It’s one of those nights where I should be doing about three other things that are more important than writing this blog post. The number one thing is working on my book, but, for reasons I may or may not go in to in this post, I’m not. Plus, I’ve been sick all day, and pretty much all the things I’m supposed to have been doing have been bumped.

So, my sick brain is trying to tackle a book that I’m becoming increasingly terrified I won’t be able to make work due to complexity or lack of coolness factor in my plot, and on top of that, I’ve just come off of three days of binge-learning how to work with Amazon and BookBub ads, and maybe a day when I’m sick isn’t the best day to come to conclusions, but right now I want to throw up my hands and take up knitting.

Oh, wait. I already do that. And believe me, designing is a heckuvalot easier than writing fiction.

But really, I don’t want to give it up. Earning a living writing fiction is also possible, and by far my preferred way to make a living. Thanks to some of the books I’ve been reading, I only recently realized how very possible it is—but also how very much I still don’t know when it comes to marketing, and how many assets I still need to put into place to create a sustainable career.

Sigh.

So, this blog post is because I actually do want to write something, not knit, and I need to get my juices flowing. How well will it work for that book I will likely try to tackle next? Well, that remains to be seen.

In the meantime, why don’t I chat about my insanely busy month-and-a-half since I last updated this blog?

Well, I released a new knitting design. So there’s that.

I also learned some new techniques in Photoshop while making that poster, and I’m not 100% fond of how it turned out. But my eyes look kind of witchy, which goes with the design, and I haven’t had time to change it, so there you are. (The purple hair was still holding on from my birthday-gift-to-me crazy colouring.)

Also, Noah and Jabin are involved in the local kids musical again this year. It’s a spoof western called Wild, Wild, Wildest West, and very funny. Though Jabin was disappointed to get cast only in the chorus, I’m thankful—he was brilliant as Robertson Ay in last year’s Mary Poppins Jr., but it is a way bigger time commitment for both a kid and their parents when they get a main cast role. And time is something I don’t have loads of extra quantities of right now.

This year, instead of playing second keyboard (which someone else wanted to do), I quite happily took on various other volunteer roles, such as teaching kids their song parts, dance routines (!), helping out with sewing costumes, and for this final week, I’m doing hair. There are over a hundred kids involved in the play, the majority of which are girls, so there is a lot of hair to do. Still, overall, I think my time commitment has been a little less than playing in the orchestra, and it’s been fun to participate in different parts of the production.

Along with that, I’ve had an exceptionally busy fall as far as editing work, and this last issue of Move Up was the most time-heavy I’ve participated in yet. As a result, I’ve practically disappeared from social media and this blog, and maintaining my commitments to Patreon and my other (paid work) deadlines has been a challenge.

More so today when I’m sick.

Patreon

Speaking of Patreon, did I mention that it’s live? I have some fun benefits on there already, like free eBooks of my novels at certain tiers and an exclusive free short story (Up in Smoke, which I’ve mentioned here before), plus I’ve been putting up inspirational and educational graphics. If you haven’t checked it out already, you totally should.

Author Events

I was also part of a local authors’ showcase at the Grimshaw Library at the beginning of the month. I didn’t take a single photo (fail!), but other people did. And, since my new writer acquaintance Father Feroz Fernandes actually put up a short press release-type post about it with his photo, go take a quick look at how many amazing writers came out to our li’l small town event.

Giveaway

Lastly, I’ve been working on a giveaway with a wire-work jewelry artist I know, and that is finally live. You can win a copy of The Undine’s Tear and also a silver-wrapped emerald-green “Tear” pendant made by Barb, and all you have to do is put in your name and email address. Check it out here:

Well, there we go. I’ve written, I’ve updated, I’ve woken up my brain a little. I’ve also likely missed stuff, but that will give me something to talk about (or forget to talk about) next time.

Happy Wednesday!