Progress! And a Story!

I didn't accomplish everything I set out to do this summer, but I did make progress on a number of fronts so I'm counting the season as a win.

 

Back in June, I posted about wanting to get the following done – 

 

* Do some cleaning up, de-cluttering and organizing inside and outside the house.

 

Eh. A little bit here and there. 

 

* Finish the 202.2 miles challenge. Maybe start one of the 100 miles challenges.

 

Nope. I really wanted to get the 202.2 miles challenge done by the end of the summer, but for a number of reasons – not all of them my lazy butt's fault! -  that didn't happen. I did keep slogging along so miles were made!

 

Stats as of 8/31/2022 = 

163.2/202.2 miles (walking only)

0/100 miles

0/100 miles

 

* Get at least one draft of my novella done.

 

Nope. But I got organized, have a loose outline, wrote a chunk of chapters. I believe, think, hope, pray I've got a better handle on it than I did before.

 

* Write and submit at least two stories to markets.

 

Yes! I revised one for a contest where it made the finals but didn't rank in the top three. And I wrote a story for a flash fiction contest on literary agent, Janet Reid's, blog. It didn't make the finals, but it received a couple of nice comments from fellow readers. Some of the rules included a word count of 100 words or fewer, and it must contain five words: Depth, Froth, Phase, Showy, Atoll.

 

Maybe the story will give you a chill despite the summer heat . . .  

 

*****

 

Dearest Uncle,

My terror has no depth.

With the moon's every phase, this land's black soul takes root, spreads. I curse myself for bringing my family here!

You recall the elusive beasts, tearing nightly through the fields, strewing shredded entrails as if for show. You suggested I hunt. I found no tracks.

Until now.

They led to the house. Inside, three beasts, blood frothing their mouths, fed on my wife's body.

I pray these words find you, Uncle. Before accepting the legal responsibility that befalls you after my death, know the truth.

Be afraid of my children.

Yours,
A. Tolliver

 

*****

 

How was your summer? Accomplish any goals? Make progress on some projects? Have fun?

Melting

So far, my summer of getting stuff done is going . . . okay. The biggest issue for me is lack of oomph. I'm not sure if it's my meandering mind, my foggy focus or the Florida summer heat. I am convinced, though, that I'm not sweating but melting, like a giant scoop of gelato. (Hey, I'm half Italian!)

 

WRITING – 

I'm struggling with the novel/novella. It's starting to sprawl, and I'm having trouble remembering everything. Apparently, my brain forgot how to hold more than one idea inside it. It's been a long time since I wrote anything longer than flash fiction so maybe that muscle is as flabby as the rest of me. I'm determined to keep at it though. I believe in it! 

 

I revised and subbed one story. Of course, it wasn't the story or the market I was aiming for, but I'll take it.

 

READING - 

I recently enjoyed two YA mystery/thrillers: QUEEN OF THE TILES by Hanna Alkaf (Scrabble tournament! Set in Malaysia!) and THIS GOLDEN STATE by Marit Weisenberg (A family on the run! A home DNA test!)

 

And I loved Chris Bohjalian's historical fiction/thriller, THE LIONESS (1960s Hollywood and an African safari!) 

 

WALKING – 

Even though we're behind on the miles challenges, we're keeping at it. I, apparently, need some sort of goal to even get up off the couch so quitting is not an option.  

 

Stats as of 6/30/2022 = 

124.2/202.2 miles (walking only)

0/100 miles

0/100 miles

 

I think I'm just going to apply – and repeat! – the tortoises' favorite mantra to everything this summer - slow and steady, slow and steady….

 

*****

 

How's your summer going? If you were a frozen treat, what would you be? Have you read anything good lately? Do you have a mantra, for the summer or in general? 

Wait, What?

This month, I'm trying something new: I'm paying more attention when I speak. There's already so much "noise" in the world, I don't want to contribute to it if I can help it. So I am applying an acronym I read about over on Austin Kleon's blog: 

 

WAIT = Why Am I Talking?   

 

I hope it'll help me be more thoughtful, not only with my words but also in general. (My husband and the tortoises hope it means it will be a lot quieter around our house.) 

 

WRITING – 

My flash fiction story made the finals of a contest, tied for second place, but ultimately did not make the top three. I was happy to see, though, the positive comments, the chunk of "likes" and votes it received. I think I achieved my big, overarching goal of entertaining readers. 

WATCHING – 

Movies – I really enjoyed the creepy and unsettling Superhost. (It just totally confirmed every travel-phobic issue I have, thank you very much.) The actress, Gracie Gillam, playing Rebecca was amazing! 

 

We also re-watched Sing, which was just as good the second time around. Then we watched Sing 2 and that was fun, too. 

 

READING – 

For the first time in a very long time, I'm ahead in my Goodreads challenge = 16/52 books. I'm enjoying the more relaxed pace I set for myself.

 

WALKING – 

My husband and I were out walking when I totally surprised myself – and my husband! – by suggesting we do one of the virtual 5Ks we signed up for. (This is so not like me, I'm surprised my husband didn't look around for his real wife.) But it was early in the day, the weather was great, and I was feeling good, so we went with it. We walked, not ran, another 3.2 miles for our 202.2 Miles Challenge!

 

*****

What do you think of WAIT? Read or watched anything recently that you enjoyed? Have you surprised yourself and/or others lately? 

Pasta or Progress?

I can't tell which has more holes in it – my attention span or the colander I use to drain pasta. Yum . . . pasta. Smothered in sauce, topped with cheese. Maybe some ravioli. No wait, baked ziti. And garlic bread. And . . . oh. 

 

See what I mean?

 

WRITING - 

I rearranged my office furniture in an effort to minimize distractions. So now a blank wall stares back at me every time I look over the top of my computer. This might actually be working because I wrote and subbed a flash fiction story for a contest, and I started making notes on a novella. 

 

WALKING – 

I mentioned back in January that my husband and I signed up for two virtual challenges, 100 miles each. Well, we also signed up for a third one – 202.2 miles. (Don't even ask me how this happened. I'm pretty sure my husband distracted me with cake.)

Stats so far = 

43/202.2 miles (walking only)

0/100 miles

0/100 miles

 

WATCHING – 

Movie – SCREAM (2022] aka SCREAM, "The Requel", was a fun romp down memory lane, and it made me want to re-watch the old SCREAM movies again, at least the first one.

READING - 

I'm in the middle of Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea – enjoying it so far!

*****

 

What creative project - writing or otherwise - are you working on? What do you do for exercise/fitness? Have you read or watched anything lately you enjoyed? 

Numbers Everywhere

I am not a numbers person, but when I look back at 2021 and look ahead to 2022, imagine my surprise when I see numbers everywhere: 

 

Apparently, according to my stats, I have written close to 900 blog posts. I would say I have no words but apparently I do. About 900 blog posts worth of words. And counting. 

 

In 2021, my husband and I signed up to do a virtual challenge of 500 miles. It did not go well. We did learn a lot, though, in terms of energy, pacing, timing and taking into account the seasons (I'm looking at you Florida melt-your-face summer!) For 2022, we decided to do two separate virtual challenges of 100 miles each, one after the other. The focus is on walking, but we plan on adding biking as well. 

 

For the last couple of years, the goal of my Reading Challenge over on Goodreads was 80 books. This is a totally doable goal for me, but since my focus flaps around like a palm frond in the wind, I barely squeaked by. So I'm giving myself a break and setting the 2022 Reading Challenge to 52 books. I will knock this out easily and have an early win, something I really need. 

 

The tortoises are now 12 years old. Larry weighs about 11 pounds. He is a sensitive soul inside that solid shell. Mrs. Larry, who is lighter and smaller, refuses to divulge her stats but wants to make sure everyone knows that even though Larry is large, she's the one in charge. Of us all. 

 

Honestly, I don't even remember my One Word for last year. For 2022, I played with ideas, made lists, searched for the word that will be my theme for the year, that will keep me on a good track. One word jumped off the page – WRITING. Yes, I wrote last year, but it wasn't pretty. My creativity, discipline, focus, imagination, overall oomph fizzled then flattened like an opened bottle of seltzer. My hope for 2022 is that on those occasions when I get anxious, depressed and freaked out (or, in other words, every day) my One Word reminds me of how writing is intrinsic to who I am, that I am not lost, that I am still here, that I am still me. 

 

*****

 

How were your "numbers" for 2021? How are they looking for 2022? Do you have a One Word? Any goals or plans for 2022?

Oddly Compelling

Lately, I'm finding a number of things oddly compelling. I can't seem to stop focusing on them, and I'm not exactly sure why. 

 

For instance, I'm drawn to the phrase oddly compelling. 😁

 

Here are some more examples: 

 

* September. This month always makes me think of school supplies and cooler weather, fresh notebooks and sweaters, even though I've been out of school for many – many! – years, and I won't feel a cool breeze here in Florida until October. 

 

* My flash fiction story, "Oh, Brother." I have no idea where this one came from, but the main character's voice spoke up loud and clear. It's also a time-travel type story, something I don't believe I've ever written before, and the whole thing is structured as a letter to someone. I totally enjoyed writing it, and since it made the cut as a finalist for a contest, I guess it didn't turn out too badly. 

 

* A longer writing project. An idea has been ducking and hiding at the edges of my creative playground for some time now. The problem is, I can't quite see or hear it. I know it's there and I know it's something, but I don't know what – a novel, a novella, a story collection? I'm trying to give it space for it to show me, to see if it wants to slip down the slide or hang from the monkey bars. I'm trying to be patient, but I want to play already!

 

* Samantha Downing's novel, For Your Own Good. It is so much fun in a totally bizarre, insane way. I can't stop thinking about it! 

 

* Walking. If I did the math correctly - and that's a huge if - I don't think I'm going to complete the 500 miles for the walking challenge. It's possible, but I'm not sure I have it in me to put that much pressure on myself. I am going to keep at it though, and whatever miles I end up walking will still be more miles than I walked last year. I don't know if this is pure determination or pure stubbornness on my part, but either way, I have to finish, no matter what it looks like. 

*****

 

Have you found anything oddly compelling lately? What is your September/Fall looking like? 

Frog Moments

As I write this post, it's raining outside and two baby frogs are hanging out on my office window. They startled me at first because, as you all know by now, when I see something moving at the window, my first thought is monster/psycho/zombie. But now I'm enjoying watching them, enjoying their company. (And as long as they stay outside, they're adorable.) 

 

I mention this moment because it made me smile. I've been kind of "meh" about stuff lately, everything from reading to writing. There are some reasons and there are no reasons, if that makes sense. I've struggled with this before, but this time around, I'm having trouble shaking it. So I'm trying to focus on positivity, on things that make me happy, laugh, bring me joy, and I thought I'd share a few recent examples in case you all also need a "frog moment" or two.

 

WRITING 

Here are three posts that should - hopefully! - shake off any writing blues:

Advice for the Demoralized Writer by James Scott Bell 

Stay in the Fight by John Gilstrap

The Most Significant Choice of Your Writing Career by Jessica Conoley

 

 

*****

 

READING

How about a feel good read that includes books, libraries and a cast of quirky characters you'll love to root for? Then make a note to pick up The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson! (I got my hands on an ARC – it's out 8/31/21.)

 

 

*****

 

WATCHING

We went old school and thoroughly enjoyed re-watching "Jaws" and "Jurassic Park." We're also re-watching "Seinfeld" from Season 1 – still hilarious! 

 

I have fallen hard for "Firefly Lane" (Netflix.) It's not my usual thing, and I'm not exactly sure why I enjoy it so much, but hey, not everything needs to be analyzed to death, right? Unfortunately for me, I thought it was a self-contained show, so when the last episode ended on a cliffhanger you can probably imagine the angst and drama in my house when I realized what was happening. And yet, I am so in if there's a Season 2!

 

 

*****

 

WALKING

I'm really struggling with the walking challenge, but I'm determined to keep going, to make at least some progress this summer. 

 

Miles walked as of 7/30/2021 = 187/500 (Click here for what this craziness is all about.)

 

Seen on a walk . . . around the house to the patio - 

Hibiscus  

Photo by Madeline Mora-Summonte 7/2021

Hibiscus -

Photo by Madeline Mora-Summonte 7/2021

 

*****

 

If/When you feel "meh" what do you do? Do you have any recent "frog moments" you'd like to share? Any suggestions for feel good books/movies/TV?

 

Hello, July!

Whooosh! That's the sound of summer flying by. (And believe me, that's the fastest moving thing around here. If the tortoises and I had a race, I would not put money on me to win.) Still feeling behind and overwhelmed, but I'm working on having a more positive and grateful mindset overall and that's definitely helping. 

 

WRITING

My story, "Twisted," is out now in INFECTION: DRABBLES 1 (LEGENDS OF THE NIGHT). If you like your apocalyptic zombie fiction bite-sized (ha! get it?!), give it a try! 

 

** AVAILABLE ON AMAZON **

*****

 

READING

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker is chilling, compelling and heartbreaking. The author does an amazing job of humanizing a horrifying character. With a few simple lines, she makes you re-examine everything you thought you knew, making you not necessarily forgive the character but feel for them. 

 

*****

 

WATCHING

Movies – We really liked "Awake" on Netflix. 

 

*****

 

WALKING

We participated in a virtual 5K that raised money for sea turtle conservation and research. During this sweat-soaked stroll, we saw so many turtles - crossing roads, sunning on banks, sticking their little heads out of lakes. They were totally cheering us on! 

 

Miles walked as of 6/30/2021 = 166.5/500 (Click here for what this craziness is all about.) 

 

*****

How's your summer going so far? Made progress on any projects? Have you read or watched anything you'd recommend?  

Hunkering Down

The plan for this summer is to pretty much hunker down and Get. Things. Done. Somehow, life – and that includes everything from health to writing to cleaning - has gotten away from me. Keeping things on track is like herding tortoises back inside the house from the patio (believe me, it's harder than you think.) Time to start moving in a positive direction again!

 

WRITING

In publication news, my flash fiction story, "The Perfect Match", is in Shallow Waters Vol. 7: A Flash Fiction Anthology, and I have two drabbles coming out this summer in anthologies from Black Ink Fiction. 

 

I actually "attended" my first StokerCon – the big conference for horror writers - from the comfort of my own home. I watched panel after panel and learned so much. I took pages and pages of handwritten notes, all of which I'm hoping I will be able to decipher. 

*****

 

READING

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker is a little more of a slower paced book than I usually read but the writing! The characters! The revelations toward the end! The ending! The book just blew me away. 

***** 

 

WATCHING

Movies – "Rent-A-Pal" was creepy, sad, and unsettling.

 

TV – We finally finished watching "Justified" and overall absolutely LOVED it! The last episode was excellent and the very last scene was just perfect. 

***** 

 

TORTOISES

Larry and Mrs. Larry are now 12 years old! They celebrated by having one of their favorite treats – banana!  The rest of us had cake.

***** 

 

WALKING

Seriously, what was I thinking? Why did I let my husband convince me to do this 500 miles walk? Why didn't we just do the 100 miles? We'd be done already! Why did I think I could do this? (Okay, whiny rant over. For now.)

 

Miles walked as of 5/31/2021 = 137.2/500 (Click here for what this craziness is all about.)

 

***** 

 

Any projects – creative or otherwise – you plan to tackle this summer? Have you read or watched anything great lately? How about a pep talk, a butt kick, or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup . . . or two? I need all the help I can get!

Spring . . . Back

Even though we were supposed to spring ahead last month, I pretty much fell waaaaaay back. In time, that is.

 

WRITING

I'm pretty sure the last time I wrote poetry was when I was in college  - over 20 years ago, people - so imagine my surprise when I managed to create some horror poetry for a contest. 

 

***

 

READING

I am so looking forward to upcoming releases by some of my long-time favorite, auto-buy authors: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon and Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. 

 

***

 

WATCHING

Movies - The nostalgia volume was turned to high around here as Pretty in Pink and Footloose had me tapping my feet. I somehow managed to feel both young AND old at the same time. 

 

TV - When my husband and I heard about the death of Larry McMurtry, we looked at each other and said, "We're watching Lonesome Dove this weekend." I read the novel before the mini-series came out, and it's safe to say it's easily one of my all-time favorite books. I fell in love with the mini-series when I first watched it back in 1989. Did it hold up for me in 2021? You better believe it! How could it not with Larry McMurtry's writing and starring actors like Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and Danny Glover, to name just a few. 

 

***

 

WALKING

Hooray for progress! When I first started, I averaged about 1-1.5 miles each outing. Now, I average about 2-2.5 miles, and I’m inching up to 3. 

 

Miles walked as of 3/31/21 = 83.6/500. (Click here for what this craziness is all about.)

 

*****

Traveled down memory lane lately? Seen either of those movies or the mini-series? Made progress – no matter how little! - on any projects?  

March-ing On

My "one word" for 2021 is FOCUS. To be honest, it's not working all that well. My thoughts are like Yahtzee dice - spilling out from my mind, scattering everywhere. But hey, we're only in the third month of the year. That's still plenty of time to work my word! 

 

WRITING

I recently redid my Writer's Manifesto. I love that it reminds me HOW I want to write, HOW I want my writing life to feel, to look. This time around, I emphasized having more fun and trusting the creative process. 

 

***

READING

Two books I ended up liking more than I thought I would – Shiver by Allie Reynolds and The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan. I was pleasantly surprised to get so caught up in them! 

 

***

WATCHING

Movies – "Come Play" was my kind of creepy and "Freaky" was the kind of campy horror movie that reminded me of "Scream." 

 

***

WALKING

Seen on a walk: 

Photo by Madeline Mora-Summonte, 2021

Okay, I actually see this every day . . . because it's in front of our house! We had this bougainvillea planted soon after we moved in because we wanted a spot of color, one I'll hopefully be able to see from my office window soon. But we never realized how many people would enjoy our little tree, too. One lady even told my husband that she looks forward to riding her bike by it every day. (Fingers crossed my husband and I won't ruin it with our not-so-green thumbs . . . .) 

 

Miles walked as of 2/25/21 = 51/500. We passed the first official milestone! (Click here if you're wondering what this craziness is all about.)

 

*****

Do you have "one word" for 2021? If so, how's it working for you? Do you have a Writer's Manifesto or going to give one a try? Have you read or watched something that surprised you with how much you liked it? Is there anything on your route that brightens your walks or drives? 

Forward into February

For some reason – and no reason – January had me stymied at almost every turn. Even so, I'm choosing to focus on the positives! Here are some highlights: 

 

WRITING 

Since one of my stories tied for first place in a Crystal Lake flash fiction contest in 2020, I was invited to participate in their Best of the Best challenge, only open to contest winners. Let me just say this: Whew! That was some tough competition! My story didn't win or place, but I'm honored to have been included in that bunch.

 

***

READING

2021 started with the suspenseful The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard. It not only gave me the creeps, but also offered a creative twist to the alternative POV structure. So well done! Loved it!

***

 

WATCHING

TV-wise, we're trying some old-but-new-to-us shows, like "Justified." I can't even begin to tell you how much we're enjoying it! [Please no spoilers in the comments! We're only up to season 3 or so.]

 

Movie-wise, we watched "Don't Tell a Soul," starring Rainn Wilson. So well acted and full of great twists! 

 

***

TORTOISES

We had some cold-for-Florida weather, which meant the tortoises had to stay inside. But it finally warmed up enough for them to wander the patio, taking the occasional break to sit under the grill.

 

***

WALKING

Seen on a walk: A man, dogs on the seat next to him, pulls his golf cart up to the stop sign. Music drifts over from the cart. The song? "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses. 

 

Miles walked as of 1/29/21 = 28/500. Hmm, this might actually be more miles than I walked all of last year. (Click here if you're wondering what this craziness is all about.) 

*****

How's your year going so far? Have you read or watched anything good? (Again, please no "Justified" spoilers!) Are you making progress on any challenges or goals?

One Small Step

Other than a few specific goals (see below for one of them), my overall plan for 2021 is to move in a positive direction, to choose projects or tasks that will move me in a "creative" direction or in a "healthy" direction, etc. I have no idea if this will work, but even though 2020 sucked the oomph out of me, I still want to enter 2021 with a bounce in my step. 

 

"The good life is a process, not a state of being. 

It is a direction not a destination."

Carl Rogers

Speaking of direction and moving, did I mention I plan to walk 500 miles this year?

 

Yes, for some of you that's a piece of cake, but since my steps consist mostly of me going from my desk to the kitchen to get a piece of cake, this is huge. 

 

My husband and I signed up for this virtual challenge to encourage a healthy lifestyle, but it will be more than just a physical challenge for me. As someone who has perfectionist tendencies, the thought of falling behind and/or failing altogether makes me incredibly anxious. But one of the things I told myself - other than that I've lost my mind - is that any miles I walk because of this challenge are miles I might not have walked otherwise. Any accumulation will be an accomplishment. 

 

I'll do the occasional update here on the blog. It will be much like tracking the progress of a tortoise. If I'm lucky.  

 

Miles Walked as of 1/4/2021 = 5.6/500

 

*****

Did you make any resolutions, set goals? Or are you keeping it a little looser like I am? Anything you'd recommend for my walks – music/podcasts/audio books to listen to, sneakers, socks, workout clothes, etc?