Category: Check-in

If you build it, will they come?

This week’s admin focus was on author websites, which I already have. But it made for an excellent reason to do some maintenance. Most importantly, I needed to update my WordPress template.

As I mentioned in my housekeeping note, the old template had been retired. While it still received security updates, the old template didn’t support new features.

But I’m also considering what else I might do with my blog. One of the things I loved about blogging in the early aughts was the blogging and book community. One of my favorite blog memes was Booking Through Thursday (which started on Blogspot and migrated to WordPress).

Real life being what it is, BTT has been inactive for several years. So, I asked myself: what if I restarted it?

With permission, of course. Deb graciously gave her blessing. So here I am, wondering: if I relaunch BTT, will anyone show up?

The book blogging community is still very active, with plenty of weekly book memes. Do we need another? Maybe not. But I have the online real estate—no ads, nothing distracting.

According to WordPress, I can add a selected category to my blog subscription so people can sign up to receive the Booking Through Thursday posts via email, and not any of the others if they don’t want them. (This may take a few tries to iron out, but it’s possible.)

All this to say, I’m going to give the book meme thing a try. If people enjoy it? Hooray! If it falls flat, then it falls flat.

So, look for the relaunch of Booking Through Thursday on January 1, 2026.

Rhythm and Flow

This week, I experimented with increasing my manuscript time blocks. I increased the number by one, so instead of three, I was doing four time blocks.

By Thursday, though? Full-on brain and body revolt. I did a single time block, and then everything in my being noped out. I was done. This wasn’t garden-variety resistance. This was me, having outrun the story in my head.

So I closed the manuscript and switched to some admin tasks that needed to be done.

On Friday, I did three time blocks and—to quote Goldilocks—it felt just right.

I know, from past experience, that I’ll write more the closer I am to the end of the book, and revision has its own sort of rhythm.

This is also why I’ve noped out of listening to writing process advice. I’m never going to write 5,000 words an hour. More to the point, I actually don’t want to. That’s not how my stories happen.

My stories are slow-and-steady tortoise things. I can embrace that and be happy. Or, I can fight that and be miserable.

I’m choosing to be happy.

In admin/business focus tasks, this was the week to examine our social media accounts. (That sound you hear is me laughing.) The principle behind this is that readers often look to social media first to find an author rather than a website.

Interestingly enough, this week, Cal Newport had a take on what might happen to these social media platforms in an age where “everything” is becoming short-form video content. It’s an interesting blog post, as was the corresponding podcast.

I do have a notion of what I might do with my social media accounts. It is not, however, going to be a huge part of my business. In seasonal news, it’s cold. Those of us with any sense are hibernating.

When in Florence

So, my daughter is back in Italy, via Australia (!). She is completely jetlagged and found herself awake very early this morning. She decided to get up and go for a walk. And because she’s so jetlagged and has no idea what time it is anywhere in the world, she called me.

At 12:30 a.m.

By this point in her travels, I’m used to this, so my mom-panic was brief, especially since it was a video call and I could see Florence at sunrise behind her. Y’all, seriously:

Photo courtesy of my daughter

It’s all I can do not to spend the day on the floor, sobbing with jealousy.

Kidding. Sort of.

I am so glad she has this sort of opportunity. And it has me thinking that the next time (fingers crossed) I visit Italy/Europe, I’d like to go in the fall/winter. Way fewer tourists, and I loved Germany during the holiday season and winter.

I’ll grant you, I did not enjoy the REFORGER exercise in January or Hohenfels in November. But otherwise? It was lovely.

This gift of Florence at sunrise was fortuitous, or maybe it was serendipity. I spent part of this week writing a scene set at sunrise in Florence. (Italy, not Wisconsin. If you know, you know.)

I also worked on consolidating all my author bios. That was a great exercise. Not only are they all in one place now, but I also made lists of publications I can use, depending on what I want to highlight.

Between that and the branding task, I realized that I’m not one author or “brand” and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to be. I have thoughts (many, many thoughts) about branding, which I hope to share in the next few weeks.

But now? I have a date with the living room floor. If anyone needs me, I’ll be there sobbing with jealousy.

It’s a winter wonderland out there

And the dogs are having none of it. NONE. They do not appreciate the fact that I have shoveled a path for them or have loaded them up with fleecy dog beds and blankets.

In writing related things, I backed Ines Johnson’s Page Turner Planning Kickstarter. The system is a quarterly breakdown of writing, marketing, branding, and business tips that’s delivered on a week-by-week basis. Or rather, it’s a book that you read one section at a time.

While I don’t need much help with the writing—I’ve been doing that—I could stand to pay a little more attention to business and marketing.

I decided to start the system on December 1st rather than January 1st just to get a head start on 2026.

The system is probably geared more to newer writers. One of the first assignments is to write your author bio. Well, I have one of those. Actually? I probably have a dozen.

What I’m going to do with that task is to locate them all, get them into one document, and refine as needed.

When you’re just starting out with a handful of short stories or a single novel, one bio works just fine. After a while, though? I’ve found I need different lengths, anything from 50 to 100 words, or a different slant, such as one for short speculative fiction, one for young adult, and so on.

The other business task is to start looking at branding. I’m giving that a bit of a side-eye, but it’s something I can and should do.

I’ll let you know how it all goes next week.

When the turkeys come to you

So I was working at my desk and happened to glance out the window in time to see this:

The turkey on my deck railing

So … is she visiting? Volunteering as tribute? I’m not sure, except she’s part of the gaggle that’s been wandering around the neighborhood and in and out of the woods this week. I suspect they sense what my weather app is currently predicting: cold rain, snow, and dropping temperatures.

I took what might be my last morning walk of the season this morning. I had to get at least one more in (and frankly, the afternoon is so lovely, I may take another).

In writing news, I get to visit the Giardino delle Rose in Florence this week!

Well, virtually, that is. I’m setting a couple of scenes there. This means scrolling through my Italy photos and creating a collage. The pain of it all!

I don’t suppose I actually need to do that, but I took pictures in part because I had a notion of setting at least one scene there.

In any event, it will be a nice counterpoint to the cold and snow coming my way.

Quiet Sunday

I’m happy to report that, a week later, kitty is so much better. I’m relieved. I’m also relieved that it’s the last day of antibiotics as well. Because, yes, there’s nothing like giving a cat some medicine.

So, I’m hoping for a much quieter Sunday. Knock on wood.

Some fun things from the past week (or so)

This last bloom of the year:

This view on this morning’s walk:

This hockey game (my son, playing for the Frost Giants):

I also started, in earnest, work on The Marigold Miracle. Mainly notes and thinking on paper, but that’s all part of the process.

Today’s goal, I hope, is to finish Possession. I’m not behind in the reading, but I’d like to finally finish the book.

Belated check-in

So, I spent a big chunk of Sunday at the emergency vet with our sweet old kitty (well, she was kind of spicy at the vet). We got her some antibiotics and will follow up for another underlying health issue later. But all things considered? Things turned out so much better than I expected, considering she’s a cat of a certain age (17).

Today, we (all of us) are tired, resting, and relieved.

Of Halloween and cats

This morning’s observation: Cats do not care about the end of daylight-saving time. Cats want their breakfast. They want it NOW. So, get up, lazy human, and feed them.

This week was, of course, Halloween. And this year, I’m excited to report that we had many, many trick-or-treaters! I always put out a table by the Little Free Library since the dogs lose their minds over the doorbell and people coming up the walk. This setup makes it easier for everyone, even if I don’t get to see all the costumes.

It was raining, so the candy bowl had a lid.

When I went out later in the evening to check on the candy, this is what I found.

No one could bring themselves to take that last piece of candy.

Halloween achievement unlocked!

We also had the city’s book and pie sale this week, where they sell … books and pie (and sloppy joes). I donate books every year, but I’ve never actually been. The sale always ends before I was done with work, but not this year. So I headed on over and bought some books (not that I needed any) and a piece of pie. Not a bad way to round out October. (Well, minus the cat.)

Take stock November

Sunrise on this morning’s walk.

First, how is it almost November? Seriously? How?

Second, I am looking forward to November. I want to take stock, look ahead to the upcoming year, and consider what I want to write in the coming months. Obviously, more Pansy. That goes without saying.

Now that I’m no longer in burnout from the day job, I’m trying to figure out how much writing I can tackle.

Full-time writing isn’t something I have experience with. I’m so used to squeezing in my fiction writing in the margins of my life. I want to be more expansive without burning out on the writing itself. I suspect this will take experimentation and balance.

In other news, my daughter and I have cleared out the basement and pulled up the carpet and the tack strips. Y’all, we did this Friday, and I’m still sore and achy. But hopefully this week, we’ll have the new carpet installed (this is not a task we’re performing—we’re not that masochistic).

In a week or two, this should be the cozy space we’ve been wanting for a while. Perfect for pondering plans (or possibly world domination, but I’m feeling a little too sore for that).

Here’s to November! (I think.)

Release week recap

Well, I’m pleased. After four years of publishing absolutely nothing, The Pansy Paradox had what I consider a very good release week.

I was lucky enough to garner a BookBub New Release for Less deal:

So, how did I celebrate? On Thursday, I had my annual exam and got the flu, COVID, and shingles shots. As one does. I did not time that well. I’m still a little achy, and I’m running a low-grade fever. I’ll keep this short and hopefully have more to say next week.