Valentine Gift

Silver Thaw by Wayne Woodcock

This year I gave myself self-care for Valentine’s Day.

Permission to kick back, relax, and enjoy the simple things. A conversation with a friend. A walk in the park with my dog. The beauty of nature in a silver thaw.

Permission to replace self-criticism with self-acceptance and to be proud of small accomplishments. A productive writing day. Meeting two writing goals in one week. That’s the “trick” to accomplishment – setting goals and meeting them.

I’ve strayed from the literary path and lost the daily writing habit. I stopped setting small, easily-attainable goals. Without the structure of a writing habit, my progress has floundered.

Baby steps will lead me back to productive writing habits. I can’t write a novel today, but I can write 500 words. And I can do it again tomorrow and the day after. For at least five days a week. Writing daily keeps the story fresh in my mind so I can be more productive with less stress.

These are the lessons I have to keep re-learning every time I stray off the writing path.

Sluggery Basics

When I was asked to create an online class based on a short fantasy piece I wrote for an anthology a few years ago, I was hesitant. But OmniOcademy “offers a whimsical interactive approach to education, entertainment, and enrichment,” so I felt my topic would fit right in.

I hit the internet and began researching slugs. I found some wild and crazy reproductive behavior, but I wanted to keep the material family friendly. Although Sluggery Basics: Raising, Training, and Showing Your Slug is based in fantasy, many scientific facts are included. The early chapters apply the pet care of dogs and cats to slugs. Later chapters equate slugs to horses.

It’s been stressful developing the Sluggery manual, taking a serious online writing craft class, working on the third Detective McGregor draft, and trying to have a life all at the same time. Now that the writing class is finished and the Sluggery manual is organized and under control, I’m less stressed.

In the last couple of days, I’ve seen the course come alive online. An intro page for the course exists on the Ocademy website. I’ve seen content from the first half of the course online. Today I watched the newly created introductory video. I’m excited.

Now I’d better get back to work and finish the remaining chapters.

Killer Suspense

Recently, I’ve been exposed to the richly layered and textured plots of other writers through Sisters in Crime (SinC) online classes and by beta reading a critique partner’s manuscript. In comparison, my plots are simplistic but seem to work well within the format of the short novel and the novella previously published as the first and second cases in the Detective Scott McGregor mystery series.

Detective McGregor’s third case, Forever After, is a suspense / thriller. The reader knows who dunnit from the start but learns the what, the why, and the resolution of the crime as the story evolves. Mastering suspense techniques will make the story shine.

Fortunately, “Killer Suspense,” a SinC online class taught by Simon Wood, begins next week. Simon will teach techniques for creating and maintaining suspense throughout the book that keeps the reader turning the pages. I’m looking forward to an intensive and rewarding class.

At the moment though, my greatest suspense is whether I’ll finish writing the Sluggery Basics manual before the Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences online classes begin in early February.

Happy New Year!

Historically on New Year’s Day, I’ve either made resolutions for the new year—that I usually don’t accomplish—or review the successes from the prior year. But 2020 is metaphorically in the rearview mirror, and my recommendation is: DON’T LOOK BACK!

2020 went out with a bang for me personally, though. On December 31, I was notified I won an award* for a story I submitted.

My 2021 calendar is already packed with online writing craft classes. And my publisher has me on a strict production schedule. (I’m going to stick to it, even though I love the Whoosh! of deadlines screaming past.) I owe her a project by the end of January – a ten-lesson training manual: “Sluggery Basics: Raising, Training, and Showing Your Slug.” The course will be presented online through the Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences. My course description and qualifications can be viewed on the Preceptor (instructor) page.

My casino-themed book release party for the second Detective Scott McGregor mystery, Murder Goes on Vacation, was originally scheduled in January at my favorite English tearoom. Life intervened, and rather than having an online launch party, I’ve postponed it so my friends and family can meet in person.

Wishing you the best in 2021.

* Participation award. Everyone who submitted a story for the zoom Christmas party is receiving a prize. I’m guessing it will be a coffee mug with the writing organization’s logo on it.

Murder Goes on Vacation

A Detective Scott McGregor Mystery Novella

The long, dark nights of editing and revising are over, and the writing solstice of publication has arrived. Scott McGregor’s second case, the mystery novella Murder Goes on Vacation, is now available on Amazon.

Fresno Police Detective Scott McGregor was looking forward to an exciting weekend with his girlfriend in Las Vegas, until a suspicious death changed his plans. With no jurisdiction in Vegas, McGregor is warned repeatedly not to interfere, but he investigates outside the law, turning up leads before the LVPD. While working the case, he ignores his girlfriend. Will solving the murder be the death of his relationship?

The euphoria of publication lasted moments … Then my publisher read me the riot act. You will publish Forever After in 2021, and you won’t wait until December to do it! Fortunately, the plot and clues for the third story are already laid out. I just need to develop the characters, write crisp dialogue, and describe the stunning Puget Sound landscape.

Santa Knocked Twice

Four elementary-aged children barely controlled their excitement as they sat around the festively-decorated tree on Christmas morning. Gaily-wrapped presents spilled out from under the evergreen branches. Mom sat in her rocking chair beside the tree, her serene demeanor controlling the children’s burning desire to ravage the pile of presents in search of those with their name.

On Christmas Eve, only the presents we had given each other were under the tree. Those gifts were handmade or purchased from the five and dime store with money saved from our meager allowances. Overnight, large wrapped gifts joined the smaller, more modest offerings.

Our excitement level grew from the time we woke and ran downstairs to look at the presents under the tree. Mom cooked our favorite breakfast, but we rushed through the meal. After clearing our dishes from the table, we sat by the tree to wait for the family to assemble. After a few minutes, Mom joined us, but Dad took the time to brush his teeth. Couldn’t he have delayed that as we had?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the living room door. Mom looked surprised, not expecting a visitor on Christmas morning. She opened the door to Santa Claus! He walked in carrying a large, misshapen bag over his shoulder and wore the widest smile I’d ever seen. Each child in turn received gifts as Santa pulled packages from his bag and called their name. Santa’s visit thrilled the children as much as receiving additional gifts.

At the wise age of nine, I knew the secret. As soon as he came through the door, I recognized my father. He wore red, thermal long johns; a red, long-sleeved shirt stuffed to make him look plump; a black dress belt; a red and white Santa hat; and a beard of cotton balls glued to a piece of cut-up bed sheet. His bag was a pillowcase.

The younger children may or may not have recognized him; I never asked. What I remember most from that childhood Christmas morning was Santa. He looked as excited giving gifts as his children were receiving them.

Egg on My Face

Sometimes I take avoidance techniques too far. But sometimes those episodes spur a new story idea. That’s what happened yesterday.

I slept late, then had my regular multiple mugs of tea on the patio snuggling with my dog. Time to work on my writing projects.

Well, not quite yet. First, I needed to critique two submissions for Saturday’s online meeting. Then I cooked and ate lunch and piled the dirty dishes in the sink. I decided to do some stretches and exercises to get my blood flowing and my brain cranking. So, I turned on the TV and rolled out my yoga mat on the living room rug. Then I laid on the floor and watched television with my dog.

It was getting ridiculous. I needed to edit one book and write more for a new book. Time to buckle down.

But I felt a bit peckish and needed a snack first. The pantry yielded nothing exciting. The refrigerator door opened to nearly empty shelves. Why did I decide to banish sugary and salty-crunchy snacks from my house at this time?

But there were eggs. I boiled an egg in the microwave for a quick, low-calorie, high-protein snack. After the resulting trip to the emergency room, I came up with another story collection idea.