End of February, short story progress

I need to keep today’s post short. I’ll confess, as time goes on, my posts on Words Like Trees become shorter and shorter. Perhaps this is because I have other writing projects going; I haven’t found it easy of late to fit blogging into my writing time.

At the end of a two-week break from school (first the ski trip with students in my last post; then, time off for me while students took part in a first aid course and a Model United Nations simulation), I am about the hurtle back into a busy time at school. This week, we are hosting guests from four other United World College schools for a workshop on differentiated teaching and learning. This evening (Sunday) I’m hosting a pizza-making event with these visitors. I’ll miss the first part of my classes this week to participate in the workshop and so am planning lessons my students can complete on their own. Then by the end of the week, I’ll be beginning oral exams for my English Language Learner class.

But this time away has been good. The skiing experience with students culminated in a beautiful sunny day. Students showed great stamina and determination in their skiing. Then, my husband and I had four really marvelous days in Lom, going for walks, eating in restaurants. This week then, back home, I have been alternating between writing, cleaning house, exercise, and schoolwork. Schoolwork has meant grading essays I was behind on and beginning to plan a unit on Kafka that I’m starting this week–but as I work, I am endeavoring to keep it light. I have a penchant of overextending myself and then feeling stressed and anxious. I have tried this week to maintain balance for myself.

In terms of writing, I completed the short story revisions I was in the midst of two weeks ago. I spent two periods of three hours reading through and shortening the 6000-word second draft down to 4700.

Yesterday and this morning, then, I returned to an old document of flash fiction beginnings. I found a piece I had written only a paragraph or two of and laid aside. Yesterday, I puzzled over how to find the story in the image I found written there. This morning, a story came more easily, and I whipped out a short draft. It’s funny sometimes how one idea can open up the life in something that has remained stubbornly opaque.

I’ll sign off now, to work on final preparations for the school week. I hope sometime soon to be able to do a fuller, longer post. I want to write about autofiction. That’s the thing that’s in my mind right now. All in good time. My bedtime read right now is also something I’m excited about: Yasunari Kawabata’s Beauty and Sadness.

Hoping all is well, and best wishes,
Jimmy