Michele Venne's Blog, page 5

Simple Words

After two years, I couldn’t come up with how to think about my current writing life. When I started back in 2000, I didn’t know that I would write and publish books. There was just a story swirling in my head. The scene and characters wouldn’t quiet down until I wrote what I saw in my mind. Some time passed, then I took a creative writing class. That led to other classes…

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And We’re Off!

I hope your 2025 has started with hope, optimism, good health, and happiness in your corner of the universe. I’ve enjoyed some quiet days alone to fill in my calendar and consider my intentions for this year. Nothing wild, just continued forward momentum toward doing what is important to me. I’m having a yard sale this weekend. I’ve cleared things out here and there through the years…

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It’s a Wrap!

With four days left in 2024, I’m squinting at what I’ve accomplished and what still needs to be done, and I think if I tilt my head and stand on one foot, they’re balanced. I had the idea that perhaps this year would end with all items crossed off my to-do list. It was tantalizing and exciting for the handful of days I thought I could pull it off. Alas, the best I’m going for is to have a list…

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Winding Down, or So I Thought

With the holidays and gatherings and school getting out, it’s usually a time to wind down, at least for me. I look forward to a week or so enjoying quiet time alone in the house. I have few, if any, appointments, no scheduled work, and often laze on the couch with a book or watch Netflix. By this time, I’m usually done planning for the next year. I have my calendar and have penciled in things…

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To-Do Lists

Many people have them. Some can’t live without them, while others live better not having them. I’ve had one for most of my life. For me, it started when I was in high school. I had a calendar and wrote down my assignments and my schedule for work, sports, concerts, and horse shows. I worked at a restaurant and at a couple of local ranches. For each job, I had a list of what needed to be done while…

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Winter Days

In figuring out why time seems to pass by quickly, I reviewed my days and realized it’s the season. In the summer, I need to be up at 4:30am so I can get to the barn early. Too late, and the temps are already over a hundred degrees. In the winter, I wait until the sun comes up. No reason to get to the barn in the dark or ride before the sun rises. Two hours difference between summer and winter…

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A Little Bit at a Time

It’s kind of like making mashed potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, recipes ask for a little bit of butter, then a little bit of milk to make the consistency desired. I decided to make twice-baked potatoes for my Gratitude Day dinner. Since I’m vegan, I used vegan butter and oat milk. I also added onions, bell peppers, garlic powder, and cumin. I think with twice-baked potatoes…

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Corraling

I’ve said it before… for me, the story has a life of its own. If I try to corral it, the results aren’t pleasant. The story I’m working on for the anthology is falling right in with everything else I’ve written. We agreed on prompts. I decided I would write one story broken into four parts, including the prompt in each part of the whole story. We’re supposed to keep the word count to 4767 words…

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Moving Forward

There was room for only so many thoughts. When I reached my capacity, my mind refused to take a different track. That’s my explanation for missing last week’s blog post. I know that when circumstances in my life get a bit wonky, when I lose touch with the few pieces I have control over, I can’t create. For years, I brow beat myself into “write despite.” When I couldn’t, there was more self…

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The Way Through

I currently have five projects I’m working on. I’m pretty sure that goes against organizational and progress research. We’re supposed to work on one project at a time in order to see results, right? But maybe artists don’t play by those rules. The October writing challenge is over. I didn’t win, but I did make progress! I worked on a couple of different projects each day this week. I have the 5…

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