Category: The cat

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.)

Weekly writing check-in: spring break

Kitty’s taking her own spring break

Spring hasn’t exactly sprung here yet, but since the driveway is no longer an ice rink, I’ll take it.

I’m continuing the paper edit of The Trouble with Necromancers.

I’m really hoping to finish that this week. Just the paper part, mind you, not the part where I put all the updates into the actual manuscript. That’s its own challenge.

Otherwise, that’s about it. There’s not a lot that’s exciting about editing. Oh, look! I removed a comma. Oh, look! I put it back in.

Weekly writing check-in: round one, done

They look like they’re about to drop an album … or take a nap.

Somehow (and I’m not sure how), I made it through the first round of edits on The Trouble with Necromancers. I managed to cut ~6,500 words in the process as well.

Yesterday I printed the whole thing off, and I will do this next edit on paper. While I’m doing that, I will also revisit the series structure, because changing up the first book means all the others change as well (like so many falling dominos).

I also managed to get the second Coffee and Ghosts book into large print. This coming week I hope to finish up the third, and then I may just tackle hardcovers. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Weekly writing check-in: turkeys and world building

This week, I finally finished getting all my books uploaded to Ingram Spark and into KDP Print. Whew. One task off my list.

I also did some extensive world building. Lots and lots of notes, notions, and ideas. I think I’m ready to move into the actual manuscript revision. I may revisit The Emotional Craft of Fiction while I do so. I really enjoyed working through the exercises a few months back with The Trouble with Necromancers.

And that’s about it for this week. I’ll leave you with this picture of turkeys in and around our crabapple tree.

Weekly writing check-in: solving an essential problem

I did some work on revision this week. I managed to write a “pitch” (although, I don’t pitch anymore, so it’s more of a description of the story), worked on some covers for the series (these just came out of the blue), and made some overall progress on the story structure.

I’m nearly done with moving all my paperbacks into KDP Print and into the Ingram system. Additionally, I also solved an essential problem I was having.

How to share my desk with the cat.

So, after the renovations, instead of moving my printer back to my desk, I decided on one of these:

It’s a Hepper Nest Cat Bed. It’s amazing. Oreo loves it. It keeps her off my keyboard (most of the time). And we couldn’t be happier.

Oreo in her nest bed.

Weekly writing check-in: a little light housekeeping

So, it’s November, which means many writers are doing National Novel Writing Month. As for me, I’m planning on using November to do a little light housekeeping.

This week, I finished the read-through of a novel I’d written a while back, and I’m thinking it could be something. With some work, that is. The next step is to essentially write an editorial letter … to myself. Then I’ll work on how I want to revise the story.

I need to move my books from Createspace to KDP Print. While I’m doing that, I want to upload the titles to Ingram Spark for extended distribution. I’m selling enough in print that I’m really leaving money on the table using Amazon’s version of extended distribution.

I’ll also search for some markets/reprint markets for some of my shorter fiction as well and fill up my submission tracker as well. It’s looking a little thin these days.

I’m sure I’ll think of other housekeeping chores for the month as well. I’ll let you know what I come up with.

Weekly writing check-in: more short stories, novella, and Photoshop

Oreo, volunteer editor

I am diligently trying to keep myself out of the Photoshop black hole. Fortunately (or, perhaps, unfortunately), I don’t have a title for the first book or the series it’s supposed to be in, so there’s only so much cover designing I can do.

Yeah. I need a title, especially since I’d like to publish this year.

In other news, not only did I complete the outline for the novella, but I started the draft. I finished up revising/editing two short stories that I plan to send off this week as well.

All in all, it was a good writing week.

Weekly writing check-in: Hello, July!

Kitty can’t believe the year is half over

A quick update from last week: I did successfully find some cupcakes. The girls demolished the strawberry ones so quickly it was almost frightening.

In writing news, I have somehow managed ~12,000 words of revised/new content while using the exercises in The Emotional Craft of Fiction. This surprised me since I feel as if I’m plodding along and not making a lot of progress. Additionally, I revamped the opening scenes as well.

Sometimes, you have to stop and take stock of where you’ve been.

This week, I’m looking forward to getting some more work done on the exercises in the book as well as some additional brainstorming for the rest of the series. I have several high-level story threads that I want to keep track of as I move through not only this revision but the rest of the series.

I also might follow kitty’s lead and schedule some time for a nap.