Bernadette Benda

January first off seems to have gone on FOREVER. LIKE THIS IS THE MONTH THAT NEVER ENDED.

Mom: it’s like…time is slowing down. Which means…

Me: then it STOPS.

My sister: that just got really existential.

So anyway, month has been a weird jumbly month filled with researching agents, editing, applying to jobs, adjusting to a new position as marketing manager (!), a writing retreat, and the weirdest weather ever.

Oh, and dinosaurs.

Researching Lit Agents

As Silver nears being ready (!!!!) I’ve been stockpiling my list of possible agents, which is actually more exhausting than it sounds.  You gotta look at the agency, then at all the agents on the website, then look up the agents on twitter, MSWL, and etc. Then write them all down. Then compare. Then repeat, repeat, repeat.

Also sometimes info can be hard to find, like what exactly are the genres they represent? Books they’ve repped? So yeah, it’s a project.

Editing

Finishing the final rounds of editing Silver (like fixing all my ridiculous errors of messing up past and passed). I’ve also started editing Lily (Beowulf retelling). It needs…like a lot of world building and fleshing out and it’s kinda hurting my brain. But I’ve been watching Once Upon a Time as I edit, so that’s helping.

Writing Snippet of the Month

(maybe this will becoming a regular thing??? Who knows?? Me? Don’t be ridiculous.)

In which I write present tense first person (“who are you??” I say to the mirror) in my half baked Snow Queen/Ice Mountain retelling. 

I thought it would be pitch black, but there is a light somewhere. It almost seems as if the icy pillars themselves are glowing, or maybe it is the rock walls of the halls, grey and blackened like charcoal, with parts shimmering as if there were veins of silver and jewels running through them. But the statues cast shadows, set up high on pedestals like watchmen, wide open mouths leering at those who pass below.

That’s all folks!

How was you January? Start any new projects? New jobs? Go anywhere fun?

Header Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash