Modest success

I'm following a new regimen for writing, and so far I feel it's working. Here's what I do: I limit myself to email/blogs/Facebook, etc., for the first 15 minutes of an hour. After that, I write.

I also do a quick outline of what I'm going to focus on during my writing. Then I just sit down and do it. My output has increased and I'm finding the energy again to work on things for a long period of time.

Stay tuned. We'll see if I can make this a habit.

I've put the FUN back in fundamental

Usually I put the "fun" in dysfunctional, but this is different for a change.

I'm revisiting how I write, my process, how to improve it, etc. I know, I know: I write books fast, I write them cleanly, etc., so what's to improve?

There's always room for improvement. Stay tuned here for the next few weeks. I'll update my progress. I kick off a new writing regimen on Monday and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out.

Never underestimate organization

I have discovered Wiki Spaces and I have not looked back.

Remember that multi-book, multi-family saga I've been chipping away at for years? Well, I finally found Wiki Spaces and OMG, I am not getting mega-organized. Instead of scraps of paper, notebooks, index cards, I now have linked files and outlines and ...

Can't stay to chat. Must go upload more info to My Cloud.

Ideas, ideas, ideas

I attended an all-day gardening fair today: workshops, chatting with other gardeners, etc. I used to be an avid gardener, but physical limitations make it difficult any more, but today I saw a whole new twist to my physical issues: studying horticultural therapy and horticulture for the handicapped.

I'm going to use this summer's experiences in my new garden to explore some ideas I have. And I wonder if it's time to take another look at the Master Gardening program. I find I need a new challenge and that might be it.

Stay tuned.

I'm not fit company for man nor beast

Why?

A Gigantic Annoyance is looming on my horizon. Did I tell you about our legal woes? How the person who bought our house in MN is now thinking about suing us? Even though there was a home inspection, she was in and out of the house multiple times, and even though we provided her with enough documentation on the house to choke a horse?

Yep. She appears to think we cleverly deceived her about the electrical, the insulation, the status of our trees (all diseased, apparently), etc. Of course, we lived there for almost 20 years and had no problems, but that doesn't count.

So until I can cool down and think rationally about it all, I probably will post very little. I may, however, share some plot ideas I have for how to kill someone who buys a house then has buyer's remorse ...

Adventures in travel

I'm now traveling out of a small airport, not a big hub like Minneapolis, and traveling small has its benefits. Example? My flight last Thursday was canceled due to weather and I was rebooked on the next flight, about 4 hours later. There are only about two dozen flights a day out of that airport, so when flights get canceled, it's chaos. But it's a very small airport, so it's controlled chaos.

Me? I went home, had a nap, ate lunch, then came back. It takes about 5 minutes to get through security and another 2 minutes to find my gate, one of 7 in the airport. Piece of cake.

Yeah, it's inconvenient that I don't have a lot of choices. But a lack of choices also simplifies life quite a bit. And you know -- I'm getting to that point in life where simplified choices is looking pretty darn good....

Can I leave my computer behind?

I'm prepping to go to my first conference of the year (Love Is Murder) and I'm traveling light, just taking carry-on. It's a low-key conference and I don't need a lot of clothing, etc., and I mailed my books and promo items to myself at the hotel, so hopefully they'll be there and waiting for me.

I figured I wouldn't take a computer. I mean, heck, it's a 3 day conference and my roommate and travel buddy will have a laptop. Then I had that nagging little thought. "What if?" What if I get stuck at the airport with a delayed flight (in Chicago, not here. If I'm stuck here, I'll just come home. I'm 20 minutes from the airport. Piece of cake). What if I want to keep my momentum going on that story I'm writing?

Grr. Okay, maybe I'll take a computer. I have 3 to choose from. Well, actually I have 5 to choose from. I know, I'm an over-buyer when it comes to tech. I have 3 very small computers: a Vaio 8", a Toshiba 10" and an HP 12". Then there are my laptops (work, home) but those are too heavy.

Okay, I'll give in. I got out the Vaio and I'm updating it now -- Open Office, Windows OS, etc., all needed an update since I haven't used it since -- hmm -- last summer? I'll put it in my shoulder bag and I'll have it and I'll lay you odds, I don't open it once on this trip.

But hey: better to be safe than sorry, right? Because someday that "what if" scenario will come true and I'll be damn glad I was prepared!