Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 136

It's a Hard Lock Life

"Describe your lockdown life. Has it had any unexpected sweet spots in it? And what are you most looking forward to doing again afterwards?”
By Abir
Friday again eh? I could have sworn it was Wednesday. 
Topic of the week is lockdown – specifically lockdown life. 
It's a Hard Lock Life for Us
I’m not going to lie, compared to millions of others, my lockdown life has been relatively easy. We’ve had no family members come down with the virus, not even my mum who a) thinks she’s invincible and b) being ...

Sixty-seventeen Days of Quarantine from James W. Ziskin

"Describe your lockdown life. Has it had any unexpected sweet spots in it? And what are you most looking forward to doing again afterwards?”

From Jim

The origin of the word quarantine comes to us from the Italian peninsula, from Venice to be specific. The modern Standard Italian word is quarantena, which literally means "about forty." During the 14th century, it was used by the Venetians to define the number of days arriving ships were required to remain isolated before their crews and passengers ...

My lockdown life

"Describe your lockdown life. Has it had any unexpected sweet spots in it? And what are you most looking forward to doing again afterwards?”
by Dietrich
Well, for a writer who sits at a desk at home and spends a lot of time in a make-believe world, not that much has changed on that note. Probably the greatest challenge these days is staying positive and keeping focused.  [image error]
Of course, outside of my little writing world, so much is different right now: no hugs, no handshakes, no contact. And praying fo...

The Way Things Are

Terry here with a description of my lockdown life, and whether it has had any unexpected sweet spots in it… And what I am most looking forward to doing again afterwards.
I’ve always known I was a loner. Not to say I don’t love people, and love to be around them, but my go-to position has always been to be alone. I frequently go on long walks, and hardly ever go with anyone else. I hiked with a group for a few years, and that was fun, but I don’t mind a bit hiking/walking alone. I don’t mind going...

Life in the Age of Covid

Describe your lockdown life. Has it had any unexpected sweet spots in it? And what are you most looking forward to doing again afterwards?
When Ottawa first closed down for the pandemic, we were still experiencing cold and snowy weather. Staying inside the house was not onerous since who wanted to be out in that dreary mess anyhow? My husband Ted and I hunkered down. Our two daughters wouldn’t let us do any grocery shopping because the virus was worse for older people and Ted has a condition that...

I’ve Still Never Seen the End of Gravity’s Rainbow

Do you finish every book you start? Why (not)? And how do you decide when to give up?

by Paul D. Marks

No!

And ditto for movies.

I used to feel not only compelled but obligated to finish any book I started. (Okay, a little compulsive I know.) But as I’ve gotten older that just doesn’t work anymore. Life is too short. There’s too many books and too little time. I won’t even say there’s too many good books, because I won’t claim that every book I finish—and even like—is a “good” book. It might just be...

Hand-selling minus the hands. by Catriona

Reading: "Do you finish every book you start? Why (not)? And how do you decide when to give up?"

One teeny tiny silver lining from living so quietly (this is week 10 of my lockdown) is that my annual reading list is still intact. 

I always start when I'm taking down the Christmas tree the morning after twelfth night, shelving the books I read on the couch over the holidays, and moving the diary I get in my stocking onto my desk. "This year," I tell myself. "I'll keep notes of everything I read, so...

Be careful what you wish for...by Cathy Ace

Reading: "Do you finish every book you start? Why (not)? And how do you decide when to give up?"


I’ll be honest and just say this up front: I often don’t read for months at a time. I know, I’m a writer I SHOULD read more, but I just can’t do it when I'm writing, or even editing. Not because I'm afraid I’ll “lose my voice” and start to adopt another author’s style, it’s just that I can’t seem to cope with more than one fictional reality in my head at a time. So, there are long periods when all I...

Finish Your Vegetables!

Reading: "Do you finish every book you start? Why (not)? And how do you decide when to give up?"

-From Frank
This is a great question. I'm really curious to see the other answers to this one.

My answer is almost always YES. I've never started a book in any meaningful way (beyond just a few stray paragraphs) and not finished. But that's more a testament to my process than anything. I usually don't start something until I know I'm fully ready to go on it. A book or story might marinade inside my...

The Clock Is Ticking

Q: Do you finish every book you start? Why (not)? And how do you decide when to give up?"
-from Susan
There is a right answer and then there is mine, which leaves me scratching my head at my own lack of common sense.
There are fiction books I know after 10 or 20 pages just arent going to cut it for me. Bad writing, cliché-ridden prose, vapid characters, torture porn, illogical in the extreme and all in the first chapter! Those are easy to put down. A few are these free or 99-cent Kindle...