Writer's block or embroidery 'block'?

Well, it seems that my focus is on embroidery!  I just can't seem to sit down and write.  I am thinking about it, processing my plot line in my head, but haven't made a decision, so just can't sit at the computer and write!  So what do I do with myself?  I've been working on embroidery to keep my hands busy.  I finished this hoop yesterday.

(I was introduced to Portulaca, commonly known as moss rose, when I lived in Missouri.  I had never known it before then; it's a favorite there.)

This hoop had been in my UFO bin (unfinished objects) for over a year!  I think it turned out nicely, but I would prefer to have my novel turn out nicely, instead! 

Rain . . . the rainy season . . . .

The rainy season is here, and I am still having mixed emotions about my winter purpose much like this photograph of rain drops on my windshield.

I want to write, I need to write.  I have two book projects in the works, but several creative projects are hanging on, almost screaming at me to be finished.  Then there are special projects for clients that need to be completed.   And I am at a place in my life where I am dealing with changing health issues and need to be diligent with exercise and eating habits, so they scream for attention.  Ever been there?

I bet you have.  It will take some introspection and some priority to sort it out.  Introspection, to sort thru all the fuzziness, and decision to chose my priority.  Priority cannot be chosen if the mind is befuddled, cluttered and fuzzy!  So it is time to wipe away the fuzzies and proceed . . . .

Proceed to clarity of purpose . . . . and a clear view.

It's a matter of focus . . . . and precision.

How's your focus?

The 'Seasonal Rhythms' of Life

Whew!  The autumn and holiday season of 2015 surely did me in!  I was busy like a whirlwind and the subsequent aftermath of chaos took time to recover from!  I am finally beginning to feel like my own relaxed self again, getting back to my regular rhythm of tasks! When I looked at the last entry date in this blog, all I could say was "WOW!  It's time to write again!"  So here are a few words to begin . . . .

When I was young, embroidered tea towels taught the discipline of daily and seasonal tasks.  Embroidered scenes told me Monday was for washing clothes, Tuesday was for ironing, Wednesday for mending etc. Or, they depicted seasonal tasks like Spring cleaning, Summer vacationing, Fall for back to school and getting ready for holidays. Generally we still participate in some of these actions, but my retired lifestyle's seasonal rhythms are a bit different. I have no one in school, and I am free to go on a vacation whenever I like.

The reason for my Autumn exhaustion and 'no blogging' this past Fall was the seasonal rhythm of my business craft show season, (not to mention a busy personal life with the holidays).  The coming Winter season is my time to change gears from arts and crafts--working with my hands--to returning to some serious writing.  I am working on a revision of my first novel and hope to finish by Spring.  In late March, although I will be still write, I will take a vacation and begin spending my time to be outdoors, taking walks and engaging in photography again.

I love Spring--it invigorates my creative juices like an Artesian well spring--as the earth blossoms, so hopefully does my creativity!

Well, I won't go on, you get the idea. I try to write a bit everyday, as a discipline, and this is my start for this season!  What does your seasonal rhythm look like?  What do you do to make the transition from one season to the next?  Hope this Winter season will be a great season for you, regardless of the weather!

Rewriting and Voting!

Yes, novel re-writes are hard!  What do I scrap?  What do I keep?  How do I re-arrange? How much do I lean on my editor's input?  Do I go a different direction?

In the middle of my rewrite process, I recently read an article by Steven Gillis that was bluntly advocating that the 'art' of writing is in the 'rewriting'.  I'd not thought much about what good 'writing' entailed, until I wrote a novel. I understood 'cut and paste' but not the intricate rearrangement of chapters and chapters of thought!

Mr. Gillis went on to say that when he taught a university creative writing class that his class assignment was to write a single story.  The class would then use the entire semester to do rewrite after rewrite!  His article inspired me in my own rewriting process not only in page by page editing, but chapter by chapter finishing.

I have been living with my novel for quite some time now, on and off since 2010 when the premise caught my attention.  It sometimes feels like I will be a 'one novel' author!  I am at the point I want to get loose from this first novel and start on my second, but . . . details need to match, the story needs to flow, yet have intrigue. I am still hoping that all this process will lead, at some point, to the conviction that the work is indeed finished. What a day that will be!

In the meantime, can you take my survey in the right sidebar? It will relieve my mind of one detail, at least for a while.  I want your opinion of a possible title to my work.  I would appreciate your input!

Please . . .

Vote Now! 

P.S. Thanks to all who voted, my novel has a title!  

Sensory Autumn

Autumn, being my favorite season is easy to write about!  My favorite Etsy team has a monthly challenge and this month it says:  Fall is in full swing by the time October rolls around.  Create something that reminds you of Fall through your senses--visually by smell or by touch.  If you prefer, write a post that celebrates the sensory appeal of autumn.

I love when mornings begin to turn crisp with a slight chill in the air.  I open my patio door and step out, just to breathe in the brisk atmosphere. Overcast skies don't dampen my spirits!

Across the parking lot, I see the frost atop the next building, quietly laying there unnoticed by the building occupants comfy within. I see tiny foot prints across the roof marring the frost layer; birds have been hunting their morning's fare, hopping from the rooftop to the pine tree and back again.

After my steaming coffee is finished, I don my warm jacket and sturdy shoes, setting out for a morning walk, down the parking lot toward the green space.

Covered in colorful leaves, I almost cannot see the trail beginning, but I have been here often.  The crunch under my feet marks the beginning of the path. Down the incline, closer to the watershed, I begin to hear the rustle and peep of a chickadee in the trees. I look up and wonder how many of them I can spot this morning.  Are they scurrying to fill their larders for winter or scrambling for the morning meal? I wonder.

I enjoy the end of a flourishing summer season, the wind-down of all the garden bounty!  At the end of my walk, I am inspired to decorate my table, to bring the outdoors inside my small space--grateful for the colors of autumn and the anticipation of the holidays!

Note:  this post was done for  a Blogging Business Artisans challenge.