Spooky Season and Birthdays

What do spooky season and birthdays have in common?

It’s scary how they creep up on you!

It’s once again birthday month around here – how did that happen?! - when I try to get all my devilish little ducks in a row for the rest of this year and on into the next. 

I will do this by taking a bit of a blogging/social media break, eating cake, and wondering how many old episodes of Project Runway it will take before Tim Gunn’s catchphrase Make It Work, once again becomes my go-to mantra for writing, for life, and for everything in-between. 

Happy October, everyone!

Shuffling Along

So far, The Summer of Making Strides looks more like The Summer of Shuffling Along. 

 

But I'll take it, because even though I'm moving slower than a tortoise, I'm moving in the right direction for me. And on the days when it feels like I'm actually going backwards, I tell myself it's necessary to get a running start in order to take that leap forward. 

 

I'm not sure if it will help my momentum any, but I'm taking a bit of a blogging and social media break. I'll still pop in and out, and I'll be back with a new post in September.

 

All of us here at TSR 

wish you a wonderful summer, 

whatever that looks like for you!!!

Focus and Looking Forward

Last month was full of hoopla – big and small, positive and negative – so November needs to be about focus and about looking forward to next year. I'll still pop in, but I'll mostly be on a blogging/social media break until December.

All of us here at TSR are incredibly grateful for so much, including our wonderful readers. Wishing you all an amazing November and a very happy Thanksgiving!

Time for a Break

So far, summer is hot and stressful, my focus scattering, evaporating like water droplets sprayed from a hose. 

We're moving soon – fingers crossed! It's been a huge, messy process for many reasons and even though it's far from over, I'll take whatever progress we make, whenever we make it, one step at a time, one packing box full of bubble wrap at a time. 

I'm still writing, but focusing on brainstorming and shorter projects. I'm still reading, because believe me, you don't want to be around when I don't get to read. My husband is still keeping me from totally melting down. And the tortoises are still . . . tortoise-ing. 

Since the tortoises are the sanest ones around here – I swear having shells has something to do with it - I'm going to listen to their advice about taking a blogging break until some time in August. I'll still be around, popping in and out, but no new posts for a bit. 

Take care, everyone!

*****

How's your summer? Is your focus scattered or sharp as tart lemonade? Any packing/moving/getting settled tips? Any advice for an anxious introvert about meeting new neighbors and not appearing like a total wackadoo? 

Press Pause, Not Stop

It's time to do some cleaning-up and cleaning-out, so I am taking the next few weeks to do just that.

Papers will be tossed! Furniture will be moved! Goals will be set!

But I'll also take some down time -

Books will be read! TV shows and movies will be binge-watched! Beaches will be walked!

Even the tortoises have plans -

Basil will be eaten! Shells will be rubbed! Basking will be done!

I'll still be around the blogosphere and Goodreads, but the next posting here at TSR won't be until IWSG on January 3, 2018. (2018?! When did that happen?!)

All of us here at The Shellshank Redemption wish everyone a wonderful holiday season - whatever and however you shell-ebrate!

The Writing Path: Keep Your Machete Sharp and Your Cake Fork Handy

"THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE EASY, AND THE PATH IS NEVER GOING TO BE CLEAR. THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS KEEP YOUR MACHETE SHARP AND WHACK AWAY AT THE FOLIAGE TILL YOU CLEAR YOUR PATH."

(Janet Reid)

So, how's your writing path looking lately? Is it neat and edged, lined with flowers? Or is it more like mine:

I recently took a blogging break in the hopes of organizing my writing and writing-related work, of making huge progress on my novella, of revising and submitting more stories, etc. Well, for a number of reasons, including one that blew away my focus and rattled my nerves - I'm looking at you, Hurricane Irma! - little to nothing got done. Throw in a few rejections and a possible new project I'm torn about pursuing, and I might as well grow roots I'm so stuck.

But I'm starting to see some sunlight beckoning to me through the brambles and the branches, and I know my writing and I will be okay. Eventually. I just really hope there's some cake and a big glass of milk up ahead for sustenance. (Hey, you have your path, I have mine. If you want boring old trail mix, that's your problem.) 

Gratitude, Passion and NaNo

"TO ME, 

NORMAL IS THE ABSENCE OF PASSION.

I WANT TO CRAVE AN EMBRACE,

LOSE MYSELF IN THE TASTE OF A

DELICIOUS PIECE OF DARK CHOCOLATE,

FEEL EVERY HAIR ON MY ARM STAND ON END 

FROM THE LICK OF A COOL BREEZE.

NORMAL?

NAH, KEEP IT.

I'M TOO BUSY 

BEING GRATEFUL AND PASSIONATE 

ABOUT THIS LIFE I'M LIVING."

(Kristin Cast)

Busy being grateful and passionate? That's me! Hopefully, it's all of you, too. 

For the rest of the month, I'm throwing myself into my NaNo novel. I will come up for air. And turkey. And chocolate. And to remind my husband and the tortoises who I am. But otherwise, I'm pretty much on a blogging break.

I wish you all a wonderful rest of the month and a very happy Thanksgiving! See you in December!

Summer is coming . . .

. . . and I'm taking a blogging break until then. I'll pop in and out, though. You can't get rid of me that easily.

I'll be back for IWSG on June 1st. See you all then!

Time for a Break

April is a busy month for many of us, for many reasons. Here, in my little sunny, sandy part of the world, I've got lots going on, including moving house and finding my way back  to creativity and to the novel I've really missed working on.  

To that end, I'm taking a bit of a blogging break. I'll still visit you all now and then, but I probably won't be posting new stuff here again until the end of April, the start of May. 

We here at The Shellshank Redemption wish everyone a warm and wonderful April/Spring!

(And to everyone participating in The Blogging from A-Z April Challenge 2015 - good luck and have lots of fun!)