Try something new

View from our cabin. 

This was a short work-week. I took off on Thursday, so that I could go to a cabin up north with my oldest sister for a long weekend. She has been needing to get away for quite some time (like, since her husband was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer 14 months ago).

Things didn’t go quite as planned – long story – but as it turned out, I had Thursday night and all-day Friday at the cabin by myself. I got a lot of writing done, not as much as I would have liked, but when does anyone ever do that?

Here’s what I had hoped to do this week and what I actually got done. Highlight in green for each item accomplished, yellow for those at least attempted, and red lettering for an item which did not happen.

WRITING     

1) Continue updates on “How Chris is Coping with Corona” three times a week. Only two entries for a total of 511 words. Seems like the whole pandemic is settling down, or the George Floyd murder and subsequent rioting has taken all the headlines. I don’t know. The world’s gone mad.

2) Post two times to “The Dino Chronicles.” Since we won’t have internet at the cabin, I’m thinking I won’t get a third post in this week. Two entries.  

3) Post here once. Done.

4) Work on my next novel, “Ice Cream Spies”. Nope.

5) Work on my memoir, “Holding All the Aces”.  I don’t think I did.

6) EXTRA. Work on story to submit to an anthology called “Road”.

REACHING

1) Write a blog post about the idea behind my novella “To Find Justice”. Done.  

2) My novel, “The Truth Beyond the River”. (Down from eight items to five.)

a. Work on the front cover. I will keep checking in with my friend who is an artist. Not done.

b. Work on the back cover. Done.

c. Get headshot pictures for the back cover. Not until I get a haircut, but now I’m debating about including my picture or not. I’m thinking maybe of using my class picture from the year the story takes place.  

d. Format it for both e-version and paper version. Not done.

e. Think about marketing for its release. (Seems like a long list.) Not done. 

My 6th-grade class picture. Yikes!

READING

1) Read six other blogs and comment on three of them. Read four and commented on three.

2) Finish reading Beth Camp’s latest novel, “The Seventh Tapestry.” Done. Need to write a review of it.   

REMAINING

1) Work on my family tree two days. Nope, not at all.   

2) Send out three thinking-of-you cards. Sent out two thinking-of-you cards, one page of inspirational thoughts, two birthday cards and one sympathy card. Yikes!

3) Relax while at the cabin Thursday through Sunday. Yes, but not nearly enough.

Over the weekend, I started reading “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. It is giving me a lot of inspiration to write. As I’ve stated somewhere, I write because I can’t not write. Which means, I just need to write what I feel like when I can and stop giving myself imaginary deadlines and all this pressure. I’ll get the next book published when it’s meant to happen. I gotta stop the madness.

I also started reading another book over the weekend, “Confessions of a Prayer Wimp” by Mary Pierce. I read it a couple years ago, but it is worth reading again. In one of the chapters she writes about disconnecting from social media, the internet, even the TV and radio. Which I did this weekend and it was amazing. My greatest goal, the one not listed here, is going to be to significantly limit my internet use. It is the biggest drain of my time and energy.

So, that being said, let’s spell out another list of goals I may or may not reach.  

WRITING     

1) Continue updates on “How Chris is Coping with Corona”, but I think I may wrap it up soon, at least for now.

2) Post three times to “The Dino Chronicles.” After this weekend, I have lots of fodder for it.   

3) Post here once.

4) Work on my memoir, “Holding All the Aces”.

5) Edit my story for the Road anthology.  

REACHING

            1) Submit that story to the anthology as the deadline is June 15.

2) My novel, “The Truth Beyond the River”.

            a. Ultimate Goal: publish it through KDP by July 1.

b. Work on the front cover. I need to check in with my friend the artist. 

c. Work on the back cover.

d. Decide about headshot pictures for the back cover.

e. Format it for both e-version and paper version.

f. Think about marketing for its release. (Seems like a long list.)

READING

1) Read six other blogs and comment on three of them.

2) Get half-way through “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott. 

REMAINING

1) Work on my family tree two days. 

2) Send out three thinking-of-you cards.

3) Relax again next weekend as we have a camping trip planned.

Have a great week, cut back on any stress you have control of, and enjoy the summer as best you can. Maybe get out and do something new - like kayaking!