Greetings from South Carolina!

 As I type this I'm sitting in my oldest son's home in South Carolina.  My husband Don and I are taking a few days to visit with him and his precious family.

There's his wife Amanda, who is the best daughter-in-law I could ask for.  She and John make us feel welcome and she does all kinds of sweet things to make us comfortable.  Just one example: even though she doesn't drink coffee, she bought a Keurig coffeemaker for me and her parents so we can have coffee when we're here.

Of course, there are the grandbabies, though "babies" is misleading.  Lavinia is six and has just completed kindergarten.  Her brother Matthias is four.  They are both adorable and the high point of our visit here, and certainly two of the most wonderful children in the world (yes, I am biased).

We've had a great time so far this trip.  While I intend to continue my writing streak while I'm here, I'm also letting myself have some down time.  We all need that occasionally.  I'm grateful to have the opportunity to spend such time with people I love.

I hope you also have a chance to rest and recharge at some point.  What works for you?

A Lovely Compliment

 Most writers I know, myself included, love to hear from readers.  Telling us they liked something we've written and put out there is almost guaranteed to bring a smile to our faces.

Earlier this week, a friend of mine approached me following Bible Study.  She blamed me for her not getting much sleep the night before, because she was up reading one of my books, The Silent Witness.

I grinned like an idiot and didn't apologize.  

Readers, statements like this can make a writer's day.  It can be a ray of sunshine on days the words fight us.  When we question our abilities.  When it just overall seems hard.

If you know a writer, find something nice to say about their work.  Even a quick text saying, "I love your stuff" will do.

Trust me, we appreciate it more than you know.

We're nearing the halfway mark of 2024...

 Things are gaining steam here at the Ware household.  I am looking at three different trips this summer, two with my husband Don.

The first trip later this month will be to visit my most adorable grandchildren in South Carolina.  Don and I always enjoy the time with our oldest son and his family.  John and his wife Amanda are gracious hosts and the grandkids are a delight.

The second trip is about a month later and sees Don and I heading to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the convention .Shore Leave., a scifi/fantasy event that is a lot of fun.  Because I've written a Star Trek short story that was published in an anthology (Strange New Worlds 10) I am a guest author at the event.  I will be speaking on some panels and participate in "Meet the Pros," an opportunity for fans to say hi and maybe buy a book or two.  If you are in the area, I hope you come say hi.

Before leaving Pennsylvania, I will make a pilgrimage to the town of Hershey, as a good chocoholic should.

My last summer trip takes place in early August.  I will be attending a writing workshop that I am currently writing stories for.  The Anthology Workshop ran a number of years before Covid, and the creators have finally decided to bring it back.  It's fun and nerve-wracking all at once, if you can imagine having your work critiqued in front of over thirty other writers by eight editors.  I'm so looking forward to it and seeing old friends.

That's my summer.  What about yours?

Some observations...

 Lately I've been looking at how I spend my time when it comes to writing and writing-related projects.  I do this with an eye to make some changes that will benefit my struggling career.

For a long time now, my goal has been to write "before bedtime."  While this sounds good in theory, I discovered I was putting off the writing later and later in the evening.  Because of fatigue, it meant I didn't write as much because I was too tired.

There was a time this wasn't an issue.  However, age has crept up on me and I have to accept I am no longer in my twenties or thirties.  While I can still stay up late, there is no guarantee I will have a lot of brain to work with.

I made the decision to switch the goal to writing before dinner instead of bedtime.  This means I still don't have to write first thing in the day (I am still not a morning person) but I do have to produce words in the afternoon, a good time for me to write brainwise.

It's not perfect yet but I'm discovering I write more and like it better when I pull it off.  There may come a time I back the time up some, but I'm trying this for now.

As for the rest, I know I need to set aside time for writing-related work.  That I might be able to do earlier in the day.  The trick is to set a time period I can work with.

For now, I might have to set up the time the night before, depending on my schedule for the following day.  I will try that and see if I get more done.

Hope May started off well for you.  Talk to you later this month!

Keeping on keeping on...

 There is a lot going on in my life right now.  Sometimes it feels like too much.  I didn't even realize how much I was dealing with until my counselor pointed it out.

I'm behind in things I want to accomplish on the writing front.  I need to get caught up on some publishing matters, plus work on a Kickstarter I want to do hopefully next month.

I'm still writing and keeping up my daily streak of at least 250 words.  Every little bit helps, so each day is a small victory, even if I get nothing else done that day.

Here's hoping you are enjoying victories, however small, each day.

Greetings From South Carolina!

As I type this, I'm sitting in my oldest son's home visiting him, his wife, and two perfect grandchildren.  Don and I will be here a few days spoiling aforementioned grandchildren and enjoying time with their parents.

I plan to keep my streak going while I'm here.  It may be slow, but I will get words in.  I already know my upcoming column will be about this trip, so that makes planning easier.

I have a few projects in various stages, but nothing coming out before April or May.  Will let you know more about them as those dates get closer.

In the meantime, I will take time to enjoy a break from the routine.

Hello, Unwelcome Life Roll...

 The past week has been a difficult one.  I don't want to go into gory details, but I will assure you my marriage and health are okay.  But what's happening in my life right now has affected me on numerous levels, and I have been sad a good part of the week.

Fellow writers and I talk about "life rolls."  There are events, good or bad, that seriously impact one's life.  Some life rolls are minor - a cold, or maybe you had a tiff with your spouse.  Some are gigantic - a death in the family, a move, a change in employment.  

My particular life roll isn't minor, but it's not gigantic.  However, it's big enough to have an impact in almost every area in my life.

Including the writing.

For me, writing can be a refuge from bad stuff.  Since the end of June, 2020, I've managed to write at least a few words every day up till now.  At times it has been something to keep me sane in an insane world.  Other times it was something I could fall back on, even when I was grieving or angry.

This time, the writing has been hard.  This particular life roll has taken a lot of space in my brain, and crowded out the words.

I had to put down a project I'd been working on because I just couldn't get into it.  I also need to finish my research for it, and I've struggled to do that as well.

Instead, I'm writing what I'm calling a "therapy story."  The circumstances in the story aren't quite like what I'm going through, but there are similarities.  I'm hoping getting some of the emotions out through my fingertips will help me process them better.

This life roll will eventually sort itself out.  There will be a point I can move past the worst of it and get my focus back.

Until then, I will try to take it one day and one word at a time.