Back to Writing and Some Recent Reads

 Last November I had an ill-fated experience with National Novel Writing Month, throwing up my hands and giving up after a week or so. I only wrote about 5,500 words that had little direction, almost reading like a stream of consciousness. 

I opened the file again this morning and began reading and revising. It wasn't as bad as I had first thought when I initially surrendered to my lack of willpower. What I discovered is that it's workable, especially since I have a vision for what I want it to develop into in the coming weeks. 

The manuscript will evolve into the sixth novel in the John Ross Boomer Lit series that began in 2015. For those unfamiliar with the series, it follows the life of John and his wife, Sally, after his retirement from a Kentucky newspaper. They've dealt with family issues, traveled to Europe, faced health concerns, and confronted various trials and tribulations in this coming-of-old-age series (focusing on baby boomers). 

During the two months of inactivity, all was not lost. I was able to reflect on what I had written, what I wrote in the five previous books, and to get a handle on John and Sally Ross's life moving forward. I want to keep the books fresh for readers who have followed John, Sally, Chloe, and Brody for nearly seven years.

Now that I am back in a groove, writing will be part of my daily regimen until I finish the first draft. When will that happen? I haven't a clue at this point.

While I wasn't writing, I was reading a lot. Here are a few of the books:

This cozy mystery has the right amount of twists and turns to keep the reader's interest from beginning to end. The story revolves around the death of a woman under mysterious circumstances that leads to another unexplained death. The novel, set in San Francisco, has a few devious characters as well as a touch of romance that slowly sizzles and nearly fizzles from the tension to add some spice to the plot. 
Vicki Easerly's devotions focus on her attitude about the good and bad, and everything in between, that has come into her life. She places her faith in God and accepts the outcomes, and strives to grow and learn from her experiences. Her honesty and openness should help others who are examining their lives and are looking for solutions on how to deal with setbacks and successes. 
I must admit that I balked at reading this novel when I was much younger. I finally picked it up, probably because of my concern about today's world that has seen the rise of authoritarianism. George Orwell penned this classic after World War II, imagining a totalitarian society of government misinformation, double-speak, and lies. While I found it to be plodding at times, it was still worth the effort to read what he feared about the future.

Until the next time . . .