O’s (Boo!), and by taking in a couple of my Monday evening shows (The Following and Intelligence.) The Black List and Bates Motel will have to wait ’til later tonight. Some time during the course of the afternoon and evening I even managed to do a first run-through on my taxes and my brother’s taxes.

So, what’s next on the writing block, you ask? I’m going to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo and kick my novel into high gear. I’ve been plotting and character-building  off and on for past five months, so ready or not I’m diving in. We’ll see where this story takes me and if I can manage a mad-dash month of writing without letting my finicky inner editor intervene.

Anyone else taking part in the novel-writing free for all this month?