My Writing Month in Review (October 2026)

October shaped up to be a very different writing month than the one before. Whereas the focus in September had been on just writing, or at least that’s how it felt to me, in October my attention turned to filling out grant applications.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still met with my writing group for our 10 weekly co-writes. I still journaled every day. I also hosted two Joie d’écrire evening write-ins. And, thanks to those sessions, ended up drafting a few new scenes for the positive future novel I’m currently writing. As well, I managed to submit two short prose pieces for publication.

However, as anyone who has completed an artist grant application knows, it’s a big deal. An application can take weeks to prepare, since it has many components. So instead of writing during our 40 co-writes that month, in October I opted to work on grants.

The first grant I applied for was Peterborough’s EC3’s Mini Development Grant for Individual Artists 2026. I submitted that one on Tuesday, October 13th, the very day it was due. The second I applied for was the Ontario Arts Council’s Chalmers Professional Development Projects grant. That one was submitted on October 30th, five days before its deadline.

The up side to applying for grants is that they make you really think about your art project—in my case, a novel set in my new hometown some 30 years in the future. Also, they ask that you submit a polished piece of writing, preferably an excerpt from the one for which you’re seeking financial support.

What that usually means for me is a quick pivot from the euphoria that comes with discovery writing to the slog of revising. However, as I mentioned in My Writing History Update, I turned the corner on that front this year. I’ve actually fallen in love with the revision process and find I’m pretty darned good at it (albeit very slow). Also, after such an amazing month of writing, I actually welcomed a moment to step back, take stock and really examine what I’d written in September.

For the EC3, I revised 10 pages (the maximum amount allowed) of my novel manuscript. For the Chalmers, I then took those 10 pages and added two more scenes so it read like a short story, or in this case, Chapter One. Since the maximum amount allowed for that application was 15 pages, I was able to create a story arc with a beginning, a middle and an end. And, thanks to all that work, I was able to take that expanded draft and send it off to an online speculative fiction magazine with the hope that it will find its way into print in 2027.

I think the greatest lesson I’ve learned since retiring my wellness business in 2024 and becoming a full-time writer is that nothing is lost along the way. All the writing I’ve done in my life has brought me to this moment and to this project. I’m no longer afraid that if I pause one aspect of the process, I’ll lose interest and the whole thing will fall apart.

With the privilege of time, I’ve been allowed to know myself better as a writer. I am focusing on what this story wants to be without worrying I’m letting down the ones still waiting in the queue. Even spending a month seeking financial support has helped me learn more about my writing process. And that, folks, is an unforeseen bonus I’ll gladly take any day.

Let me know what you’ve been up to. I’d love to hear about your writing life.

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