This Week's Total

Despite having three boxes of this week's writing calendar with a large X in them, I was still able to crank out 1175 words this week for a total of 5961. 

Because last week's tally was only 866, it took me a little longer to get back into the story. One day only had 189 words, and another registered a paltry 61 words. 

But the takeaway is that even with 61 words in last Sunday's box, that's still 61 more words than if I hadn't sat down to work. 

Plus, I find that writing and then going for a walk, bike ride, or swim makes the creativity surge. As I swam laps at the Rec Center pool, I wished I had a piece of paper and a pen to jot down the ideas that were flying through my head. Fortunately, I hung onto my train of thought and dictated a voice memo into my phone to save the ideas when I got back to the locker room.  

It's a beautiful fall day. I'm off to the Ohio History Connection for some research.

 I snapped this photo while visiting the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA in 2021.

379 Words, Total 3976

 The calendar is working. 😊 

I was running late this morning getting to my study, and almost abandoned my writing time as I didn't think I'd make that much progress anyway since it was already 10:45. But, that writing calendar kept nudging me - if I didn't show up at the computer, the box for today would be blank. 

So, I plopped myself down and began to write. I reviewed a little of what I wrote yesterday, but then picked up where I had left off and managed two pages. I was super happy because even though it's not 500 or 1,000 words, it's still 379 more words than if I hadn't sat down to write. Plus, it flowed out of me, and I wasn't left staring at the screen (which happens when you're least expecting it).

Tomorrow is tricky since I have a knitting meet-up at 10 and probably should leave here by 9:30. And the morning is my favorite time to write.

PS - I'm not the best knitter, but I did finish two pairs of socks a few years ago. The first pair is at the top. The second pair, on the bottom. Socks are challenging, but fun. I have another pair started but haven't worked on them in awhile. Maybe I should get back to them. 

As I look at these pictures, they actually look pretty hysterical, especially the first pair with super narrow ankles. 

487 Words!

Happy November! I was able to add 487 words to OHIO! just now. I was a little worried about getting back to this manuscript, as I haven't worked on it since January 2023. That's a long time to be away from a creative project. 

However, I spent the first block of time rereading it - getting back into the story and the characters' heads. There is a lot of initial conflict in this book, which is fun to fool around with. 

I did some editing (not too much, because what I'm after here are the words); I want to get them down so that the first draft is complete. 

Next, I started a new chapter. And there's that blank white screen staring back at me. But, ignoring that naysayer voice in my head who whispered this might be really hard to do, I pictured what might happen next in the story and started typing. Sure enough, the scene unfurled, and soon I had a nice addition to the conflict already there.

We had snow last night on Halloween, and even though it was beautiful—soft and fluffy—I'm not exactly ready for it. So, here's an alternative reality to feast on - a sunset over Lake Oneida taken last summer while visiting very good friends:

November Calendar

Here's my November calendar (I'm sorry it's a little faded...). I plan to start work tomorrow morning on Book 3 of Adventure USA. Hold me to it!

Stay tuned for my Wednesday, November 1 word count.

 

Free Personalized Labels Available!

 

These free personalized labels are available for your books. Just message/email me, and I'll send one (or more) off to you.  

I know how much readers love to have a personalized book, and since I can't be everywhere at once, I'm hoping these labels are a nice replacement for me actually being in a book store and signing books. 

Happy Reading!

A Walk in the Woods

 

I've just returned from traveling and have been feeling a little overwhelmed by the tasks I needed to attend to now that I'm home. 

So when the weekly birding email popped into my Inbox, my first thought was to delete it. No time right now for a walk in the woods. 

It's a delightful group led by a talented birder. They meet every Friday at a different park in my town. You just need to show up. The group is a mixture of the "pros" (those who can easily identify by sight or sound whatever birds are nearby) who come without fail every week and others -  like me - who come when they can. But that sort of thinking means that I won't go as often as I should. 

I say "should" because it's easy to forget what a walk in the woods will do for you. 

 

The morning was chilly and drizzly, okay by me since I like it cold. Traveling had made me feel as though I had missed autumn, one of my favorite seasons. This walk in the woods reminded me that I hadn't. I just needed to pay better attention.

 

I couldn't help thinking of Robert Frost's poem about "two paths in the woods." 

I missed the start time, but no problem as the leader's email had included which path the group would be on should any of us show up later. The birders were easy to spot with their cameras and binoculars, standing still and staring into the trees.  

Someone called this the "Halloween Tree" with the many vultures perched at the top.

It was a glorious morning. With the help of the "pros," I saw a white-throated sparrow, a creeper, mallards and wood ducks, among others. There were many more to be seen, but I'm not as quick with the binocs as the rest of the group. 

I returned home renewed and refreshed, so grateful I had taken the much needed time (that I hadn't realized how much I needed) to spend time in nature.  

 

Back cover copy for MASSACHUSETTS! The Stolen Spyglass

I'll admit it: I despise writing a synopsis. It's just too difficult to summarize a book filled with twists and turns, unexpected happenings, dynamic surprises, and the adventures of eleven-year-old twins, Josh and Lizzie Parker.

But I have to do it. And this time, just like last time and the time before that, I forgot that the only way to do it is to sit down and DO IT. 

I guess, like all writers, I'm afraid of that blank Word document. I'm afraid to start, afraid to fill up the document with meaningless words and drivel.

But the only way is right through it. I wish I had saved the 15-20 drafts (next time, I will, so I can share some with you) I wrote before I felt like I actually had something to edit.

Here's the "finished" product:

Eleven-year-old twins, Josh and Lizzie Parker, and their travel blogging parents head to Nantucket Island off the coast of Cape Cod. Aboard the ferry to the island, the twins meet Sara Coleman Clarke, "Grams" to family and friends. Desperate to invigorate her floundering family museum, Grams has organized a Spyglass Spectacle gala to raise money for the much-needed improvements. Baxter Benedict, a long-time friend and famous collector, has finally agreed to allow the museum to display the most treasured item in his collection, a priceless spyglass that once belonged to Nantucket whaling captain, Reuben Coffin.

Suddenly, the spyglass is missing from its locked showcase. Mr. Benedict is furious at this unimaginable loss, and the future of the museum is in danger. With the Spyglass Spectacle just days away, will Lizzie and Josh, along with their new friends, Maya and Zoey, be able to piece together a complex web of clues and recover the spyglass in time?

I say "finished" because it's not really. It will probably under go another 10 or so edits before it's really what I want. But it's a draft. Maybe even the draft. We'll see.

And now back to Book 1 in the Adventure USA series: ALASKA! Danger on the Mushing Trail.

Here's my friend, Brianna McNall's son who proclaimed, "I love this book!"