Tag Archives: writing

Love in a Time of Corona

Blogging, Current Events, Reading, Refresh and reset, Stress Management, Writing, Writing and Emotions, , , , , , , ,

Well. Today’s reality in no way, shape, or form is anything like what I could’ve imagined one year ago.

Last May (May the 4th Be With You, to be exact for my Star Wars fans), my husband and I finally celebrated our wedding by renewing our vows in front of our family and friends. We had such an incredible time, sharing the experience with loved ones from far and near who couldn’t be with us the first time around.

Things are so different this May. We’ve now been living with the specter of the coronavirus (COVID-19) for many months, and life is so bizarre. I haven’t blogged in eons. Partly, because doing so feels more than a little out-of-whack with all that’s been going on—all the devastating loss, all the confusion, all the misinformation that surrounds us.

I’ve had to curtail my time spent online and on social media. Reading incessantly about the deaths and the lack of answers took an emotional and mental toll on me. It’s too easy to become overwhelmed. And I haven’t wanted to add to the bullshit by becoming part of the noise.

I’ve also continued to work at my other job, considered an essential business. Increased hours there have wiped me out, but also, the presence of so many customers—people who should’ve stayed home but couldn’t take the cabin fever and so they ventured out—has added to my stress level.

That said, though, I still feel the tug of the blank page. I long to tell my stories and, hopefully, to bring a few moments of enjoyment or happiness or escape to my readers.

So I decided to write this blog post. And while I’m brainstorming subplots before beginning Book 3, I’ve written a short story I plan to publish soon, a creepy little affair with a fun twist. I really love writing in a different genre while getting my head together to work on a novel. I have to say, writing definitely helps sort me out and feel human again. 😉

And so it goes.

As for me, I’ll do my best to keep posting periodically. To check in and hopefully offer a mini diversion from reality.

To you, my friends and readers, I wish you all safety, peace, health, comfort, kindness, and patience. We have a long road to travel—and everyone’s path will be different—but we have made it this far. We can make it the rest of the way.

Sending six-feet-distant virtual hugs to you and yours. #grateful #keepwriting #keepreading #staysafe #community

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5 Tips to Quell Christmas Madness

Blogging, Christmas, Czech Republic, Gratitude, St. Augustine, Time Management, Writing, , , , , , , , ,

Around the holidays, my writing muse seems to crowd too often into the far corner of my living room, the one where auctioned-off nails and tubs of dusty sporting equipment rub handles with dented cardboard boxes of old papers and—you guessed it—Christmas decorations. The muse hovers behind the tottering stacks, scrunched between the windows I haven’t washed the insides of in three years (they’re inaccessible, that’s my excuse) and the not-rickety pinewood shelving my hub built those same years ago. I think she enjoys that corner because she knows I’m unable to easily reach way in the back, and that pulling her out would require more time and effort to dismantle the obstacles than I have on any given of-the-season day.

So, as I hoarded minutes here and there between work, housecleaning, meetings, and the usual day-to-day dribbles of life, I let my brain free-float for ideas on how to quell some of the madness that coexists with this time of year. The madness that drives my muse into that corner. Handily enough, letting my brain wander often teases the muse out of her hiding spot. Lucky for me, this time she helped me come up with five goodies, suggestions I was happy to jot down and share with you to help restore your seasonal sanity somewhat, I hope.

1—Always a favorite of mine: create a master holiday to-do list. My readers and friends know I’m a huge fan of lists. I have been as long as I can remember, and now that I juggle different jobs, a husband, and a household, among other things, I find lists indispensable. During this season, a list helps me focus on the things most important, as well as helps me anticipate the fun as our big holiday celebration, Christmas, draws near.

2—Window shop before your gift-giving holiday gets too close. Since Hanukkah is already nearing completion, this tip might not work for this year,but keep it in mind for next. I don’t like feeling rushed to buy presents—actually, we don’t even buy that many anymore—but I do enjoy browsing and getting ideas before purchasing anything. This is a big change from my old habit of doing all my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve! But I find browsing—even for a few minutes here and there—helps bring the holiday and Christmas spirit a bit nearer. I don’t have to buy something to feel the joy of giving grow.

3—Have a think on your favorite and not-so-favorite holiday traditions and try to cut back on those which no longer excite you or bring joy to your family and friends and whoever you share your time with. I long ago gave up writing buckets of Christmas cards (sorry, everyone!) because time would run far away from me. Now, though, I try to focus on sending fewer, longer holiday catch-up emails with friends and family I no longer see frequently. This helps me feel connected, despite usually not being able to celebrate with our family and friends stretched around the globe. Skype also works great, especially with our families in New York and The Czech Republic.

4—Remind yourself to keep things simple. Do you find yourself attending a number of celebrations during this season? Or hosting one? We often do, and to keep things simple, we bring or make one or two usual dishes we know are crowd pleasers, like my hub’s famous spread/appetizer, chlebicky (pronounced kla-beech-key), and my giant pot o’chili. Rather than drive ourselves bonkers with time-consuming or costly preparations, this helps keep us and our friends stuffed and happy. A decent bottle of red wine helps, too. 😉

5—And finally, don’t forget to sneak off for a few minutes to enjoy your favorite pre-holiday ritual. Maybe you like to drive the neighborhood with your other half to take in the lighting spectaculars. Or zone out in the bath with a pine-scented candle, a glass of that red wine, and some Christmas music tinkling over the pop of bubbles. Or, my fave, curl into your reading nook with a Baileys and your latest mystery, wrapped head to toe in a fluffy, toasty blanket. Yes, I live in Florida, but it still hits the 30s here. Hee hee hee.

So, readers, fans, friends, and family, I love this time of year, but with all the secular busyness, I sometimes have to remind myself that Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and that—for me, at least—is a reminder to focus on giving, loving, and trying to be a better human.

There you have it. A few perhaps-not-so-secret tips for bringing a bit of calm to you this season. I hope they work for you. And bring you peace and happiness in some form. As for me, I’m going to grab my current book shortly, The Rope, by Nevada Barr, and have a quiet read. 🙂 “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night….”

Holiday Lights1
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Creepy Scary Stories

Halloween, Reading, Scary movies, Scary stories, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing and Emotions, Writing Craft, , , , , , , ,

Happy October, dear friends and readers! I’m so excited for this month, because I love Hallowe’en and spooky things. If you don’t believe me, zip over to my About page and check out the lead photo. See what I mean? Haha. Love it!

And since this is the month of creepy good things, I decided to share some of my favorite scary stories, both written and on film. Time for a little levity in my blog, right?

Hanging Skulls

While writing this post, I stopped for a moment to try to figure out why my Hallowe’en fascination has persisted over the years. I always loved dressing up and spooking for candy as a kid, and I still love the holiday today. And you know what? I didn’t come up with a good answer. Regardless, I love Hallowe’en and scary stories very much.

The one thought I had, though, was this: I’m no psychologist, but I gather there’s something to be said for enjoying a good scare while knowing you’re safe and that what you read or watched was fiction. Unless, of course, you’re into non-fiction!!! BOO!

And thinking about it, not everybody enjoys a good scare the way others do. My hub included; he does not like scary movies. And while I sure do enjoy many, I fully admit there are certain tales I don’t like and won’t read or watch. For example, I don’t watch torture movies (I’ve seen a couple, and not cool IMHO). I’m also not a fan of sad-scaries. And, ghoulish movies and stories that could possibly happen do sort of freak me out. 😉

But that said, there are scores of other well-crafted spooky stories I enjoy. Most of them of the suspenseful-thriller-moody-tension variety.

Mysterious Fog

And so, I look forward to October every year, and this time’s no different. And just to set the tone, as I write, the sky has darkened to soot, flashes of lightning streak beyond the towering pines, thunder rolls almost as loudly as the drowning rain. I have the big house to myself. The doors are locked. So … here we go. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite scary stories! Happy Creeps!

Books:

  1. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
  2. The Tell-Tale Heart, Edgar Allan Poe
  3. The Turn of the Screw, Henry James
  4. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
  5. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
  6. Ghost Story, Peter Straub* caveat, currently reading
  7. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
  8. Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill
  9. The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red, Joyce Reardon
  10. Dracula, Bram Stoker

To read: The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

Movies:

  1. The Uninvited, 1944
  2. Psycho, 1960
  3. Scream, 1996
  4. Halloween, 1978
  5. Poltergeist, 1982
  6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956
  7. The Shining, 1980
  8. Silence of the Lambs, 1991
  9. Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984
  10. The Thing from Another World, 1951
  11. Jaws, 1975
  12. Rosemary’s Baby, 1968
  13. Alien, 1979
  14. The Birds, 1963
  15. Ghost Story, 1981 *quite different than the book
  16. The Changeling, 1980
  17. The Fog, 1980
  18. Them, 1954
  19. Carrie, 1976
  20. The Blob, 1958
  21. The Amityville Horror, 1979

To see: Get Out; A Quiet Place

So, reader friends, what do you think? Which is your favorite scary story, and did it make my list? Which ones are you going to read or watch next? Mwuaaah-ah-ah-ahhhh! Hahaha. Let me know in the comments section. And try not to be too scared! BOO!!

PS–If any of you want to hear something truly scary, yesterday at one of the local stores, I walked past a humongous display of Christmas trees!!! True horror!!

PPS–Also, looking over the lists, you might notice I tend toward older stories. Reading-wise, I typically stick to the mystery genre in which I write, and movie-wise, I guess I just don’t get out that much. 😉 At least, not with the hub for a scary movie! Haha. Happy Hallowe’en!

I’m here
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A Writer’s Refresh

Blogging, Editing, Indie Publishing, Publishing, Refresh and reset, Sequel Writing, Series writing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing time, , , , , , , ,

Sometimes, I need to hit the refresh button. Both in life and in writing. How about you? These past few months, I’ve been pinballing fast once again. (Not that I’ve ever really stopped, I suppose.) 😉  But, rolling with that “work in progress” thing I’ve got going, I do my best to keep up.

But then you realize, it’s time to pause and flick that switch.

Pause

Refresh

On the happy side of the zigzagging, I have some good news: I haven’t been idle writing-wise on my book. If you guys recall, it was a year ago June that I had my first cow, (click here in case you missed that blog), when I realized about half of my sequel novel to Emerald Obsession remained written only in my notebooks and my brain and not on the computer as it should’ve been. Oy, I tell ya! Then in February, I described my mini cow, which you can find by clicking here.

But on the plus side is that for these past few months, I’ve been writing away—yes, writing on the computer and adding to—the sequel, still lovingly referred to as Treasure Bound. And guess what?

I’ve added 19,000 words to the story! Woooo hooo! Which means I’ve finally gotten much of the secondary plot line from my head into the Word doc. YAY!! I’m so pleased!

But, okay, this isn’t the time for me to rest on my laurels, per se. This is simply my reset period. I still have tons of work to do. But………….I’m happy to feel I made the kind of progress I needed to at this stage.

My next step, and part of the refresh and reset—which I’m currently in the midst of, hence having time to focus on this blog—has me putting aside the edits for a couple of weeks to clear out my brain. (Not of everything, I hope, but of just enough to give me a breather from focusing all my writerly attention on TB.)

Creative Brain

After these weeks are up, I’ll print out the current TB, and then I’ll reread EO and TB as quickly as I can in succession, looking for any holes and inconsistencies, checking flow, and overall reviewing everything. After that, if things go smoothly (please, please, please, and fingers crossed!), then it’s on to the next stage of professional editing. Whee!!!

But once again………let’s not put the cart before the donkey. (BTW, I love donkeys, check out this Instagram feed if you do, too.) I still have a few points rattling around my brain that might need to become minor scenes or added info bits. I’m definitely prepared for the possibility of more tweakage. That’s one reason I need this reset; to detach my brain from the project so I’m able to sharpen my focus when I return to reviewing the story.

Also, since this is Book 2, with Book 3 still to come, I have to look forward to the next story and build into TB any relevant details and teasers. Whee again, but not in the good way; this is more like: “Whee, what the hell was I thinking when I decided to write a series??!!”

All I can say, though, is I’m committed now. Or wait, is that supposed to read: “I should be committed now”? Probably. The men in the white jackets are waiting behind me to carry  me away. Here we go again.

Doc Stormtroopers

Just kidding already. What I really mean is I’m committed to telling you good stories, ones I hope entertain, excite, and engage you. If that takes more time and research than I’d originally planned so be it, as long as the outcome satisfies me and you. Thanks for your patience on that score.

Well, dear readers and friends, that’s about all she wrote for the time being. I’m not heading back to edits just now—whew, what a relief to say that’s done for the moment!—but it is time for a little walk to free the brain for some Book 3 brainstorming. Hmm … I’m finally excited to get started again. Yippee!

Before I go, tell me in the comments section below how you reset. Writing-wise, this was something I couldn’t do until the timing jived with completing a certain portion of my writing, but personally speaking, we all need periodic resets, too. Last week, I took my first, solo Me Day in years. It was fabulous and so necessary. Perhaps I’ll blog on that soon, too. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you do to reset, so please fire away. Thanks again for reading and joining the convo.

Beach reset
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Travel Through My Lens

Czech Republic, Reading, Travel writing, Writing, Writing Craft, Writing locations, Writing the senses, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Many authors get a charge out of doing the research that goes hand-in-hand with writing. I know I do. Except, perhaps, when the research takes me too long away from fingers-to-the-keyboard. That happens sometimes. 😉

But, research for story ideas and accuracy is often really fun, especially when the fact-finding involves travel. One of my favorite things about writing is using first-hand travel experiences and details to create an as-true-as-possible sense of being somewhere with me. I want my readers to feel present in my stories.

I’m also a HUGE fan of photography, particularly nature, landscape, and architecture. When you check out my Instagram images, you’ll see scads of things that catch my eye and inspire me and my stories. Funny, as much as I love words, I’m such a visual person. And, I hope readers see my stories the way I do … or, perhaps better yet, the way they want to, but through my lens, if that makes any sense. 🙂

Anyhoo, as I was saying…. I love photography, and since I take zillions of photos—predominantly with my cell, as it’s so portable and the camera’s resolution is so good—I have fabulous images to choose from when I need either ideas or a reference to clarify my description of a setting. BTW, I’m sure you realize that sometimes the images come first, sometimes the ideas do. Both work.

For this month’s post, I’m sharing images from my summer trip to the Czech Republic with my husband. I had a fabulous time visiting family and, among other excursions, exploring the Punkva Caves and the Macocha Abyss of the Moravian Karst. They were simply extraordinary to see. I’ve never before experienced such a unique semi-subterranean environment.

Two high points: the boat ride through the cavern, and the insane view of the abyss from the bottom of the gorge. Imagine you creep through cool, dank darkness, hearing ethereal music swell around you as you walk, and then you emerge from the winding depths of a cavern into sunlight that glows the treetops lime-green against a cobalt sky over 450 feet above your head. Stunning.

One reason I was excited to visit the caves is that part of my second novel, Treasure Bound, is set in a cave. I’m not sure how or when I began to like those underground spaces, but for most of my life, I’ve loved reading and learning about them, and exploring them when the opportunity arose. Now I’m having fun writing about caves, too. Cycle complete, maybe? 🙂

Ha—segue! I just remembered a science project I’d done in grammar-school on cavern formations. I devised a trick for remembering the difference between how stalactites and stalagmites are formed. The word “stalactite” has a “c,” just like the word ceiling, so I learned that stalactites are the formations that grow downward from the “c”eiling of a cave. Conversely, stalagmites are built up from the floor.

Uh-oh, I let my geeky cave secret out of the bag! Hee hee hee.

Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed the fun factor of caves for a looong time. And having the chance to explore some in another country totally blew me away.

I can’t pretend I’m any sort of expert on the caves we saw in CZ, so I’m including a link here to one website that has some cool information, if you’re interested.

What I will do, though, is share my favorite cave and abyss photos. Then, whenever the hell I publish TB, you’ll read for yourselves how I used this insider info to make my cave scenes more authentic (I hope), since I haven’t yet visited the actual caves I wrote about in the story. I don’t want to spill too many beans about TB, but yes, there are caves in the Caribbean!!!

For now, though, I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Thanks for chilling with me. I hope you get a kick out of the photos. Let me know in the comment section which are your faves. Looking forward to hearing from you! I <3 my readers. Sharing = caringFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

February in a Flash … and Sequel Writing

Blogging, Editing, New opportunities, Sequel Writing, Writing, Writing Craft, , , , , ,

No, I don’t mean Flash Fiction. I mean, February—as per usual—has passed in a flash. And I’m not too keen on it happening, I can tell you. Once again, I find myself behind the eight ball of editing and blogging. I long ago jumped onto that adult bandwagon of repeatedly commenting on the swift passage of time. So, what the hell, I’ll do it again.

Where does the time go???

Feb 18 calendar

Partly, the days zip by so readily because of my semi-unique work life. It’s a bit odd, working multiple part-time positions. Changing brain functions between them is a nonstop juggle, as they all seem to draw on a different element of my psyche: creative, practical, professional. Two of my jobs mean working from my home office (which, by the way, we’re finally setting up, yay!), so that adds a near-constant battle to get “everything household” done that needs doing. After all, I’m “home,” right? Oy! The distractions are numerous and the pull great. I can only imagine how people with kids cope. The drive to handle it all must be that must stronger.

Anyhoo, enough blathering. The struggle is real, for pretty much all of us, and so it continues. At the moment, I have a few contiguous hours to myself, and I’m writing and will return to editing TB after I finish this post. Which is also to say, I’ll keep this short. ; )

Now, onto the “… and Sequel Writing” portion of the program. Here’s the latest on Treasure Bound: I finally finished round two edits on my laptop, added a few scenes, tweaked others, and printed out everything. And it’s still short! As in, too short for my taste. But, as I’d mentioned in December, I suspected that’d be the case as I completed that round.

I’ve begun round three, which in this instance is reading through the hardcopy in as few sittings as possible. On this round, I’m looking to add more backstory in key places, flesh out the new characters, add some tension and bad-guy scenes, and hopefully fill in a few holes. I write this longhand on the printouts, which I usually enjoy.

Well guess what? Last week I had another cow, although it was a smaller cow than last summer. A calf, I suppose. With horns?

Mini Cow

But, seriously, I was like “For real?” What I’ve learned is that writing a sequel, though fun and easy in some ways, is incredibly challenging for keeping facts consistent throughout both novels. No surprise, but I thought I’d already passed this hiccup. I found out last week that I’d written something about one of the main characters in Emerald Obsession that is counter to a large portion of what happens to that character in TB. DOH!!!

Crazy part, I wrote the detail practically as an aside in EO, which is how I almost forgot about it. But the words are in print, and unless I want to revise EO and create a second edition, then I have to work with what I’ve got.

But…….okay, mini cow had, and possible workaround already figured. Not completely, but with fingers crossed and striving to access those creative brain cells, hopefully all is not lost.

You guys, dear friends and readers who know me by now, know I (usually) enjoy a challenge. Well, writing this sequel certainly is one. I began it so long ago, and I’ve had some surprising good feedback and a few bad experiences.

I guess my point is this: I tried something new in how I approached writing this story, and I’m not sure it worked. Especially because TB is a sequel, the more time that passes from the original story, the more I have to refresh my brain to maintain accuracy and the longer my readers have to wait to read the next chapter. So bummed about that. Hopefully, I’ll have lived and learned my lesson and will attempt a different approach with Book 3. Yes, as of now, there’s still a Book 3 plodding through my brain. Lord help me. ; )

So that’s it for now, folks. Time for me to work on the back-end of this post, send it out into the nether regions of the web, and then get back to editing. Damn, despite all this BS, I still really love writing. And I really appreciate you visiting, hanging with me, checking in. You guys rock. Oh, and comments, please share them below and tell your friends. : )

PS–Here’s a little peek at the new office furniture. : )

Feb 18 New Office
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More writing

My State of Writing

Blogging, Book Clubs, Editing, Gratitude, Speaking engagements, St. Augustine, Writing, Writing Business, , , , , , , ,

I’ve struggled a lot these past few months to blog consistently. So often, that’s the writing I push to the back burner when life pops up with tedious little requirements like grocery shopping and feeding the family. 😉  It’s a bummer, putting it off, because while blogging isn’t my favorite form of writing, overall I enjoy it when I’ve had time to think over what I want to say. And like most things, I’m better at blogging when I practice more.

One decent side effect is that though blogging took a back seat, the editing on Treasure Bound continues on a semi-regular basis. I feel slow as a sloth at that, but I can honestly say I’ve kept up with the edits for the last few weeks. I wish I could work faster, but at least I feel the changes are substantial and accurate. I know someone will find fault with something in the book—maybe a detail about the Puente Map, or a liberty I took with the Castillo—but I’m trying hard to make my story as correct and entertaining as possible.

With all this said, then, I decided my December blog would be sort of a year-end recap of me and my writing life, along with a little progress report on Treasure Bound. So here goes.

Some of you may recall I started out on a good writing note this year. I had my blog up and running and produced two pieces a month (my 2017 New Year’s Writing Resolution) for a couple early months. I’m sad my resolution was shorter-lived than I’d hoped for. I’d tried something new this year, a formal editorial calendar and a social-media-post suggestion list. They both worked very well … to the extent I used them. Agh. After a short time, the printed lists became buried on my desk, only to be seen when I remembered to shuffle through the piles of paper.

Still, I have to say the quantity and quality of much of my writing (and marketing) has improved over last year. For that, I’m truly happy and glad. And along the way, I’ve had some fantastic experiences, too. This was a year of fun writing firsts: I guest spoke at a local book club where I discussed Emerald Obsession, answered questions, and read an excerpt from Treasure Bound; I hosted my first EO author signing in downtown Saint Augustine. I’m honored to say my signing was the best they’d hosted, despite being set up on short notice. Thanks again, AnaRosa Burke, for your incredible support! Also, this year saw me make new writer friends when asked to participate in my first Flash Fiction Blast hosted by my friend, fellow author Rita Henuber. Positive reviews and comments on my short, “Bitter,” gave me a lift, especially during the ongoing TB edit process.

And in between that, our Irma-extended trip to the Czech Republic, an extreme poison ivy allergic reaction, Thanksgiving week in a Georgia mountains cabin, still sticking with the crazy-but-interesting part-time job, freelancing here and there for NY, trying to finish the detail work and décor on our house, and taking care of the household and my hub, I’ve squeezed in time for editing Treasure Bound.

CZ Dad Garden

Blood Mountain, GA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you remember, I had that big ol’ cow in June when I realized I’d only half-written the story on my computer and had the other half scribbled longhand in my notebook. In mish-mash pieces, no less. Boy, was that a kick in the butt. But I’m happy to report progress!

Not that I have an updated word count to give you…yet. I’m still working through the whole story, adding scenes and transitions to the original “half” I’d keyed into my laptop. Right now, I’m only three-quarters of the way through. But, I’m fleshing out the secondary characters and subplots, and my critique group’s feedback is very positive. Yay.

Those of you familiar with the “exciting” ways of editing know that once I finish this second editing round, I’ll go through everything again. And again, and likely again. During each round of edits you read for something different. Though this stage can be draining, I sort of enjoy it, because that’s where I polish the story to a hopefully brilliant shine.

I’ll be excited to finish this round, though, because then I’ll reprint the entire manuscript and will read through all the additions in as few sittings as possible to check for flow and consistency. I’m prepared for the likelihood I’ll still need to write more, too. Not crazy about the possibility, but that’ll be an update for next year…hopefully early next year!

So that’s about it from my end. Crazy life, crazy book status, but s’all good. And all manageable.

Before I sign off for this year, I’d like to thank you all once more for traveling this sometimes-bumpy path with me. The company sure helps keep me sane. 🙂

And I wish you and your families, friends, loved ones a wonderfully Merry Christmas and a joyous, festive, peaceful, and loving New Year. May the best spirit of the holiday season stay with you year-round!

Christmas St. Aug

Hugs from me……….Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail