It’s been a long couple of weeks

~ sharon ~ 2 Comments

Believe it or not, I’ve actually been doing some writing in the last few months. Just not here.

But I’m excited to be devoting a couple of days a week to my own writing projects. And I’ve been working on sharpening my skills when it comes to writing fiction. For the last few years, about the only time I’ve been able to eke out has been in November for NaNoWriMo — National Novel Writing Month. But I haven’t been able to manage the follow-up time to edit my rough first drafts.

Now I’m hiring myself as a part-time novelist, potentially starving artist. I figure the continuing need to make some money will help motivate me to stay on track.. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I’m still (well, more like finally) trying to figure out how to incorporate my book reviews into this blog. And I do like sharing tips from other writers, so I hope to write a few posts on that topic up from time to time.

I also plan to set some weekly goals. This week I’ll be preparing for a local writing day with my writing group and some friends. About a dozen of us will be set up in a lake-side lodge for a binge writing spree. I know which novel I want to work on, so my goal this week is to plan some scenes.

A bientôt! 

Happy new year

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment
(Photo by Sharon Boehlefeld)

Ok, we’re almost to the end of January and this greeting is a bit late. But I’ve been away from this blog for a while and it is a new year. I’ll blame COVID even though my writing lacuna has been much longer than that.

And, like the snow and icicles hanging from the roof of my house, I’m ready to unfreeze and spill over.

I’ve actually posted on another blog (or two) in the intervening time, but I’m ready to come back to this one. And to figure out how to combine it with a book review blog I’ve been semi-active on. (That could take a bit of time.)

In the interim, I have managed to draft a few novels. My goal is to revise and, eventually, get them published.

Some of the things — other than my day job — that I’ve been working on is improving my drafts by attending some great writing seminars. The free and inexpensive ones online since COVID have been great. And the ones I made it to PC (Pre-COVID) were both informative and fun. I’ve actually met some of my favorite writers at them.

But I plan to restart this blog as a way of sharing a bit of what I’ve been reading (hence the yet-to-be-accomplished merger with my book review blog) and what I’ve been learning.

I won’t promise daily posts. This started as a daily writing tip blog years ago. But I will make sure to get something up at least every couple of weeks. I need to have a place to record notes.

I hope you may learn something along with me.

I need to do some writing

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Tempus Fugit.

Somehow a cliche doesn’t seem as cliched when you write it in Latin. But it’s still a cliche, no matter how much time has flown since I posted something on this site.

I’ve been busy. We’ve had COVID throwing a curve ball into our lives.

Writing is on a back burner for now.

Hoping for wisdom

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment
Photos by Sharon

I joined a writing group called OWLS a while back, but that’s now really why I’ve decided I need them around my house. I’m hoping to deter critters from feeling at home on my back deck.

If I’m lucky, they may also convey a little wisdom on me and my writing.

Fingers crossed.

But for the time being, at least I like looking at them.

Almost OJT

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

I went to the Writer’s Police Academy this year. I wish I had time to talk about what a great experience it was. Meeting people who actually work in law enforcement and public safety without having a reporter’s notebook between us was a great experience. Almost “on the job” training.

And I got to shoot some guns. Which wasn’t nearly as scary as pretending to shoot a gun in the video training simulation that police cadets actually use.

But I don’t have time to go into detail. It will have to be enough to say I learned a lot that will, I hope, make my novels better.