July, Here We Come!

Just a quick post to say the writing is going well. I’ve got one flash story done, one in progress, and another slowly revealing itself to be something longer. 

I’m also getting some house projects done – cleaning out, cleaning up and decluttering. (I’m coming for you soon, bookshelves!)

I’ll take a break for our annual rewatch of Jaws around July 4^th but if I stop too long, I’ll melt like a cup of Key Lime Pie ice cream left in the sun. (Sure, like ice cream would ever make it past my mouth, let alone make it outside.) 

 

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How’s your summer going so far? Working hard, hardly working or something in between? Any summery movies or snacks you love? 

Halfway There

The title of this post is not only because the year is almost half over but also because my husband and I started watching Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story on Hulu. (Let’s see who’s old enough to now have a certain song’s refrain in their heads. . . .)  

Checking in on my 24 in 2024 Trifecta goals/plans:

 

One Word 

My word for the year is Unapologetic. I’m to stop apologizing endlessly and needlessly, externally and internally. This is not going well. I’m still dithering, doubting, second guessing. 

 

The 24 in 24 List

This is also not going the way I’d hoped, and I’m not sure why. I’ve been struggling a lot with energy – emotional, mental, physical - and focus, so that might have something to do with it. 

 

The Write 24 in 24 Challenge

Yes! This is actually working. So far, I haven’t missed a day – knock wood! – and I’m keeping myself accountable, including setting loose monthly goals to give myself some direction. The best part is that it feels like I’ve found my creative joy again. I’m working on all sorts of things. I even wrote a 2500-word short story, something I haven’t done in a long time, if ever. 

 

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Something I thought was absolutely hilarious from Austin Kleon’s free newsletter [5/17/24] – “Frederik Backman on Creative Anxiety and Procrastination.” Just make sure you’re not drinking coffee or anything because it’ll be all over your keyboard by the end of the 4 minute video. 

 

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How’s your year going so far? Accomplished any goals? Made some progress? Decided to revise or scrap altogether? Any suggestions for getting back to my One Word and my 24 List? Have you laughed out loud recently? I hope so, since we’re all just livin’ on a prayer . . . .

With Gratitude

WRITING

In April 2024, literary agent Janet Reid passed away.

Her blog was a place for learning and growing in the craft, for encouragement and support, for humor and snark, for cats and sharks. Ms. Reid gave her “Reiders” room to stretch those creative muscles by holding many, many flash fiction contests. I actually won the first one I entered, in May 2012. The moment I saw her comment – Holy Smokes! – is still one of the best of my writing journey.  

Whenever self-doubt looms – and it does, large and often - I return to that moment, and to her many comments over the years. I tell myself that if the Janet Reid saw something in my weird words and my creepy stories then maybe I can do this writing thing after all, that I should keep going. 

 

My gratitude, unlike those flash fiction contest rules, will never have a word count limit. 

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READING

A couple of unique reads for you – 

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is tagged as historical fiction/fantasy/paranormal, and I would say it’s all that . . . and more.

 

The Deadly Daylight (Alice England Mysteries #1) by Ash Harrier is a Middle Grade mystery, and one I can’t stop raving about. I love the writing, but I adore the main character of Alice and the dynamics of her relationships with others, especially her father. 

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WATCHING

My husband and I finally finished our re-watch of the original series, “24”. Even the seasons that were kind of clunkers had great scenes and episodes. Overall, we had a blast!

 

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Were you familiar with Janet Reid, her blog, Query Shark? Are there words you return to when you doubt yourself, in your writing or in your life? Have any books/movies/shows to recommend? 

Healthy Habits

At the beginning of 2024, I started habit tracking. I set myself one healthy habit per month, aiming to do it every day. I’m pleased to say that, so far, I’ve succeeded!   

JANUARY = I focused on drinking more water. This was a struggle, but I think the cooler weather had something to do with that. This habit hasn’t really carried over so I might set it as a goal again. 

 

FEBRUARY = I meditated every day. Usually between 5-20 minutes each session, keeping it flexible – the timing and/or the focus. I’m still meditating at least a couple of times a week. 

 

MARCH = More vegetables! My diet isn’t the worst, but it needs some improvement. Keeping this goal in the forefront of my mind helped me make better dietary choices overall. I’ve added veggies into the mix of daytime snacks, instead of just fruit, nuts, etc. 

 

JANUARY - MARCH = And for me, the healthiest habit of all is writing. So far, I’ve written every day – The Write 24 in 24 Challenge - and I hope to keep the trend going. I’m enjoying myself immensely! 

 

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Do you habit track? Have any favorite healthy habits you’d care to share? Any favorite veggie recipes or snacks? How’s your creative work going? 

Revisiting

When I was done drafting this post, I realized it had a theme of sorts, that of revisiting, of returning to what once worked for me, to what I once enjoyed – writing how/what I wanted, reading certain genres, watching TV shows that make me feel both old and young again. I’m not sure why this is happening or why now, but I think I’ll continue meandering down Memory Lane for a little longer. 

 

WRITING

I’ve got three stories in the works. One is definitely flash fiction. The other two will most likely be longer short stories, with one teetering on the edge of possibly becoming a novella. 

 

This month, I’m going to work on figuring out my UWP = Unique Writer Proposition. (See James Scott Bell’s post over at The Kill Zone.).

 

READING

Some recent reads I’ve thoroughly enjoyed -  

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – historical fiction 

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra – mystery/thriller

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston – mystery/thriller

 

WATCHING

My husband and I are almost done – one and half seasons to go! - with our re-watch of “24”, the original series. We’ve also started re-watching “LA Law” and “The Stand”, the original miniseries. 

 

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Have you returned to an old way of doing something? Revisited something you enjoyed in the past? How is your creative work going? Read or watched anything good lately? 

 

Twenty-Four

This year, I'm loosely following Gretchen Rubin's The 24 in 2024 Trifecta  – "One Word" (which I mentioned last month), "The 24 in 24 List" and "The Write 24 in 24 Challenge."

  

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The 24 in 24 List – these are 24 things I hope to accomplish in 2024. It includes some fun things – art classes! - but it's mostly tasks that have been driving me crazy for the last few years, and I need to get done before I lose the little sanity I have left. I probably won't get them all done, but I'll be pleased with just a handful.

 

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The Write 24 in 24 Challenge – I put this on my 24 in 24 list, and I don't care if it's kind of cheating – it's my list, I'll do what I want. (My One Word = Unapologetic!) This takes place over the whole year, writing 2-4 minutes OR 24 minutes every day. Now, some people might ask, don't I, as a writer, already do this? And the answer is yes . . . and no. I do pretty much write every day, but it's not as focused or as imaginative as I'd like. 

 

Over the last few years, I've lost a lot of my creative joy. I don't know if this challenge will help, but we'll see. I'm also going to re-focus on shorter works – flash fiction, micro fiction, short stories, maybe a novella. So much of the novel work I've been doing has felt so heavy, like one of those weighted blankets. (By the way, I tried one of those and felt so trapped, I almost had a panic attack.) 

 

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Now, we did not do this on purpose to continue the theme, but my husband and I are re-watching the old TV series, "24" starring Kiefer Sutherland. We're up to Season 7, and although it's gone off the rails a bit in these later seasons, it's still been a lot of fun. I only wish I had thought to create my own version of a "drinking game" so that every time Jack Bauer or another character said "dammit" I'd get to eat a Peanut M&M. 

 

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Are you participating in any challenges this year? Do you find them helpful or too restricting? Are you feeling the joy in your creative endeavors or are you trying to get it back? If you're a fan of the weighted blanket, please tell me, what am I missing? Do you remember 24? Watching anything that's fun for you? 

Unapologetic

My "one word" theme for 2024 = Unapologetic

 

I'm not talking about times when an apology is necessary. I'm talking about times like this – 

 

"Apologetic"  

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I am too old and cranky to wait around for approval, for permission, to be myself. In Matt Haig's The Comfort Book, there's a line that's become almost a mantra for me – "Your self-worth is not found inside the minds of other people."

 

So, this year, I am going to do my best to stop apologizing for myself. I have things to do, and 2024 will be the year I get at least some of them done. 

 

No apologies.

 

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Do you have a one word theme? Are you gung-ho or ho-hum on goals/plans/resolutions this year? What are you hoping for, looking forward to, excited about in 2024?