Plotless Fiction – Writersfest Part VI

When I say “plotless,” I am including texts that may have a different or radical way of approaching “plot.” Can imagery, syntax, typography be plot? I guess we’ll find out.
— Stuart Ross

Going back in time, I really admire the experimental fiction of the 1960s and 1970s that B. S. Johnson, Toby McLennan, Donald Barthelme, bpNichol, and Daphne Marlatt were creating, among others. Hell, I still consider Michael Ondaatje’s greatest novel, Coming Through Slaughter, a masterpiece of innovation!
— Stuart Ross

Simply put, for me, innovation in fiction means challenging conventions, expanding boundaries, and confounding expectations.
— Stuart Ross

Day four, workshop one was probably my favorite of all the workshops. But wait, you say. What happened to day three? Well, day three started with a workshop on Travel Writing, which I skipped to go to an author event – Folklore, Fable, and Fantastical Females, a reading and conversation with Paola Ferrante, Emily Urquhart, and Anuja Varghese. It was really good, but not the sort of thing you take notes on.

The second workshop of day three was nothing more than a sales pitch for some very pricy boxed sets. Yes, the workshop was a disappointment, but I did buy three of their product. This was followed by an actual workshop on Spoken Word poetry, which isn’t really my thing, so I skipped it and went shopping.

Anyway, day four, workshop one was Plotless Fiction, facilitated by Stuart Ross. I tell you, you can never go wrong with a workshop run by Stuart Ross.

Writer, editor, and writing teacher Stuart Ross offers a relaxed, supportive workshop that explores the possibilities of fiction beyond the constraints of narrative and the artificiality of plot. In this hands-on session, you will be introduced to writers whose works push against the definitions of the story, and will produce your own short works, using a variety of enjoyable, challenging writing strategies.

Plotless Fiction is also known as Experimental Fiction, or Weird Things You Can Get Published.

When Stuart Ross says plotless, he means literally plotless, as in no plot to it. It’s like making a short story that is actually a list.

Plot in fiction is a series of things that happen in a novel. The trajectory goes up and up and up to the conclusion.

Can there be tension without plot? Yes. You can care about the characters, which creates tension. Perhaps the idea is to create a question for the reader – what will happen to the character.

Throw away the way you normally write. Experiment. The human mind is built to find stories and make connections. They will always try to make connections.

Exercise: write a series of single sentences describing various objects objectively.

A booklet sits on a black tablecloth, its pages fanned from use.
The pastry is braided and dotted with nuts.
The stack of torn pages sits haphazardly beside the more orderly stack of magazines.
The brightness from the window hurts my eyes.

Now write a series of sentences starting with “I” – each one a different person.

I like to walk the streets at night, staying in the shadows.
I am tired.
I hate the falling leaves, the longer nights, and pumpkin spice.
I need to start planning for Christmas.

Now randomly join them together.

The brightness from the window hurts my eyes. I like to walk the streets at night, staying in the shadows. The pastry is braided and dotted with nuts. I am tired. A booklet sits on the black tablecloth, its pages fanned from use. I need to start planning for Christmas. The stack of torn pages sits haphazardly beside the more orderly stack of magazines. I hate the falling leaves, the longer nights, and pumpkin spice.

Your results could be a short story, or a poem. You can put together any two lists of things.

Next we were given a separate page to write on and asked to write ten lines describing chaos. (Note, 10 hand written lines translates to 5 typed lines)

Dark, stormy clouds sweep in from the south. The lake churns, waves crashing along the shore. There’s a smell of ozone in the air as the first thunderous crash of thunder, like a sonic boom, precedes the jagged spears of lightning. Like cameras held by the paparazzi, the flashes come one after another, the thunderous timpani keeping time with the volatile storm.

Then we were asked to write ten more lines describing serenity.

The view out the window is full of serenity. The tranquil water is calm, at rest. The day has barely begun, so enjoy the peacefulness while it lasts, for it won’t last for long. The flags lay limp because there is not yet a breeze to stir them. Even the birds are at rest, anticipating the world waking up. It doesn’t last for long, but dawn giving birth to the new day is amazing.

Then we tore the pages apart, and folded one of the ten lines in half, placing it over top of the other one to create a new set of ten lines. First we have serenity on the left, and chaos on the right.

The view out the clouds sweep in from the tranquil water churns, waves crashing day has barely here’s a smell of ozone peacefulness, first thunderous won’t last for like a sonic boom, because there is jagged spears of lightning. Them Even by the paparazzi anticipating one after another, the doesn’t last for timpani keeping time with birth to the new.

Now we have chaos on the left, and serenity on the right.

Dark, stormy window is full of serenity. South the lake is calm, at rest. The along the shore begun, so enjoy the in the air as while it lasts, for it crash of thunder long. The flags lay limp, precedes the jagged not yet a breeze to stir like cameras held birds are at rest, the flashes come one world waking up. It thunderous timpani long, but dawn giving the volatile storm day is amazing.

Weird, eh?

And finally, we were given a series of newspapers, magazines, and pages, and asked to just pull random lines and string them together. This was actually kind of fun – like a reverse blackout poem, only longer. And it was interesting using different sources for the lines as well – a newspaper for one line, an advertisement for the next.

Opinion
In life, there are minor errors. The reader may perhaps wonder. Our large ensemble offers a diverse repertoire. This group currently meets on the first business Monday of each month. A firestorm of controversy over Exeter’s mishandling of sexual misconduct on the part of faculty members. According to sources, then Congressman DeSantis cultivated Trump’s support. A violent storm of hail forced Joseph to take shelter. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada said its early estimate for August pointed to an increase of 0.1 percent for the month. There is growing evidence that new mothers can help in creating a healthier bottom line. This cycle is an opportunity for corporate leaders to play.

As always, Stuart Ross’s workshop was the highlight of the retreat. The final workshop of the day was to write about food, which necessitated a change in location, but I opted to just go on home instead.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week is . . . perseverance. It took a lot of perseverance to make it through last week, I tell you what. And that cold I’ve been fighting was every bit as persistent.

My time at Nottawasaga was chronicled in my Monday blog post, and if you’re curious you can read about it HERE . By Friday night I was feeling queasy from the cold medication I was taking, and it didn’t seem to be helping anyway, so I stopped taking it. I was no better, cold wise, the rest of the weekend, but at least my head was a little more clear.

One big difference between a stitchery retreat and a writing retreat is the alone time. I guess because writers are more solitary creatures, our day starts later, ends earlier, and we have breaks in between workshops. Stitchers, on the other hand, are far more social. And despite the fact it was a more energizing atmosphere than being around most groups, I was pretty much peopled out by the end of the weekend.

NEW WORDS:
2656+1157+411+949=5,173
UP: 475 – words

The fact that I had Sunday’s post written and up on time was due to having most of it written before I left for my stitchery retreat.

Monday’s post was photo dependent, so while long, it was fairly easy to write. And of course for Wedenesday I had a pre-written poetry post. And Friday, all I had to do was find an excerpt from my NaNo. So all in all, I got off pretty easy with the blog posts last week.

Which was a good thing, because as I said before, this cold has been kicking my butt big time. I have been so tired and lethargic this past week it’s not even funny. Between the weather, my cold, and the new diabetic medication I’m on, it was a real effort to do anything, let alone any writing.

Goals For Next Week:
Kick the cold to the curb so I can get some real writing done.

NANOWRIMO:
Day 12 – 492
Day 13 – 1,034
Day 14 – 354
Day 15 – 984
Day 16 – 1541
Day 17 – 2411
Day 18 – 2452
Total for week 3 – 9,268
Total for month – 25,835

Yikes! As you can see, I fell way off the wagon as far as NaNo goes. As of yesterday, I should be at 30,000 words. Sadly, even after I got home from the retreat I had a really hard time generating any words. The NaNo mojo just wasn’t working.

The last couple of days I’ve slowly been catching up, but it’s still a bit of a struggle. And I still need to up the pace if I’m going to finish on time.

But one good thing, I figured out my ending. I gave up the whole murder/self sacrifice bit, and replaced it with an accident. A little less convoluted, but it makes better sense.

My NaNo experience this year, has got me questioning why I keep doing this. While it’s hard to resist getting caught up in the whole NaNo whirlwind, I have to ask myself what I’m getting out of it.

It’s certainly not making me a better writer, just because of the very nature of NaNo – writing quantity, not quality. So while it might make me a faster writer, for a month at least, it’s doing nothing to improve the quality of my writing. And do I really need another unfinished manuscript to add to my pile?

I still plan on finishing this year’s NaNo, or at least try to, but maybe it’s time to let go of that winning streak I’m so proud of. Because honestly, all those unfinished manuscripts are not the mark of a winner.

Goal For Next Week:
Continue to catch up my NaNo.

POETRY:
Once again it was nice to be able to dip into the pre-written poetry form well. And I have two more forms in that well, so that should take me to the end of NaNoWriMo. But that’s not to say I won’t work on more, if I get the chance. It’s kind of nice to have forms ready to go in case of an emergency.

Goal For Next Week:
Think about doing the remaining three example poems.

CRAFTING:
You know, you’d think going away for a whole weekend of stitching I would have got lots of stitching done. But the truth is, our time in the sewing room was a lot like one of our regular stitch-ins. There was a lot of socializing, and only some stitching. LOL

I did get some work done on the kit I’ve been working on, and I finished the third square of my zentangle. And I was blown away by a lot of the work around me. The ladies from the Toronto Guild were so welcoming and friendly . . . and the talent! The sheer quality of the work was mind boggling. And it was comforting to know that many of these projects have been works in progress for years.

Then Tuesday there was a regular meeting of my own stitching guild where I learned to make a Christmas star using folded fabric. It was a lot of fun, but I was still recovering from the weekend so I left right after the class, even though our time wasn’t up. But guess what Monday’s post is going to be about? 😊

Goal For Next Week:
Make more stars; work on kit; work on zentangle.

WHAT I’M READING:
Read another couple of chapters of The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman, and I’m kind of sad I’m getting close to the end because I’m really enjoying this book.

On the Kindle I finished The Guest is a Goner by Carly Winter, and started The Psychic Cat Mysteries by S.M Reine, which is a cute series of stories from the cat’s point of view.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the moderate reading habits.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

Yeah, I think that new leaf I was nurturing has crawled back into it’s seed shell, waiting for me to find my focus. I don’t blame it. If there was room, I think I’d join it.

The weather has been absolute crap lately, typical for November, but it hasn’t helped me recover from my weekend away. I need to ignore the weather and start getting back on track this week.

It should be another easy week for posting. Monday’s post is pretty much a done deal. I took pictures as I was making my fabric star, not just to help me remember how to make it, but to chronicle it for the blog.

And Wednesday I’ll be able to use another of my pre-written poetry forms. Nice to have them ready to go. And of course Friday I only have to find a suitable excerpt from my NaNo novel.

Tuesday is the library for stitching, and I haven’t decided whether to take my zentangle to start a new square, or my kit because it’s better fabric to work on.

I didn’t take care of my indoor gardening last week, so it would be nice if I could find the time for it this week. I don’t know why, but my hearts on a string are starting to die. I haven’t changed anything about the way I’m looking after them, so maybe I need to look up what I should be doing differently. I also need to see how big of a pot my money tree can be put in.

But the priority for this week is going to have to be catching up on my NaNo. You’ve seen the numbers, I am seriously behind. I think the most I’ve written in one day during NaNo was 10,000 words. I could really use a day like that this week. 😊

Lot’s of stuff to do, I’m just waiting on the ambition to do it this week.

Making Word Art – Writersfest Part IV

Good cover design is not only about beauty... it’s a visual sales pitch. It’s your first contact with a potential reader. Your cover only has around 3 seconds to catch a browsing reader’s attention. You want to stand out and make them pause and consider, and read the synopsis.
― Eeva Lancaster

Aspiring authors, get this through your head. Cover art serves one purpose, and one purpose only, to get potential customers interested long enough to pick up the book to read the back cover blurb. In the internet age that means the thumb nail image needs to be interesting enough to click on. That’s what covers are for.
― Larry Correia

I always think that it's wrong to put images of my protagonists on the cover of my novels because readers can identify with characters only if they are given the chance to imagine them independently.
― Orhan Pamuk

Back to the Writersfest reports this week. 😊

Day two, workshop two was Making Word Art, facilitated by Oliver McPartin.

Are you an artist wondering how to get into book design? Are you a writer wondering how book covers are made, and who gets a say? Want to develop your own unique typography to make your work unique? Graphic designer, illustrator and artist Oliver McPartlin offers an insight into the book jacket and typography design business.

This was another more seminar than workshop, so all we could do was sit there and take notes. And I gotta be honest here, my note-taking leaves much to be desired. But we weren’t allowed to record the workshops, so now I’m stuck trying to figure out what I’m talking about. LOL

There were a few technical glitches in the beginning. Mr. McPartlin’s presentation depended on being able to run a slide show from his laptop, and no one seemed to know how to get the interface between the laptop and the projector to work. We were finally saved by one of the maintenance men who doubled as the hotel’s IT guy.

When considering cover art, you must first consider what type of book you’re working with – who the audience is, who’s going to be buying the book. You’ll need to look at the demographics, genre, comparison titles, and do an evaluation pitch for the book to come up with an author kit.

Clichés and tropes are useful to let readers know what to expect. However, people on the cover will lead to that person sticking in the reader’s mind. This is why many books only show part of the face on their cover. Some trends serve a purpose. Big type is easy to read in Amazon thumbnails. But some design trends are just trends. The end goal is to sell more books.

Who gets a say in book covers? The author, publisher, marketing department, designer, retailer, distributer . . . all input is welcome. New authors tend to be more picky about their covers. Seasoned authors tend to be more easy going.

You need to learn the language. Authors and non-designers often know when something is wrong, but not how to fix it. Take direction with a grain of salt but try to meet them halfway. Don’t get attached to your first idea – pick your battles! Showing some flexibility on an inconsequential decision might lead to more important things.

Timelines are usually a season ahead for promotional purposes. The front cover is done well in advance of the back. Things can change along the way, like last minute title changes.

The number of versions needed varies. Short story collections are the most difficult and have the most versions. You can present a bunch of concepts, but not a bunch of variations on one concept. The Carson Method (named for David Carson) is to make fifty versions and tell them to pick.

The creative process is the fun part. Read the book only as much as you need to so you can skim for imagery. Iconography is important and useful. The trick is to use it in an interesting way. Look for the book’s internal iconography, an image that jumps out at you. Make sure the image fits the content.

Draw on visual elements from the text, even if no one will ever catch it. Reflect themes using existing symbols – green for jealousy, a dove for peace, pomegranate for knowledge, a rose for love, a dying rose for death/dying/murder.

Strive for quality. Take a step back and ask yourself if it looks good or not. If not, keep going. Taste is part of the process and is cultivated by practice. Pay attention to signage, fonts, photos, and ads. Spend time in bookstores looking at covers.

Know the elements of your own style so you know what to fall back on and to keep from overusing certain ideas. Follow designers on social media. Keep a stack of design books. Stay up on font trends – what’s overused, underused, esthetically pleasing, current.

Keep a list of techniques you want to try. Spend time with your software.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week is . . . roller coaster. It may seem like a kind of strange word, but it’s fitting for the way my week was, including the weather.

When I was slacking off, I really slacked off – reading, playing games, napping – but when I mustered the energy to get doing stuff, I really went to town. So it was a pretty up and down week.

Weather-wise we seem to have had it all – wind, clouds, sun (a tiny bit), rain, snow . . . it was pretty up and down. My mood, however, pretty much stayed down. I don’t know if it had something to do with a change in my medication, or it was just me. I’m kind of hoping it was the medication, because that would make it temporary. If it’s just me, then who knows how long this mood will last?

It rained/snowed on Halloween, but that didn’t stop the 25 kids that came to our door. I was smart this year and made up bags to give out – 30 of them – and then got small bags of chips to go with them. So there’s not a whole lot of leftovers, as there was in previous years.

I was off to a slow start with NaNo. I kinda knew which idea I was going to go with, but I wanted to hedge my bets, so I was going to consult this oversized notepad I like to write longer ideas down in, only I couldn’t find it. I have no idea where it could be – I’ve gone through pretty much everything in my office, including the storage closet, but it seems to have vanished. Just like my little password book did.

And speaking of passwords . . . I did a factory reset on my Galaxy Tab E tablet (that I rarely use) and passed it on to the daughter so she could set it up for the granddaughter. Well, I’m not exactly sure why, but when I went to check my email Friday night, it wanted me to verify I was who I said I was, and to do so I had to sign into my email. The problem was, I had no clue what my password was because it was in the little password book I lost.

The next option for verification it gave me was to send a code to the Tab E, which I don’t have anymore. The third option was to send a code to my Hotmail account, which I haven’t checked in I-don’t-know-how long, and which took several tries before I got the password right. *sigh*

I did eventually get everything all straightened out, but it would have never happened if Staples hadn’t taken it upon themselves to sync my devices when I had my laptop in for a virus scan.

NEW WORDS:
2250+509+1197+1224=5,180
UP: 563 – words

Guess I had more to say than I thought last week. And the blog posts were all up early, too. I gotta tell you, it was a nice feeling to be able to relax at night instead of scrambling to get a post finished.

It made it easier to turn my attention to other things too, to read or stitch without feeling guilty. I hope this is something I can keep up in the weeks to come.

Goals For Next Week:
Keep up the good work with the blogs

NANOWRIMO:
Day 1 – 1730
Day 2 – 1651
Day 3 – 1651
Day 4 – 1724
Total for week 1 – 6,756
Total for month – 6,756

I will admit that I got off to a very slow start with NaNo this year. In fact, I was pretty lethargic about it, even on November 1. I had pretty much decided on the idea I was going to go with, but despite it’s potential, I was still pretty meh about the whole thing.

Late Wednesday afternoon I finally spent an hour searching for a name for my main character, and this was followed by working on a mock up of a cover for it so I could make my official announcement on the NaNo site.

And I will tell you for true, I hate the title and as soon as I can come up with something better I will be changing it. But so far I don’t know enough about the story to do so. It’s revealing itself slowly to me. I’m making my daily quota, but just barely. And it’s been mostly later in the day when I’m writing.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep making the daily quota; maybe try to get my words in earlier in the day.

POETRY:
Despite the fact that I had a form all ready to go, in the spirit of Halloween, I decided to go with a classic poem. I posted The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe, and included a video of Vincent Price reading it.

One of my goals before NaNo started was to have a couple of forms done, or close to being done, just to have ready to use in case I needed to focus on the words for NaNo. Well, I did the example for one of the poems that I’d researched and distilled the information for, and then researched and distilled the information for another form and before I knew what I was doing, I did an example for it too!

So that makes a total of four forms ready for posting, and three that just need an example. But I gotta tell you, one of those forms is going to be more challenging than one of the coded Welsh forms!

Goal For Next Week:
Take my time getting the remaining examples written.

CRAFTING:
This week it was back to the library for stitching, where admittedly we all got more talking than stitching done. Everyone was impressed that I wore my witch’s costume.

One of the ladies brought her woven basket to work on – she was down to just having to hand sew the strips at the top down. I would like to feature mine on my Monday post, which means I’ll need to unweave it so it’s flat and take pictures. I wish I’d thought to take pictures from the beginning though.

We talked a bit about the upcoming stitching retreat – 5 of the 7 of us who were at the library were going – and settled on our car pooling. Then I’d no sooner got home than one of the driving forces behind the retreats phoned me and talked me into signing up for one in March, too. LOL

I’ve given up on finishing my zentangle sampler, but I think I’ll take it with me to the retreat (which is next weekend!) to work on. Meanwhile, I have another bag I’d started years ago. The embroidery is finished, it just needs to be sewn together.

Goal For Next Week:
Finish my basket, sew together brown bag.

WHAT I’M READING:
I’m a little over halfway through The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman, and I’m finding it fascinating.

On the Kindle I finished Pawsitively Poisonous, by Melissa Erin Jackson. And I’m working on Dead Even, by Patti Larson now. BUT I updated my Goodreads, and I’m showing as having read 66/50 books read for the year. Guess I’ll need a bigger goal for next year, eh?

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the moderate reading habits

THE WEEK AHEAD:

Well, I’d have to say that new leaf of mine is beginning to grow. Maybe not in the direction I was expecting, but it’s starting to push through.

This despite the fact that I didn’t spend as much time in my office as I would have liked, but that’s not entirely my fault. I don’t know what’s gotten into the cats lately, but they’ve been super cuddly. Khaos spent an entire day snuggled up to me in the recliner. Even after I had to gently move her so I could have a lunch/bathroom break, she was right back with me when I sat down again. Incidentally, this was the day I got all that poetry done. Maybe she’s my poetry mews?

Tuesday should prove interesting. My car needs to go in for servicing and to get the tires switched over to the winter ones. The hubby needs his car to drive his father to a medical appointment in Oshawa. There is a stitch-in at the library. Looks like I’m walking. 😊

With four poetry forms ready to go, I don’t feel the need to knock myself out writing poetry this week. Maybe I’ll start working on the hard one. After all, I’ll have four weeks before it’s needed.

I’ll finally be in a place to post an excerpt from this year’s NaNo for Fiction Friday this week. Hopefully it’ll be a decent one, although I have to say I’m not impressed with what I’m writing so far. Don’t get me wrong, with a little planning I think this story could be a winner, I just don’t have time for planning right now.

Like I said above, I’d like to get that brown, embroidered bag finished in time to take to the retreat with me, but I’ve been putting it off for twenty years now. Do I really think I’ll do it now? *shrug* Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Friday I’ll be off to the Nottawasaga Inn (pretty much in the middle of nowhere) with my guild sisters. It should be a fun time. We have to drive right by this big outlet mall on the way, and there are already plans to stop and shop – no rush to get there, right? LOL

Time for some more lists, to keep me organized. And to remind myself of what all I have to do before I leave, and all of the things I want to take with me. You know, like my lap top, so I don’t fall behind on NaNo.

Three days away from home in the middle of NaNo. Good lord, what was I thinking?

Poetry Writing 101 – Writersfest Part II

I need about one hundred fifty drafts of a poem to get it right, and fifty more to make it sound spontaneous.
― James Dickey

What makes you a poet is a gift for language, an ability to see into the heart of things, and an ability to deal with important unconscious material. When all these things come together, you’re a poet. But there isn’t one little gimmick that makes you a poet. There isn’t any formula for it.
— Erica Jong

A poet’s work … to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it from going to sleep.
— Salman Rushdie

The second workshop I attended at Writersfest was Poetry Writing 101, facilitated by Sarah Tsiang.

Get ready to get your creative juices flowing in this welcoming introduction to writing in verse. Join award-winning poet Sarah Tsiang through a series of writing exercises designed to help you find your spark. Through explorations of imagery, language, structure and flow, you’ll play with ways to make writing that feels authentically you.

We began by playing with opposites. If we take a quote from Emily Dickenson, “My life had stood a loaded gun” and make it opposite, we might get: Your death will sit some empty – and here’s where she turned to the participants and asked for suggestions for the opposite of gun. We gave her: flower, dove, hug, marshmallow, peace, pen, suture, birth, whisper, hammer, forceps, uterus, welcome, feather, love, embrace.

We can all be trying to say the same thing, but it all comes down to distilling it down to the right words, making sure you don’t have a wasted word. Density is made through grounding writing in the senses. The specific will lead you to the universal.

For the next exercise we were divided into groups. Half of the groups were asked to provide five interesting nouns, the other half were asked to provide five interesting adjectives. Then we were asked (as individuals) to pick a random noun and adjective and use them in a sentence:

The wildflowers clung with serpentine tenacity to the fence.
The reeds were a verdant shade of green.
The windmill was a whimsical reminder of the life of Don Quixote.

Next we were given a hand-out. There were five poems on it and we were aske to write the opposite of whichever poem we picked.

The poem I picked was Maya Angelou’s:

Awaking in New York

Curtains forcing their will
against the wind,
children sleep,
exchanging dreams with
seraphim. The city
drags itself awake on
subway straps; and
I, an alarm, awake as a
rumor of war
lie stretching into dawn
unasked and unheeded.

My version, turning it into the opposite:

Falling Asleep in Old York

Openness volunteering our won’t
for the calm,
adults awake,
hoarding reality without
demons. The country
pushes you asleep under
uppers unrestrained; and
you, a calm, sleep as a
fact of peace
stands compacting out of dusk
asked and heeded.

The most important thing about poetry is ambivalence – trying to understand things on a different level.

For our next exercise we were asked to think of two important relationships in our lives. We were to describe all of the emotions and feelings associated with them. Then we were to think of an incident, image, or situation that holds two of these emotions. Next we were asked to write a short piece about one of these relationships and then turn it into a poem.

The relationship I chose to write about was with my father.

When I was twenty, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. Back then there weren’t the advances there are today for early detection, so it was quite advanced when it was discovered. Our relationship was just getting back on track from a past rockiness, but when he needed to go to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for treatment, my new husband and I took the day off work to take him up there. Perhaps I was very naïve, but I did not fear losing him at that time. But as we left him in the waiting room, I looked back and saw him sitting there looking alone and afraid. I will always regret not going back and sitting with him.

Love and Regret

The sun should not be shining today
It is too happy for a day of saying goodbye
There’s a hole in my heart where you once were
No matter how many disagreements we had
Underneath it all was the ever present love
Now you are gone, ripped away from me
No more arguing, no more recriminations
I left you sitting in that waiting room
Looking lost and scared, hands clasped in your lap
I was selfish, and left you alone
And now I stand watching as they lower your coffin
Filled with regret for not turning back to sit with you
And telling you one last time, I love you.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week is . . . frustration.

Apparently I’m stuck in a traffic jam on that road of good intentions that leads to you-know-where.

You’d think, what with getting our Thanksgiving dinner out of the way on Sunday that I’d have the rest of the week to do all that stuff I said I was going to do in last week’s blog post, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

I spent the better part of Monday re-arranging the kitchen cupboards to make room for the stuff we kept on top of the fridge, then cleaned out the fridge freezer in preparation for the new fridge that was being delivered on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning I had a stitchery meeting, which worked out okay because the fridge was being delivered in the early afternoon and our meetings only go until noon. We were supposed to start a woven fabric basket at the meeting, which did not go as planned. Then I get home and they delivered our fridge early, with no warning. They were supposed to call ahead!

We got the old fridge cleared out as quickly as we could, no finesse about it, and the delivery guys took it away. Hubby had to cut away at part of the alcove that was built around it because the plug from the new fridge was in a different spot than the one in the old one and the plug wouldn’t reach the outlet otherwise.

New fridge gets plugged in, and pushed back – fits perfectly. Delivery guys leave. I go to start filling it and discover a new problem. My beautiful new fridge has French doors, and the left side won’t open because it’s right up against the wall. *sigh*

More farcical angst trying to get a hold of the furniture place, and then we have to go over and pick out a new new fridge and arrange for them to pick up the old new one. Fortunately they were able to give us a loaner.

My week did not improve after that, but at least I got all my blog posts up.

NEW WORDS:
2847+615+295+986=4,753
UP: 54 – words

Pretty consistent, wasn’t I? And while I may not have got any extra writing in, at least I didn’t have to burn the midnight oil getting my blog posts done.

One more installment and Winter’s Child is done. It would have been better if I could have dragged it out until November, then I could just post excerpts from my WIP for my Fiction Fridays, but there really isn’t any more story to tell.

I might give serializing stories a rest for a while, maybe until the new year. I was thinking about getting back into some timed writing using a one word prompt every day, and then picking the best exercise piece and turning it into a flash story for Fridays, we’ll have to wait and see how I feel after NaNo.

Meanwhile, for the last Friday in October I’ll probably post an excerpt from my first NaNo. I might post one from my second one on the first Friday in November, just because I won’t be very far along yet with my new NaNo

Goals For Next Week:
Keep up the good work with the blogs; find an idea for NaNoWriMo

EDITING:
1.5 Hours

Yeah, not a lot, but it’s better than nothing, right? I may have been a little distracted last week. Aside from all the crap going on, the holiday kind of threw me off. Plus, as I knew would happen eventually, the weather turned on me. I enjoy the cool evenings, but the dark is getting really dark, especially when it’s overcast.

Goal For Next Week:
Try and get into a routine with the editing.

POETRY:
I had the blog post part of a more complicated form done, but the example was tripping me up. I was running out of time so I switched to a far less complicated form and actually, I kind of liked it.

I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that I did not make any progress printing out poems for indexing. One of these days . . . I swear!

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new form to share; work on the extra forms. Print poems to update big book o’ poems.

CRAFTING:
One of the ladies in my stitchery group volunteered to show us how to make a woven, fabric basket. There were only a handful of us who took her up on the offer. Well, we were sent the instructions and apparently I only skimmed over them or something, because I came with uncut material and the others had theirs cut into strips and some even had them pressed. *sigh*

So, by the end of the meeting, while others had their first row of strips ready to be sewn on the base of the baskets, I had the five long strips pressed, stuffed, and sewn, and fourteen others that are pressed. So I have stitchery homework, due in two weeks time.

But believe it or not, I did get some work done on my stitchery kit. I pulled it out on Wednesday night and worked on it during Masked Singer. :-D

Goal For Next Week:
Work on my zentangle; work on the kit I started; do my stitchery homework.

WHAT I’M READING:
I’m gonna be honest here. I was only a little way into Never, Never, by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher and I read several unfavorable reviews about it and paused, not knowing if I wanted to keep going. I liked what I read so far, so I finally sucked it up and kept going. I’m glad I did, because I really enjoyed it.

I kept going on the box set on the Kindle and read High Noon, by S.E. Biblow. I liked this one much better than the last one – it was a fun little mystery. Next up on the Kindle is Mystic Pieces, by Ada Bell.

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new tree book to read; continue with the box set on the Kindle.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

That new leaf isn’t exactly thriving, but neither is it dying. I’d say it’s more like it’s in a dormant stage. Hopefully the week ahead will see it starting to grow again.

This week will be a little busier than last week, but at least it’s expected busyness, not like the fiasco with the fridge. And I also had an unexpected coffee date on Friday, and while taking a walk along the waterfront was nice, it turned into three hours, which was a little long for coffee.

Tuesday I’ll be joining the stitchery guild for a one day, all day, retreat at a local spa. This is the first time we’ve held a retreat and a surprising number signed up. We get to stitch all day at a local spa, and in the afternoon we’ll be treated to high tea.

One more installment for Winter’s Child, and it’s done. It’s always a little sad when a story ends, and I think I’m going to take a break from serials for a while.

I really need to come up with an idea for NaNoWriMo. Time to break out the old idea file – the paper files that is. I keep remembering that An Elemental Wind started out as a rejected idea. How many other ideas might I have that could work for NaNo? Time to find out.

Even if I’m able to come up with an office routine that includes editing, I’ve only got a couple of weeks until NaNo, and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to stick to it. On the other hand, who knows how much I’ll be able to accomplish in that two and a half weeks, so I should at least give it a try, right?

Ideally, I’d also like to have a couple of poetry posts done before NaNo, just to take some of the pressure off, but that means picking out some more forms. I may have to resort to forms I’ve already done. In any case, I’d like to do at least two forms this week – one for the blog and one for reserve.

I may need to go back to knitting or crocheting if I’m going to do crafts at night. The lighting really sucks in this house, and you need good light to stitch. So I think if I’m going to do any stitching it’ll have to be during the day. But that’s okay. I wouldn’t mind knitting myself a sweater or two, and there’s this afghan I’d like to do for a present . . . Of course that’ll be a moot point if I can’t get the writing taken care of during the day. And again, whatever routine I come up with is probably not going to last more than two weeks.

I did a moderate amount of reading last week and now I need to pick a new tree book. I don’t know what I’m in the mood to read next – maybe I’ll just close my eyes and point to my to-be-read bookcase.

I’m thinking the best way to overcome this non-productive mood I’ve been in lately is to keep busy. Just get up and do things without thinking about them. I need to go back to my lists too, to give my day some structure.

It’s worth a try.

The Truth About Bodies in Motion – Writersfest Part I

A fool can always find another fool to admire him.
― Tanis MacDonald

When you traffic in falsehoods, rev the engines. Leave shoes all over the house for fast escapes.
― Tanis MacDonald

But if there were two of me, who would you ignore first?
― Tanis MacDonald

I was very happy that I got to Kingston in time for my first workshop (for the first time since I’ve been going to these retreats!). The workshop was The Truth About Bodies in Motion, facilitated by Tanis MacDonald, writer, poet, reviewer, and professor. Here’s the blurb for the workshop:

In this workshop, we will work with the pleasures and the problems of being a body in motion, and shift towards writing about our bodies in all their beauties and oddities as nature writing. What is the beauty of a hawk in flight seen through the lens of a panic attack? How does foot pain change the act of urban foraging? Bring your breathing, grousing, observant bodies.

Tanis MacDonald always has an interesting take on whatever topic she’s presenting in her workshops. She began by having us think about our bodily changes and experiences, and how we write about them. Sometimes we suffer from chronic conditions that make it seem like we’re living as an under the radar disabled person – we cannot function normally, but we don’t suffer from a recognized disability.

There is a temptation to think about the person as their condition, and once we do we are unable to see beyond it. You know your truth – the changes in your body, the aging of your body. One day you can do something, another day you cannot.

The simple act of going for a walk can bring great pleasure, but for someone with a chronic illness it can also present physical problems and these two things clash up against each other. What is it like to write about it? Many readers won’t want to read about it; many others will.

We are used to writing about bodies outside of nature. There is room for all of ourselves – changing bodies, rebellious bodies. Agism, sizism, sexism, racism – these are all things we deal with on a daily basis, and yet they’re seldom written about.

Think about all the things you love to do and how your body’s changed, so you no longer have access to the way you used to do things. You’re having to shift who you are. Think about reading about it.

Consider the body with a perceived difference – the disobedient and rebellious body. Think about rebelling against a cultural norm, where you have to look or act a certain way to be accepted. Getting all of your body experience onto the page – the joys, inclusion, love – is as important as the pain. It isn’t always like that.

When writing about the truth about your body, find a metaphor to commit to and come back to it as much as you can. Use something fresh, not cliché Fresh, natural and a surprise to the readers gives them that “Aha!” moment.

What else is going on in your life besides the pain and struggle? Use details so that it’s not something that happens in isolation, the reader is a part of it. Use old stories, hidden metaphors.

Pain is a private language.
– Roy Lichtenstein

How can we make our private pain public on the page so it’s believable? The moment you write it down you make it public. Read how others express pain on the written page. Check out Falling for Myself, by Dorothy Ellen Palmer or Pain Woman Takes Your Keys, by Sonya Huber

Exercise: We were given 5 different prompts and then told to pick our favorite and write a short piece about it. The prompt I chose was, “What is it like to occupy a “disobedient” or “rebellious” body: disobeying what? Rebelling against whom?”

My body is no longer the same. It was already becoming disobedient – aging when I wasn’t looking, growing soft and slowing down. And then it grew cancer cells that needed to be excised. How dare my body do this to me? I was supposed to be young and healthy forever! But instead I woke up in the recovery room in the hospital, a bag attached to my abdomen to collect my waste, and my whole world was changed. Simple movements that I always took for granted – sitting up, rising from my bed – now felt like Sisyphus pushing that rock up the hill. I’d try, and try, but things didn’t work the same, and I’d have to try again. The relief of the surgery doing what it was supposed to was overshadowed by the reality that bag on my abdomen.

Next we were asked to pick our least favorite prompt. This time, the one I chose was, “What are your experiences of beauty, grace, and/or power in your body?”

This is my least favorite because I’ve never felt myself to be beautiful or graceful. So I can’t write to those. I have, however, felt power, as any fertile woman can. We hold the power of life within us, whether we choose to exercise that power or not. I grew my daughter under my heart for nine months, making me powerful with the act of creation. Her birth was by caesarean section, they had to cut me open to release her, but there was a kind of power in that as well as we both emerged from the experience triumphant. They laid her on my chest for her first meal while I was still in recovery and all the pain was forgotten. I was more powerful in that moment than I’d ever been in my life. The power of motherhood extends beyond childbirth. A mother will do things she never thought possible for her child. She will take risks and use her power to ensure her child thrives. She will sacrifice her power for her child.

There is a linkage through the body, One thing changes and everything changes. What if you’re in an accident, and you survive, but your body has changed irreparably? What do you have to live without doing? The temptation to think you are cured is strong, but it’s not true.

When a milkweed pod splits open, is it empty, or has it fulfilled its purpose? It’s all contained and then explodes open, scattering the seeds. Consider how you might want to change your way of writing.

Tanis was very up front about her own bodily changes, describing how it’s impacted both her writing and her life. She does not shy about writing about uncomfortable subjects. Her book Straggle contains essays on such things as what it’s like to take a walk when you have chronic pain, or having a panic attack when you’re alone in the woods.

I don’t know that I’ll be writing about chronic pain or disabilities on a regular basis, but should one of my characters be facing physical limitations, I feel like I’ll be better equipped to write about it.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week is . . . quiet.

There was only one workshop Sunday morning (well, there was a second one but it was on writing about food, which is not my thing, but it would have been kind of fun to take the ferry over to the island where the workshop was being held) so after that was over I packed up my bags and headed for home.

I arrived about lunch time, and after unpacking there was laundry to do and the hubby and father-in-law nicely left the grocery shopping for me to do as well (normally I do this Friday mornings). LOL

Kingston was filled with people, and people tend to deplete my energy, so the first part of last week was spent re-charging my batteries. But I hope you noticed I got all of my blog posts up on time, and I didn’t have to stay up late to do it. So I guess that new leaf that’s starting to sprout didn’t wither completely away after all.

NEW WORDS:
2847+615+295+986=4,753
UP: 856– words

Gee, there’s a surprise. I’m up about as many words as my installment for Winter’s Child. Go figure, eh?

I think there’s only two more episodes to go in Winter’s Child before it’s done. I’d like to make it longer, but there’s only so much I can do to drag it out. Joey can’t last forever when it’s so cold out. LOL

And NaNoWriMo is coming up fast. In September you think you have all the time in the world, then suddenly it’s October and NaNo begins at the end of the month. And no, I have no idea what I’ll be working on this year. I have two different ideas for flash stories like I did a couple of years ago, but one of them requires a lot more research and I just don’t know if I’ll have time for it. Or, I may just go for something completely different. Maybe a brand new story that has nothing to do with any of my other books.

Yeah, that’s just what I need. Another unfinished book to add to the pile. *sigh* But I’ve got a NaNo hoodie and a tee-shirt on their way for inspiration, so whether I get an idea or not, I’m doing it. Hey, it wouldn’t be the first time I started without a clue as to what I’d be writing. :-D

Goals For Next Week:
Keep up the good work with the blogs; find an idea for NaNoWriMo

EDITING:
0 Hours

Oopsie! I knew I was forgetting something. Yeah, I think I’m going to have to go back to list making and keep putting “editing” at the top of my list. I have a bunch of other stuff that needs to be done as well, but I really have to do Elemental Spirit first. It’s the last book in the series, and then I can feel free to move on and start editing other stuff.

Although . . . maybe if I tried editing something else as well it might spur me on to take a whack at Elemental Spirit. Work a bit on E.S., then something else, then back to E.S. If nothing else, it might get me going.

Goal For Next Week:
Just stop talking about it and do it for crying out loud!

POETRY:
Last week’s form required a bit of a longer example than I’ve been doing lately, but it was still a fairly simple one to write. Maybe I should try for something a little more challenging this week, eh?

Believe it or not, I actually did start printing some of the poems I need to add to my big book o’ poems. Okay, so maybe it was only half a dozen or so, but it’s a start. And I’ve been adding dates to them, as best I can. I really need to start doing that as I write them.

The problem is, then I go back and re-write them and then that date’s not quite current. I suppose I could always add a revised date though. It just seems like a lot of work. But it would be nice to know whether a poem is a current one or an old one, and just how old a one it is. I mean, I’ve got poems dating back to high school.

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new form to share; work on the extra forms. Print poems to update big book o’ poems.

CRAFTING:
There was a stitch-in at the library last week, and I actually got some stitching in while I was there. Sadly, that’s the only stitching I did last week.

I keep saying that I’d like to get my writing taken care of during the day, leaving my evenings free to work on my stitchery, but this hasn’t happened yet. One of the reasons for this is that while I often have the time to stitch, by evening my eyes are too tired to do this. I might have to set aside a time during the morning or afternoon for this instead.

Goal For Next Week:
Work on my zentangle; work on the kit I started.

WHAT I’M READING:
I finished Trashlands, by Alison Stine. And then I read Bad Luck Vampire, by Lynsay Sands in one day. Now I’ve started reading Never, Never, by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher.

I haven’t read anything on the Kindle since finishing Lattes and Levitation, by Christine Pope. It was part of a boxed set and it was so disappointing that I guess I’m a little leery of reading anything else from that box.

But maybe the rest of the books in the set won’t be disappointing at all. And if the next one is, then I can just delete the rest of the set. You know, as soon as I figure out how to delete stuff off my Kindle. :-D

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the non-binging of books.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

Well, that new leaf survived, but just barely, I’d say. Time to start nurturing it into growing again.

Once again, the week ahead has only Tuesday with anything going on. In the morning is a regular stitchery meeting – I think it’s project day, the first of two meetings where we learn to make a woven basket. And in the afternoon our new fridge is going to be delivered. Woot! Can’t wait.

Winter’s Child is almost done. There’s only one, maybe two more installments to go. It’s both longer, and not as long as I’d hoped to make it. But overall, I’m really happy with it. I just hope the ending lives up to the rest of it. Guess we’ll see.

Then it’s time to look forward to NaNoWriMo. I have absolutely no clue what I’m going to write about this year. Another story a day deal? I had pretty good luck with that a couple of years ago. Or maybe I could delve deep into my vault of abandoned ideas. After all, Winter’s Child was once a story I’d abandoned, so obviously I’ve grown as a writer.

Or I could go with a second or third book of a series I did the first book for in previous NaNos. Of course, that just means more editing down the road. Or maybe, and here’s a radically idea, I could go for something completely new. *sigh* Obviously I have a decision to make.

I really need to get back on track with the editing this week. I did so well working on the hard copy, and now it’s all fallen apart again. Hopefully, but getting back into an office routine this week I’ll be able to get back into an editing routine. Even an hour a day would move things forward.

The poetry has been moving along at a steady pace, although the last few weeks I’ve been showcasing rather simple forms. Time for something a little more complicated I think, but it’ll depend on the amount of time I have available. I seem to be less distracted when I’m working in my office though.

I did get a handful of poems printed off last week, but I have a lot more to go. And then even when I finish printing them I still have to file them in my book, and then I have the monumental task of double checking to make sure I have them all. This is not going to be a fun job.

I believe I was filing poems in the book in alphabetical order, but I’m thinking it would make better sense to do it by date instead. That way, going forward I can just add poems as I write them to the back of the book instead of shuffling through it. Something to think about, anyway.

Again, the goal for this week is to get my writing out of the way during the day so that I can go back to crafting at night, but as I said, usually by the time I get to sit and relax after supper I’m starting to tire, and you usually need fresh eyes to stitch.

I’m still working on the satin stitch portion of my kit, but once I’m done that the rest should go quite quickly. There are two more in the series, but seeing as I have no idea what I’m going to do with them, I’m going to wait until after my zentangle sampler is finished to do start them. And I’d still like to get the sampler done in time to use it for my November stitchery retreat, so I’d better shake my needles.

I can’t believe I didn’t open my Kindle once last week. And I made myself waiting until I finished Trashlands before starting Bad Luck Vampire, which I read in one day. What can I say? I read fast and it was a really, really good book.

I am 11 books past my Goodreads goal of reading 50 books this year, so I think it wouldn’t hurt to slow down my reading a bit this week. We’ll have to see how it goes. I read a bunch of reviews of the tree book I started, Never, Never, and they weren’t good, but I like it so far.

Lots to do this week, but I’ll have plenty of time, barring Tuesday, to do it in. The big issue will be the weather. As you know, I’m solar powered. The last few weeks have been mostly sunny, but according to Environment Canada, the week ahead is supposed to be mostly overcast and raining. So I guess we’ll see how big a factor that is on regaining my momentum.

Wish me luck!

Journaling Journey

Our pasts define us, yet memory is untrustworthy. By keeping a journal, I can capture those memories when they’re still reasonably fresh. Journaling helps me keep a narrative of my life. It keeps me honest with myself.
— John Dumas

Your journal will stand as a chronicle of your growth, your hopes, your fears, your dreams, your ambitions, your sorrows, your serendipities.
— Kathleen Adams

The true purpose of journaling is to celebrate your life. No matter how small or mundane or redundant, each drawing and little essay you write to commemorate an event or an object or a place makes it all the more special.
— Danny Gregory

When I last updated my journal, I realized I had only a few pages left before I’d need to start a new one. This left me in a quandary – do I go online and find a replacement journal, or do I use one of the many blank journals I have sitting on the bookcase behind me.

While this may seem like a no-brainer to most people, here’s the thing. I have a particular “type” when it comes to a personal journal. In my stack there is only one that fits the bill and I really hate to use it because it’s so beautiful. It has a dragon’s head embossed on the cover – too nice to be wasted for such a mundane purpose, right? On the other hand, that’s what it was given to me for. I guess I’m going to suck it up and use it anyway, and worry about the next journal when this one is full.

I’ve been keeping a journal for as long as I can remember. Not all of them were saved, and some of them were pretty sketchy, having more white space than not, but I think it’s safe to say I’ve kept one all of my adult life. One of my sisters is an avid journal-writer – she writes in hers pretty much every day. The other sister . . . not so much. She did when she was younger, but like many of us, found it too time consuming to keep up with.

Journals contain ten categories of life patterns: longing; fear, mastery; (intentional) silences; key influences; hidden lessons; secret gifts; challenges; unfinished business; untapped potential. Each category corresponds to a way we engage or hold back in life.
— Alexandra Johnson

You can call it a journal, a log, a diary, a chronicle, or notebook – whatever you want to call it, the idea is to create a written record of your thoughts, feelings, insights, and memories. More people than ever are keeping a journal these days. Here are a few reasons to start one:

To de-stress.
Sometimes the best therapy is to get things off your chest. A journal is the perfect place to do this. You can write about your thoughts and feeling, relieving your stress and anxiety as you do so. This only works if your honest with yourself though. But keep in mind there’s no judgement in a journal, no one’s going to see it. It’s an outlet for your emotional well-being.

Boost your creativity.
Writing in a journal can stimulate your imagination and creativity. It’s also a great place to capture ideas for future use. You can give free reign to your imagination. Here is a safe place where you can give birth to new ideas without having to censor yourself. Insights and solutions to a problem can result simply by writing about them.

Improve your memory.
Writing things down can act as a reminder of the meaningful things going on around you. You can reflect on past experiences, remembering details that might have been forgotten. This is the place to keep track of important events, people, and places that you don’t want to forget.

Improve your mental health.
A journal allows you to reflect on your thoughts and emotions. It can be an effective way to deal with symptoms of depression and anxiety. When you write about your feelings, it can help you process them, finding ways to cope with them. And it’s a healthy way to release all those pent-up emotions inside you to get them out of your system.

Motivation and satisfaction.
Writing down your goals can help keep you motivated. You can track your progress, gaining a sense of satisfaction when a goal is completed. Even completing a journal entry can give you that sense of accomplishment. You can reflect on daily activities and see how far you’ve come.

Help you to communicate better.
When you write about your experiences and emotions, it can help you better understand yourself, helping you to communicate better with others. It’s also a good way to show appreciation for the people in your life, expressing your gratitude towards them.

Leads to greater productivity.
Writing in a journal can allow you to prioritize tasks and make a plan for your day/week, which in turn can lead to greater productivity. One thing productive people seem to have in common is a system of organization that works for them. Having a written plan in your journal will help structure your time so that you can accomplish all of the tasks you set yourself.

Make a legacy.
Think of your journal as your gift for future generations, an insight into your life. It could become a valuable source of information for your descendants. It can show them what the world was like during your lifetime – your hopes and fears, your dreams, and your struggles and accomplishments. It could some day be a priceless legacy.

Join me here next week when I delve into some of the different kinds of journals you could keep.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week is . . . backslide.

While I’m doing all right on establishing my morning routine, I’m still getting distracted easily. I do well when I’m in my office in the mornings, but I still tend to linger in the living room (where I eat my lunch) and then it’s kind of a downward slide from there.

My blog posts were done, and up on time, but I had a couple of late nights to get them done. I was good on my journalling, and started a letter to one of my sisters, but not really any other writing.

This is very disappointing. I look back in my day planner and while I have several things jotted down for each day, none of it is very time consuming. I need to start having lunch at the dining room table so I’ll be more inclined to go back to my office afterwards.

The weather is still very much fall-like. Cool enough in the mornings that you need a jacket when you go out, but it warms up rather quickly when the sun is shining, which it’s been doing most days.

Things don’t seem to be as much of a struggle (mentally), I just seem to have backslid into my old habits of procrastination and time-wasting. I can’t help thinking of the song by Trans-Siberian Orchestra that goes: “I wasted my time until time wasted me.” But the only one who can do something about that is me.

NEW WORDS:
2448+639+291+803=4,181
DOWN: 478 – words

I kinda knew the word count would be down from the week before, but that’s because my posts were all shorter. I know, that’s a pretty obvious conclusion, but seriously. Most weeks the different posts will vary both up and down by a few words, but last week the posts all turned out a little shorter. I just said what I had to say in fewer words. It happens.

I took forever trying to figure out what I wanted to write about for last Sunday’s post. The post-COVID thing was sparked by a conversation I had during the stitch-in at the library, where we talked about all the changes that have been going on since then, and not always for the better. I spent way too much time on the internet checking out how it’s affected other writers, but not enough to really get into depth on my topic.

Monday was a picture post, which is usually short on words. Then I took forever to decide on a form for Wednesday’s poetry post – the well for them is starting to run dry. Yes, more forms are invented every day, but I like to be able to talk a bit about their origins and information is not all that forthcoming.

Friday’s post was pared down quite a bit. While the creature’s point of view is important, I don’t want it taking over the story, so I only included the important parts. Guess I’d better start figuring out what I’m going to do for Fiction Fridays when this story is done.

Goals For Next Week:
Try to get the blog posts done a little earlier; find some other writing to work on.

EDITING:
??? Hours

To be honest, I didn’t spend all that much time thinking about Elemental Spirit. Didn’t I say I work better with hard copy pages?

I did pull my notes out for the Illezie, the historic records (that I was planning on starting each chapter with), and the prophecy, but they got buried under a pile of other printouts and I kind of forgot about them. Out of sight, out of mind. *sigh*

And I’m going to have to start marking down the start/stop times for editing because even the super old unsupported version of TraxTime is no longer available. At least not through any sites I have access to. So, old fashioned it is.

Meanwhile, there’s this other book I started writing several years ago that has been on my mind. It’s actually the first in a series of three. I don’t remember if I actually finished it or not, nor how bad of shape it’s in, but I’m having to be firm with myself to ignore the impulse to open it up. I will never get Elemental Spirit finished if I allow myself to be side tracked.

Goal For Next Week:
Ignore my other WIPs that are clamoring for editing and stay focused on Elemental Spirit. Eyes on the prize!

POETRY:
I had a hard time picking a poetry form last week. One was a little too complicated for the time I had, and a couple more were invented forms that I couldn’t find any extra information about.

The Landay was a simple enough form, but there was a LOT of information available about it. And then I got side-tracked by the article Poetry Magazine had written on the subject, which gave the whole form more depth than is apparent at first glance.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my poetry lately. I feel like all I do any more are the forms, and I’m running out of new ones to share. I don’t know what this means for my poetry for the future, but it’s something I’m ruminating on.

And it serves me right. I did NOT write myself a note for my desk, reminding me to at least start printing out my poems to update my big book o’ poems, so I didn’t. Seriously, what is wrong with me?

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new form to share; work on the extra forms. Print poems to update big book o’ poems.

CRAFTING:
I am seriously starting to wonder what I do with all my time! Not only did I not work on my zentangle sampler, I didn’t even figure out what I’m putting in the next square. I’m going to have to step up my game if I want to have it done and turned into a tote bag for November.

The only work I did on the kit was during the stitch-in at the library, but I did get a lot of the satin stitching done, which is my least favorite stitch. Once it’s finished I think I should turn my attention to that non-existent list of Christmas crafts.

I decided against trying to squeeze in the time to sew a skirt or two at this time. Maybe I’ll do it when I’m a little more organized with my other stuff. It’s not the sewing that’s putting me off, it’s having to cut out the pieces for it. Having to set up the table in the office/library so the cats don’t bother me is a bit of a pain.

Goal For Next Week:
Work on my zentangle; work on the kit I started.

WHAT I’M READING:
I’m about halfway though Trashlands by Alison Stine. Slow and steady wins the race I guess. But I want to finish it this week because I have other books waiting to be read. :-D

As a punishment for spending too much time reading on my Kindle, I’ve been trying to limit myself to only reading while on the exercise bike. So last week I read Wild Nights With a Lone Wolf, by Elisabeth Staab, and I’m about halfway through A Midlife Shifter’s Dream, by Ruby Raine.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep up the non-binging of books.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

I think that new leaf I turned over is starting to take root, but it needs fertilizer or something.

While I seem to be doing better at starting my day out right, it does tend to fall apart by mid-day. And nothing seems to have changed during my evenings – if I’m not scrambling to get a blog post done, then I’m playing games on the laptop.

Next week is going to be super busy for me. I have an appointment with my mental health counsellor on Monday, a meeting with the stitchery guild on Tuesday morning, followed by an appointment with a new dietician, and Wednesday there’s a gathering with the poetry group. Then Thursday morning I’ll be loading my bags into the car and heading for Kingston for Writersfest. Oh, and if there’s time, Monday there might be a trip to Costco.

This means there will be no dilly-dallying and time wasting!

I would really like to have the installment of Winter’s Child ready to go before I leave, but I need to distill the creature’s part and figure out where her little speeches are going to fit in.

The editing didn’t go all that well last week, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to go much better this week. But I do plan to take my notes with me, and the rest is on the computer. Going by previous years, once I’m at Writersfest my evenings will be free, and as I recall, the television options are pretty limited. I do have access to streaming services on my laptop, but I really don’t like using it for that.

As for poetry . . . well, as I said I have a poetry gathering on Wednesday, so I probably need to do some poemwork for that, as well my regular poetry post. I’m hoping I can find a form that’s quick and easy. Maybe something that doesn’t rhyme. LOL

I think there’s going to be a presentation by someone who does beadwork at the stitchery guild meeting. It should be really interesting, and maybe it’ll revive my interest in doing beadwork myself. If not, I should seriously think about re-homing some of my supplies.

I’m in a quandary about the kit I’ve been working on. Should I set it aside and focus on my sampler, or should I finish it first? I’ll probably take it with me to the meeting, in case there’s time to do some stitching after the presentation – it’s just easier to work on. But after that I feel like I should focus on my zentangle. Maybe instead of trying to work free-hand, like I did with the first square, draw a few guidelines on the next square like I did the previous one.

I did well with my exercise last week, and I plan on taking my hand weights with me to Kingston. My hotel sits right on a fabulous walking trail, so, weather permitting, I’ll be getting a lot of walking in instead of riding the stationary bike.

So much to do this week, and very limited time in which to do it. But I’ve always said I work better under pressure, so who knows, maybe I’ll get everything I want to do done. Wouldn’t that be surprising? I might even get to relax and enjoy my writing conference.

Stranger things have happened.

What Should I Blog About?

A million years ago – some hairy bastard daubed a horse on the wall of his cave, he saw it, he drew it – well done! Flash forward: ‘Hello, welcome to my vlog. Today I bought a plum.
— Patrick Marber

Blogging is to writing what extreme sports are to athletics – more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud.
— Andrew Sullivan

Sometimes I think of blogging as finger exercises for a violinist; sometimes I think of it as mulching a garden. It is incredibly useful and helpful to my “real” writing.
— Kate Christensen

As I was sitting here trying to think of something to blog about, I wondered, why do people blog? All kinds of reasons apparently. But first, a history lesson.

The first blog was created by a college student named Justin Hall, who was looking for a way to publish some of his thoughts and writing online. This was back in 1994. In 1997, others thought this was a great idea and followed suit, creating their own online diaries or personal pages. In 1997, Jorn Barger came up with the name of weblogs to describe these sites, and in 1999 this term was shortened to blog.

So, that’s how it all started. But why have a blog?

One reason people blog is to share knowledge. You’ve painstakingly acquired all this information about something and don’t want it to go to waste, so you share it online in hopes others may find it useful.

Blogs can be used for self-promotion. You can share information that will showcase your skills for prospective employers to see. It legitimizes your expertise and promotes your credibility. You can expand your online presence and platform on a blog

Maybe you have a hobby that you enjoy and want to share that joy with others. You’re proud of what you’ve done and a blog provides a platform where you can post pictures and tips or instructions so that others can do it too.

A lot of people like to write, and they write mostly for themselves. This is pretty much why blogging started in the first place. These people don’t care so much about traffic numbers or the number of comments, they just love to write. A blog is a perfect place to share these writings.

Perhaps you are going through a difficult time like a break-up, parenting problems, medical issues . . . It can be difficult to talk about these things to another person, but blogging about them can be therapeutic. And it may even help someone else.

A blog can satisfy your creative side. Sometimes your mind is just filled with ideas. Blogging about them can be a great creative outlet. And it can create a record for the future.

Blogging helps you connect with like-minded people. You post your thoughts or feelings and it can bring in others who also think or feel that way. Ideas are shared and your thoughts can move forward.

Perhaps you have an issue that is near and dear to your heart. A blog is a good way to try and sway people to your way of thinking. Maybe you’ve seen an injustice and want to raise people’s awareness of it. A blog is a great way to do that.

Some people blog as a way to network. A blog can help spread ideas and make connections all over the world. It allows them to connect with like-minded people and share information about similar issues.

There are also those who are looking to make money with their blog. You can do this by monetizing your blog and promoting affiliate links. You’ll need to find an interest to blog about, figure out who your target audience is, and figure out which topics are profitable. And you’ll need to keep your blog content fresh, updating frequently. Then you need to build a reputation and promote yourself to grow.

As for me, for the last year or so I feel that if I hadn’t been blogging, I’d have done no writing at all. The blog keeps my creative juices going. Even the poetry – if I didn’t do a post each week I wouldn’t need to do a poem to go with it and I without the form to follow I probably wouldn’t be writing as many, if any, poems at all.

So why do I blog? To share ideas and keep me writing. How about you?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week . . . confusion.

It was a shortened week as far as babysitting went, the son-in-law’s schedule changed yet again and as well as only needing me for an hour on Monday, they didn’t need me at all until Thursday. So it was like having another free week, only this time I didn’t have to worry about picking the granddaughter up. But she and I had plans for Monday, so I asked to have her for the day. :-)

The weather was sunny and not too hot, but my ambition was no where to be found, so everything was a struggle. I hate when that mood strikes me, but there’s not much to be done about it. Just wait it out.

And as usual, I did find that I got more work done in my office than in the living room. I used the bright light streaming through the big office window as my excuse for not working so much in there. Granted, when the light hits at just the right angle it is a bit of a pain, but I can always wear a hat with a brim.

NEW WORDS:
2,468+806+356+892=4,522
UP 138 – words

I was a little inconsistent with the blog posts last week. A couple of them I was up early in the morning to finish them, and one I was up late finishing. This feels like a big step backwards for me. But they were all up on time (except I can tell you right now this one won’t be) so I guess that’s something.

I was up pretty late writing Friday’s post. It took me a while to figure out where it was going, but once I did it went pretty quickly, I just didn’t budget my time properly. The good news there is that I’ve set myself up nicely for this week’s installment.

However, being up so late Thursday night meant I was super tired Friday night, and I kind of dozed my way through my writing time. I really wanted to get as much of this post done Friday night as I could, because I was going to be away all day Saturday (family outing), so no time to do it then (like I usually do).

So here I am, Sunday morning, typing as fast as I can.

Goals For Next Week:
Try to get the blog posts done a little earlier; find some other writing to work on.

EDITING:
Last week – 23 pages
Total pages - 40

More progress could have been made if I’d budgeted my time better.

I can see where a lot of things need to be changed, and I really, really need to get my act together as far as the prophecy goes – so much of the action depends on it.

There was a great deal of conflict created within the Illezie on how the prophecy was to be dealt with. There were two possible outcomes (apparently) and the race was divided into those who just wanted nature to take its course, and those who wanted to steer events towards a more amicable future.

Jeez, where do I come up with these things? LOL

Anyway, the lesson learned here is, if you’re going to use a prophecy as one of the driving forces propelling your story forward, it’s a good idea to come up with the prophecy first, then start writing your story.

Goal For Next Week:
Work on the prophecy, continue editing.

POETRY:
This week’s form was not an easy one. In fact, this was one of the posts I got up early to finish doing. I got the information about the form done the night before, but after several aborted attempts at doing an example, I decided I’d be better off getting a fresh start in the morning, so I did.

The form, the Kerf, had an odd syllable count and it also rhymed. Either one was enough to throw me off. The example I came up with wasn’t spectacular, but I’m not unhappy with it.

No other poetry news for the week – no gatherings, no discussions, no other poems writing. Kind of a slow week for poetry, I guess.

Goal For Next Week:
Get a new form ready to share, update my big book ‘o poems.

CRAFTING:
I wasn’t supposed to get the granddaughter on Monday, but I asked for her so we could do our tie-dyeing. The liquid dye was much easier to use, but it was also really quick. We did one set of aprons in “hot” colours (yellow and red) and one set in “cool” colours (blue and pink).

I didn’t see her again until Thursday, and we decided the yellow and red aprons needed a little extra, so we took them outside, laid them on the grass, and squirted some green dye on them. They looked much better when we were done.

Wanting to be prepared, I asked her on Monday what craft she wanted to do on Thursday, and she wanted to work with the modeling clay again. So I picked up some better modeling clay in a variety of colours and . . . we never got around to it. *sigh* I guess I have something to do with her the next time she’s over.

Did not make any progress saving my stitch guide to an electronic device. It’s a long story, and it involves me having problems saving them as PDF files. There’s something a little off when I try to convert them from a Word file and I have to figure out what it is before I proceed.

You’d think after spending an entire day together at Lang last weekend we’d have had enough of each other, but no, my stitchery group (at least some of us) met up at our local park for a stitch in to celebrate World Embroidery Day (which was actually in July). It was a fun time, as it always is with these ladies. And we’ll be meeting again this week on Tuesday at the library.

I did not organize my jewelry supplies, nor have I figured out what’s next on my zentangle sampler.

Goal For Next Week:
Organize my jewelry stuff, figure out what’s next on the zentangle.

WHAT I’M READING:
In tree books, I started reading Trashlands by Alison Stine, which is set in what could possibly be our future if we don’t watch out.

On the Kindle, I finished Prowling Their Mate, and the next one in the series, Stalking Their Mate, by Tamsin Baker. I fell off the exercise wagon last week, and I just didn’t have time to read anything else.

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new book on the Kindle, keep up a steady reading pace.

THE WEEK AHEAD:

It’s the Labour Day weekend, which as far as I’m concerned marks the end of the summer. The kids will be back in school on Tuesday, so no more babysitting of the granddaughter. Hopefully she’ll still come over once in a while for swimming and crafts though.

But this means I have no more excuses for getting myself back on track. And starting this week I need to try and work ahead on Winter’s Child, and maybe my poetry posts as well. At the end of the month I have Writersfest in Kingston – four days and three nights of writing workshops.

After struggling to figure out where to start last week’s installment of Winter’s Child, the rest of the scene went fairly quickly. And the best part was that I’ve set things up for this week’s installment. I’m actually looking forward to writing it.

The other thing I’m enjoying is how much James has become a presence in this story. The original story didn’t really have a main character. Or maybe it had too many of them – Joseph, James, Joey, the creature … Even though this week’s installment probably won’t have him in it, it’s still very much James’s story.

I’ve made some progress on my editing, but I think I can do better. I’m going to up my editing goal to 50 pages for the week, and I need to at least start figuring out the prophecy. It’s been building up in my mind (like things you keep putting off tend to do) until I’m starting to feel like it’s going be like writing a whole new book. I need to nip that in the bud before it becomes overwhelming.

I really need to at least update my big book o’ poems, I’ve got folders from the last five years (at least) filled with poems that haven’t been printed for my big black binder. The problem with organizing this stuff is that if you don’t keep it up, it just becomes a big mess again. I’ve been putting this off because I feel like the best way to do it is to take a day and spend it updating. Which is probably why I’ve been putting it off so long. Maybe I need to break this down a little more logically. Take a day to print the poems, then spend an hour a day putting them where they need to be in the book while at the same time cross-checking with my master files.

I’d still like to go through and prioritize my crafting, keeping in mind that Christmas is coming. There are a couple of things I have in mind for Christmas presents, and I really should spend some time figuring them out. And this includes getting my jewelry supplies organized, because some of these gifts are jewelry related.

Feast or famine with me on reading, I tell you what. Last week I was between tree books, this time I’m between Kindle books. But it’s back on the exercise wagon for me this week, so I’ll be picking something new from amongst my vast Kindle library. I’m only one book away from fulfilling my Goodreads reading pledge for the year, let’s see what book puts me over the top.

I have the stitch-in at the library on Tuesday, and a check up with my surgeon on Friday, but aside from that, the week is my own. And, the weather is supposed to be sunny and super hot – good reason to stay inside, don’t you think?

Time to get organized.

Endgames

When you're passionate about something, you want it to be all it can be. But in the endgame of life, I fundamentally believe the key to happiness is letting go of that idea of perfection.
— Debra Messing

I intend, before the endgame looms, to die sitting in a chair in my own garden with a glass of brandy in my hand and Thomas Tallis on the iPod. Oh, and since this is England, I had better add, 'If wet, in the library.' Who could say that this is bad?
— Terry Pratchett

If there's not any endgame, we're in quicksand. We take one more step, and we're still there, and there's no way out.
— Richard Shelby

I published An Elemental Wind, the first volume in the Ardraci Elementals series, twelve years ago. The book I’m editing right now, An Elemental Spirit, is the end game, the final book in the series. And it’s both a happy thing, and a sad thing.

It’s happy because I’ve finally finished this five book series, and the story of the Ardraci Elementals is done. But it’s sad too, because An Elemental Wind was the first book I ever published, and now the story I started in that book is over.

I still remember being challenged to write a serial on my blog. And how I looked through my idea file for the idea I felt had the least potential to sell commercially. And how some weeks I’d struggle to get my serial installment done, and some weeks it would come easy. And when I got to the end, how surprised I was to have written a whole novel.

And then I realized it didn’t have to end there, there were three other elements I could write about. And so I started the next one, without having any clue as to what the endgame would be. I do NOT recommend this as the best way to start a series.

I think I was on the third book before I had the slightest notion of what was going on. I mean, I knew there was a reason the Illezie were looking for “the one,” and I knew they had created the elementals for a reason, but I was kind of vague on the why.

By the fourth book I had a better grasp of what was going on, but I was still unclear on how it was all going to come together. Then I started vacillating because there were two possible outcomes. Then it was taking too long to get started on the fifth book, so I finally took the plunge and used it for one of my NaNoWriMo runs. Which is how I ended up with three beginnings and a lot of garbage I’ll have to deal with.

But it’s a start. And now that I’ve started the first round of edits, I’m finding it’s not as bad as I thought it was. However, it really makes me want to re-write the first one so it fits a little more cohesively into the series. It’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s just that I wrote it without knowing what the endgame was.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. The original idea for the first book had nothing to do with elementals. It was about a woman from earth who, through a series of misadventures, ended up on a space ship. I do not remember how that morphed into the story it became, but when I started I had no clue that I would be creating a whole series about it. Hence, no endgame.

Will I be writing another series? Well, I already have. I wrote the Moonstone Chronicles at the same time I was doing the Ardraci Elementals, but in this case I knew from the beginning how it was going to end.

Going forward, I have several other book series planned. Do I know the endgame to them all? Um, no. But you know what? Not every book series needs one. If there’s an overall story arc that’s connecting the books, then yes, it’s helpful to keep the endgame in mind as you write. But if it’s an ongoing series of standalone books that share setting or character but can be read independently of each other, then there really isn’t an endgame, is there?

The series I would like to work on next involves shapeshifters. But here’s the tricky party. I have plans for four books (so far) in the series. Two of the books are more or less stand alone, but the other two are connected by story – there’s a shadow organization after them, and I only have a vague notion of their motivation.

But lesson learned. I won’t start until I know their endgame.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

WORDAGE REPORT

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The word for last week . . . frustration.

Remember how at the end of my last wordage report I had all these expectations for the week ahead, and I ended by taking bets on how long it would take to fall back into my old habits? One day. It took exactly one day before I started to backslide. *sigh*

In all fairness to myself though, it was a really craptacular week weather-wise. I didn’t mind the wind or the rain so much, but the days that were just dark and dreary and pregnant with expectations of bad weather (that never materialized) were the worst.

I did manage to work in my office a bit, and I always seem to get more work done in there. Go figure, eh?

NEW WORDS:
2,365+734+381+904=4,384
UP: 302 – words

Hmm. Every blog post except Friday’s serial installment was up a few words. The serial installment was exactly the same number of words as the week before. I couldn’t have been more dead on if I’d been trying to do that.

And despite the fact that I didn’t manage to take better advantage of the extra time I had because I wasn’t babysitting, I still think I deserve a pat on the back for what I did get done, given the weather was mostly grey and miserable. And can you say, HUMID? Oh, man. There were a couple of days when it was so humid you could practically swim just by walking outside.

I didn’t get my blog posts finished particularly early, but I did get them all up on time, and I didn’t have to stay up late to do it. So I think I deserve credit for that too. :-D

Goals For Next Week:
Try to get the blog posts done a little earlier; find some other writing to work on.

EDITING:
Last week – 15 pages
Total pages - 17

Finally! I’m making progress.

The beginning is a mess. Or should I say, the three beginnings. There are parts of the first two beginnings that have to do with a secret meeting that really serves no purpose other than to relay some information that I think can be worked into the story later on.

And the second half of the second beginning should be lifted out and reworked as a prologue. I remember doing a lot of research on gas giants for this particular section. It’s not just that I don’t want all that research to go to waste, it’s a good bit of foreshadowing for events that take place later. So it stays, just not quite in the same way as it is now.

And no, I’m not going to make sweeping changes for this first round of edits. Mostly I’m doing little changes that mark up easily, and making notes of what the big changes should be. I still need to work out exactly what the prophecy that has driven this whole series is, and what changes were made to it along the way.

But the good news is, I’ve made a good start on my edits.

Goal For Next Week:
Keep marking up Elemental Spirit.

POETRY:
This week’s form was also an easier one, and I had no idea I did it before. But I went with it anyway because that was ten years ago, and not only was the post itself completely different, so were the examples I wrote.

The examples were a little darker than I’ve been doing lately, but you can blame the weather on that. That’s just where my head space was last week.

I was not up to going to the poetry gathering last week, but I didn’t have my poemwork done anyway. I’ll go ahead and do it anyway, and I’ll include it with the poemwork for the next gathering.

Goal For Next Week:
Get a new form ready to share, update my big book ‘o poems.

CRAFTING:
Well, without the granddaughter here to spur me on, I got no crafting done last week. The closest I came was printing out a bunch of stitches from the Royal School of Needlework stitch bank to create my own reference book of stitches to refer to when working on my zentangle sampler.

It was going well until my printer decided it no longer cared to print double sided, so it slowed right down to a crawl and then just stopped. It printed single pages (eventually) and test pages, it just didn’t want to do double-sided. I did, eventually, finish printing them out, but then I had to go through them to make sure they all printed correctly. There were a couple of extra pages, and three missing stitches.

THEN it was suggested to me that instead of printing them I should PDF them and upload them to my reMarkable (which I still haven’t used). It would be so much handier, and take up a lot less space. And because you can make notes on it, I can add notes or tips for when I try these stitches. So thank you for that, Jamie , it gives me incentive to finally learn how to use my reMarkable.

I did not organize my jewelry supplies, nor have I figured out what’s next on my zentangle sampler.

Today I am at Lang Pioneer Village for another stitch-in with my stitchery guild. We don’t even warrant a porch with tables this time, they’re sticking us out on the village green. Thank heavens it’s supposed to be cooler, because I’m not sure how shaded it is.

And Tuesday the guild is celebrating World Embroidery Day (which I think is actually the 30th) by having a stitch-in at the park. But thankfully, it’s only for the morning.

Goal For Next Week:
Tie dye with the granddaughter!

WHAT I’M READING:
I finally finished Stories With Bite, the collection of vampire stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I gave it one big push, just to get it over with. The stories were more gothic horror than anything else, and vampires were only mentioned in a couple of them. And two of them featured Sherlock Holmes. I have not yet picked out a new tree book to read.

On the Kindle, I finished Rope Burn and Cowboy Not Included, by Em Petrova, and I’m ready to start Prowling Their Mate, by Tamsin Baker.

Goal For Next Week:
Find a new tree book to start reading – it’s not like I don’t have any to choose from! :-)

THE WEEK AHEAD:

The son-in-law’s schedule changed again, and we weren’t going to see much of the granddaughter at all. So I requested the pleasure of her company for Monday so we could do our tie dye. I haven’t seen the white cotton items I ordered from Aunt Martha yet, but I still have the aprons we can do. And it gives us a good excuse for a play date another time.

I’d still like to go through and prioritize my crafting, keeping in mind that Christmas is coming. I’m so scattered when it comes to crafts! There are a couple of things I have in mind for Christmas presents, and I really should be making them a priority instead of farting around with these stitchery projects (ie, the embroidery kits) that are just going to sit around collecting dust when I’m done. And I really need to get my jewelry making supplies organized because I want to get back into doing that as well.

I’m pleased with the progression of Winter’s Child. I’m getting closer to introducing the creatures, but I think there’s still more to be learned from the family journals James is going through. As Joey pointed out though, it’s not cold enough for them yet.

Well, I wanted to get a minimum of 10 pages marked up on An Elemental Spirit, and I managed 15. Just think what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it? While I am marking it up and making notes, this round is only going to be a quick edit to see where I’m at with it. After I got past the three different beginnings, I’m liking what I’m seeing. The human/elemental parts are going to be easy. The Illezie . . . not so much. But I want to keep up my momentum and try for 20 pages this week

Despite how much I was enjoying the Boot Knocker Ranch series on the Kindle, I managed to make the final two books last the entire week. Now I’m starting the first of a two book new series, and I’m hoping I can keep them to just two a week. And since I’m getting my romance fix on the Kindle, I’m thinking maybe I should look for something a little . . . less romantic for my next tree book. ;-)

I’m still a little disappointed that I didn’t make better use of my free time last week – an hour spent picking up the granddaughter isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. As I said above, I did request the pleasure of her company for Monday, but then I don’t think I see her again until Thursday. And Friday is kind of up in the air at this point.

In other words, though Tuesday morning is spoken for, I still have Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday, and part of Thursday to work in my office and make some progress.

Mind over matter, folks. Mind over matter.