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?

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?