Category: Check-in

The music of hibernation

Is it me, or does it seem darker this year? I mean that literally, not metaphorically. Daylight Saving Time hasn’t even ended, but I don’t think the sun got the memo. I swear it wasn’t this dark last October.

Yes, I know. I live in Minnesota. That’s what happens in autumn. Of course, next Sunday, it will be full-on:

Hello Darkness meme

Most of the time, this is a fair trade for living in a place without poisonous snakes, scorpions, and large creepy-crawly bugs.

Still, it’s dark out there. I must fight the urge to head off to bed at 7:30 p.m. Y’all, I seriously keep toddler hours in the winter. Or maybe I’m part bear (it could be true) and, like other sensible creatures, prefer to hibernate.

During my brain break week, it occurred to me that I might be missing a mood brightener. For a variety of reasons, I closed my Spotify account earlier this year. I always feel like I should enjoy Spotify. But really? I find it hard to like. It’s busy and pushy and noisy.

But Apple’s been bugging me (I sense a trend here) to try Apple Music free for three months. So, I finally gave in. The interface isn’t nearly as busy (thank you), though I’m curious why there’s a separate app devoted solely to classical music.

In any case, I’d like to see if regular music can help brighten my winter. For today, though, I’m planning to indulge in some witchy vibes, shuffle some Stevie Nicks, and cook up something on the stove.

Brain breaks and Sunday naps

What everyone should be doing on Sunday:

Mattie and Oscar napping on the couch.

This is only their morning nap, too. They have some serious afternoon napping to look forward to.

This past week, I wrapped up adding all the longhand edits into the manuscript. Am I done editing? No. No, I am not.

The next round is more surgical. There are things I want to change, elements that need linking, and small things to add that will play out in book three.

But this coming week, I’m taking a bit of a break. I’ll be making notes in the morning, but we’re due for some lovely weather, so I’m going to give my brain a rest and get all the outdoor stuff done.

Otherwise, it will somehow become November, and I’ll be outside, pulling in the hoses and birdbaths during a wintry mix.

I’ll probably read a lot, too, and maybe binge-watch a few things. But mostly, I’m hoping to be kind to future-me and get all the autumn clean-up done.

This blog post does not have a picture of a fox

But there was one in the backyard this week! It was down by the pond, and while I tried to get a photo, it wasn’t happening. All I got for my efforts was an orange blur.

Still, I haven’t seen a fox in the backyard for years (granted, I may simply be missing them), so it was nice that this one stopped for a visit.

Autumn and October have officially arrived:

October in the wetlands
October in the wetlands

In writing news, I’ve made it through the longhand edits! The last 200 pages or so are waiting patiently for me to start keying them into the manuscript.

After that, I’ll need to comb through the manuscript, adding here, deleting there. Looking for the crutch words and phrases I’ve used or overused. I know I’ve said aplomb far too many times (or, rather, Henry has). My characters do far too much eye-rolling (to be fair, it’s warranted).

I even started work on the cover. Here’s a peek:

A small cover portion of The Marigold Miracle

So, The Marigold Miracle is starting to feel like a real book.

I am, however, taking the rest of the day off. It’s lovely out, and while I may not venture far from home, I am going to enjoy this unseasonably warm weather.

Deep Valley Book Festival recap

I’m both extremely charged up after yesterday and extremely tired. Somehow, both these feelings can coexist without any contradiction.

I enjoyed myself far more than I expected. I’m not only a committed introvert, but I’m also pretty shy. But I love talking about writing, and I love talking about books, and I got to do both yesterday. My table location in one of the room’s corners was a bonus for me. I felt quite comfortable there.

Some takeaways:

  • I wore some (cute, flowered) compression socks. 10/10 would recommend. My legs and feet felt great at the end of the day. No wonder nurses wear them.
  • My sweater was on point. Or rather, my daughter’s sweater was on point. Even Kate DiCamillo complimented it. In related news, this sweater is now mine.
  • People may not take a chance on a new-to-them author (although some did!), but they will take a chance on a five-dollar blind date with a book.
  • I made back my table fee and then some!

Some pictures:

My festival table setup

My author table setup—one small issue. The author packet said tablecloths were provided, but the festival had to switch venues, and, well, no tablecloths. Next time I’ll know to pack one. On the plus side, this gave me a chance to see what other authors use before I buy anything.

Me at my author table

Me (obviously) at my table (also obviously)

Me with Kate DiCamillo

Me with Kate DiCamillo with the signed collector’s edition of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane for my daughter. I’m hoping this is a fair exchange for the sweater.

Of stories and themes and sandhill cranes

First, look at these beauties stopping by on their migration:

Sandhill cranes in the park
Sandhill cranes in the park

All of us in the park that morning did our best not to disturb their walk through the space. I swear, you could see everyone hold their breath as they passed by.

Another question Anno asked was this:

Are there stories and themes you prefer to work from?

The answer to this is yes and no. I don’t usually sit down with a theme in mind, and sometimes, I don’t even have a story. What I often have is a character in a situation or with a problem she must solve. (I suppose you could call this the inciting incident.)

So, I work from there. How does she solve this problem? Can she solve this problem? Does she create more problems by solving the first, and so on.

I really enjoy writing adventure stories, although my idea of an adventure is often very silly (catching ghosts with coffee, protecting the world with umbrellas), and these have emerged alongside my indie career.

I trace these stories back to having to entertain myself in the backseat of the car on our cross-country trips to Oregon. When reading in the car makes you sick, you don’t have many options for entertainment, at least not back in the 1970s.

I also love secrets—in stories if not real life. I’m not certain I’ve written a story where someone doesn’t have a secret. I also really love intergenerational secrets, generally the older generations keeping things from the younger ones (often for very good reasons, but still, secrets).

Found family. A lot of my stories involve the main character(s) finding someone or several someones to call home over the course of a story (or series). Some of this is simple logistics. Introducing a large cast of characters all at once is difficult for both the writer and the reader. But I have enough found families in my stories that this is clearly a theme I work from, even if it’s not a conscious choice.

In practical writing news, it’s crunch time for the Deep Valley Book Festival. I go back and forth between thinking I have too many books and then not enough. (I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?) I plan to have the car packed on Friday, so all I need to do is grab my electronics and go on Saturday morning. (Okay, coffee and a shower first.)

It’s going to be a busy week, but I’m looking forward to it.

Keeping the (writing) faith

Anno asked me some questions a few weeks back that I’ve been ruminating on ever since. The one that’s been dominating my thoughts is this one:

Given the challenges of modern publishing, what helps you keep faith with your work?

Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Things are fraught* right now in publishing, whether you’re pursuing traditional or indie publishing.

The thing that helps me the most is this:

Despite everything, I still get to tell the stories I want to tell. No one can take that away from me.

A four-book series about catching ghosts with coffee? Why not?

Sentient umbrellas? Absolutely!

Indie publishing is simply how I get my stories into the world. Because, let’s be real, traditional publishing isn’t knocking on the door and making offers for either of those series**.

It’s hard, I’m not going to lie, to keep training your focus on those things you control. I struggle with it all the time. More is more has seeped into every aspect of our culture, especially work and creative endeavors.

But it’s simply not the case. It’s a lie big tech is telling us to keep us online and distracted.

So, I put my focus on those things I control:

  • My stories
  • My blog
  • My mail list

And, this year, I’m adding:

  • In-person events
  • Local independent bookstores
  • A direct-sales store

Yesterday is a perfect example of why I love being indie. It was a rainy, bleak Saturday. I had the sniffles, and while I had a shed-ton of chores to do, I didn’t feel up for any of them***.

So I said to myself: Let’s build an online direct-sales store.

And I did.

It’s not complete, not yet. Once it is, I’ll reveal it here. I want to have it done in time for the Deep Valley Book Festival.

Then, when I was wrapping up for the day, my new table display bookstand arrived:

Bookstand with several of my books on display

So, all things considered, I’m feeling fairly hopeful today.

*I used fraught in a text conversation the other day and got the laughing/crying emoji as a response.

**Another use case for the laughing/crying emoji.

***But do I ever? Yet another case for the laughing/crying emoji.

Adventures in pet-sitting (and grocery shopping)

During this long weekend, I am pet-sitting for these two adorable siblings:

Daisy, a golden retriever mix.
Taco, a black cat with a white chin

That’s Daisy and Taco, my furry grandchildren.

I also managed a trip to Half-Price Books to fill up my Little Free Library. And I did some grocery shopping. I asked my daughter what I could pick up for her, and she gave me a list. Good enough. Except for when I came to this item:

Potatoes.

So, I asked via text.

Me: What kind of potatoes?

Her: Normal.

Me: …

Yeah, your guess is as good as mine.

Me: What is normal? Gold? Potatoes for baking?

A bit of an existential question, that: what is normal? Also, what is normal when it comes to potatoes?

Her: Ya just potatoes

Her: Like raw

Her: That I can cut up and put in soup

Ah. Gold it is, then.

I’ll leave you with that. Hopefully next week (this week?) we’ll return to regularly scheduled blogging.

Gearing up for the Deep Valley Book Festival

I’m no longer living in a construction zone! On a related topic, words you never want to hear in the same sentence: water and structural damage.

It’s been a long haul, but the water damage has been repaired! And I have new patio doors, which I’ve been gazing at and through. I even put up an extra hummingbird feeder, although that doesn’t seem to have stopped the territorial battles.

Hummingbirds = fierce

So, a month or two back, I was apparently feeling extra sassy, and I put myself on the exhibitor waitlist for the Deep Valley Book Festival. I didn’t think I’d get a table, and if I did, well, that was a problem for future Charity.

Yes, you’ve guessed it. I now have a four-foot table at the festival. Not only that, but they also invited me to be on the author panel (!).

I’ve been busy creating things for my table: business cards, a pricing sheet, an ebook postcard giveaway, and bookmarks for Booking Through Thursday.

Collage of author assets, including bookmarks and business cards

I’ve also been mentally gearing up for the author panel. The topic is:

Ever wonder where authors get their ideas, how they create memorable characters, or what really happens behind the scenes of writing and publishing a book? This lively, audience-driven panel puts you in charge of the conversation. Bring your questions and ask our participating authors anything about their books, their writing journeys, and the creative process!

I’m hoping for more than a deer-in-the-headlights response and “I have no idea. It just happens.” That wouldn’t be very lively.

If any of you would like to lob some practice questions my way, I’d appreciate it. I’ll also answer them here on the blog.

Happy Sunday. I’m off to refill my hummingbird feeders and referee some pitched battles.

Summer slips away

Seriously? How is summer suddenly slipping away? Between COVID and the construction zone, I seem to have lost some time.

At least my hydrangeas are on point.

Lime and pink hydrangeas
My hydrangeas, showing off

And now that I have my energy back, I’m once again taking longer walks in the wetlands.

Gravel path beneath trees in the wetlands.
You can already see that hint of autumn in the leaves

Plus! Editing! Here’s my current editing stack:

Printed pages and notebook for editing
Hand edits and notes for The Marigold Miracle

Parts I and II of The Marigold Miracle have been redrafted. That stack of pages above is Part III. Yes, Part III happens to be 183 pages, which for some writers is a novel. Y’all, I’m not sure why I decided to write such big books, but here we are.

Slow and steady and all that. I will turtle my way through this edit.

Now if only summer would slow down just a bit.

Construction zone

It’s a construction zone around here, so if I’m a little scarce, that’s why. Booking Through Thursday will go on, as ever. But I may not make my weekly check-in.

Yesterday, I did manage to water the garden and clean up a bit (and find the extra flooring the contractors might need). And I made some vegetarian chili and some chia seed pudding. These feel like major achievements.

I haven’t been able to write that much (the noise, people in my space, the dogs (in a spare bedroom), barking at people in our space). But I’ve been getting other things done, like setting up Square and cover refreshes, so I’ve actually been pretty productive.

At the very least, I’ll be back on Thursday for another round of BTT. See you then!