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Finding balance as an author
In this month’s post for the IWSG, let’s talk about finding balance as an author. How do we choose how best to spend our limited time and energy when there are approximately 40 gazillion author-related tasks clamoring for our attention? But first: In case you’re new here, the first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Kate Larkindale, Diane Burton, Shannon Lawrence–and me! This will be my third time co-hosting the monthly IWSG blog hop, and it’s always a blast. Come on in and join the party! We IWSG-ers are…
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In which I am ambushed by the embodiment of pure evil (and there are books)
The summer doldrums continue here at Camp WTF. I used up most of my vacation time roaming around Michigan in May, and it’s too hot to do much of anything here in Tucson except migrate between my air-conditioned house and air-conditioned office, whine about the heat, and count the days till October (72 according to Google. I’m too lazy to count them myself). Fortunately, it’s time for the monthly What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge (hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb), so I have some content for this week’s update besides whining about the weather. This post is also part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a (cold) treat,…
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A Visit to Mission San Xavier del Bac
I visited Mission San Xavier del Bac back in April when my friend Laurel was visiting. I shared a few pictures in my April roundup but then I got busy with May travel and June recovery, so I never posted the rest of them. Since I’ve done absolutely nothing interesting for yet another week, I’m going to trot out the rest of them for this week’s Weekend Coffee Share (hosted by Natalie the Explorer). Here we go: What is Mission San Xavier del Bac? I know you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s… a mission! A Spanish Catholic one, to be precise. Founded in 1692, it’s located about 10 miles…
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Where do I get my writing ideas?
Where do you get your ideas? People ask writers that question so often it’s become a cliché, yet it usually elicits interesting answers. So I thought I’d share a little about how I get my weird and wacky story ideas. But first: In case you’re new here, the first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre. We’re also given an optional question we can answer in our posts. This month’s question is: Where do your writing ideas predominantly come from? The origin stories…
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The June wrap-up, or how I spent 30 days doing virtually nothing
If you’ve been hanging out in my demented corner of the interwebs for very long, you know I participate in a monthly blog hop called What’s Been on Your Calendar (hosted by Sue, Debbie, Donna, and Jo), in which we post highlights from the month just past. So, what did I do in June? Nothing. OK, there’s this week’s post taken care of. See you next week. Just kidding. Sort of. I really didn’t do much in June. After the craziness that was May, I wanted to curl up in a sunny window with a stack of books for the rest of the summer. I wasn’t quite that lazy, but this may be…
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Flowers and birds and whining about the heat
Last week I finished sharing the Michigan pics, just in time to start my annual whining about the heat. We’ve had a much cooler than normal spring, so the abomination you’re about to behold is several weeks late in coming. I’d rather it didn’t show up at all. To avoid spontaneous combustion, I plan to spend the weekend sitting under an AC vent with a book. Does anyone in a cooler climate need a house sitter? Please???? Don’t worry–I won’t spend the entire post whining about the heat (just most of it). But before I resume whining: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a…
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Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books
This post is a hodgepodge–my podcast appearance, the last of the pictures from my trip to Michigan, and what I’ve been reading lately. But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s On Your Bookshelf, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. I’m on the Big Blend Radio podcast! Last month I appeared on the Big Blend Radio podcast, along with other authors whose stories appeared in the Trouble in Tucson anthology. More details in this post. Last batch of pix from the Michigan trip In my last two…
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Catch me on the Big Blend Radio podcast
Catch me on the Big Blend Radio podcast, available free on their website and on YouTube. Host Lisa D. Smith interviewed 8 authors with stories in the Trouble in Tucson anthology plus the anthology cover designer. Here’s the lineup: Tune in to learn more about my short story, “Adam Carmona and the Case of the Saguaro Ripper,” as well as a little about my take on short story writing. A huge thank you to Lisa for a great interview! I encourage you to pay a visit to the Blend Radio & TV Magazine site and check out all the cool stuff Lisa and crew have on offer. They cover music…
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Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area, Michigan
Happy Friday! It’s time for part 3 of the Michigan trip report (see part 1 and part 2), a visit to Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area on Saginaw Bay. I’m going to milk my trip for all I can on here, because it’s the only interesting thing I’ve done in ages. So get ready for: birds! But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s look at some water birds! The lay of the land Nayanquing Point is marshland on the edge of Saginaw Bay. We found this place by accident–we saw a road sign for…
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What if I stopped writing?
If I stopped writing, would I still be a writer? A former writer? A not-writing-right-now-but-plan-to-write-in-the-future writer? A too-busy-with-other-stuff writer? A burned-out writer? These aren’t just rhetorical questions. My current state of non-writing As of the time I’m drafting this post (late May) I haven’t written much this year other than blog posts, and I haven’t written anything other than (very occasional) blog posts in the last month. This is my longest dry spell since I started writing fiction back in 2014, and I’m afraid I’m allowing it to become more than a dry spell. I’m afraid I’m allowing it to become my new normal. I appreciate this month’s optional question…
Janet Alcorn
Suspense | Horror | Romance
