Blog

Uncategorized

Tonight’s speaking engagement is canceled

Hey y’all – I know I told you that I was speaking at tonight’s ETWG meeting, but I have the plague, so I cannot be there, doctor’s orders. ☹️ Will try to reschedule for when I’m well.

Books, My Own Personal Weirdness, My Writing, Organizing, poetry, Short Stories, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

January 2025 Stats

In January 2025, I wrote 9,847 words. Of those words,

  • 830 were for this blog (six posts)
  • 3121 were journal entries
  • 3149 were lessons, scripts, and slides (for one ODWG lesson)
  • 2045 were on various social media accounts
  • 151 were poetry (one poem)
  • and 651 were short stories (three pieces of flash fiction)

I sent off three poems and three short stories for publication, but haven’t heard back from any of them.

I also read parts of these books:

  • A Poet’s Guide to Poetry by Mary Kinzie (paperback; non-fiction)
  • Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (hardcover; poetry)
  • The Wonder Engine (Clocktaur War #2) by T. Kingfisher (audiobook; fantasy)
  • The Green Man: Tales from the Mystic Forest edited by Ellen Datlow (e-book; fiction short stories)

And finished these books:

  • The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flag (e-book; fiction)
  • Just Dying to Glamp by April Nunn Coker (e-book; mystery)
  • When She Returned by Lucinda Berry (e-book; thriller)
  • Peace is a Practice by Morgan Harper Nichols (e-book; non-fiction).

January is always a tricky month, I think. The first couple weeks are still half-way holidays and then there are a few random at-home days for my school-age kiddo as well. Which means that you don’t get a full month of writing days, but I managed to write at least a little something for 26 out of 31 days in any case. I think that’s pretty good. 🙂

Everywhere But Home, My Own Personal Weirdness, Speaking, Writing

Upcoming Speaking Engagement on February 10, 2025

I have been asked to speak at the February meeting of the East Texas Writer’s Guild on February 10, 2025. They meet from 6:30pm-8:00pm in the Genecov Room of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Building (aka The Blackstone Building) in downtown Tyler. Hope to see some of you there!

Essays, Lifelong learning, My Own Personal Weirdness, poetry, Speaking, What I Love, Writing

Today’s Speaking Engagement

Today I’m giving a lesson on Sounds in Poetry over at the Tyler Public Library at 1pm in the Makerspace (behind the computer lab on the third floor). But don’t let that scare you away if you’re not a poet. I’m covering poetry, a little bit about songwriting, and how to use lyricism in your prose as well.

Hope to see you there!

Everywhere But Home, Lifelong learning, Speaking, Writing

Upcoming Speaking Engagement at the Open Door Writing Group – Day Group on January 22, 2025

I will be speaking at the Open Door Writing Group (at the Tyler Public Library) at 1pm on January 22nd on the topic of “Sounds in Poetry”.

If you think this sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve been talking about doing this lesson for about three years now, but we needed more poets in the audience. We have more poets now! 🙂 YAY!

Come on over and join us!

Open Door Writing Group

My Own Personal Weirdness, My Writing, Organizing, What I Love

2024 Writing – By the Numbers

If you know me in real life, you know I love analyzing things. One of my favoritest things to look at is my writing data. I love seeing which months I had the most success in and in which category and then what that looks like over time. So here’s what 2024 looked like.

All Writing Combined:

140,352

Number of Words By Month:

January:  9,017

February: 19,253

March: 9,440

April: 6,562

May: 6,166

June: 9,417

July: 13,961

August: 23,215

September: 5,966

October: 13,824

November: 22,477

December: 1,054

Number of Words By Category:

Blog: 2527

Essays: 1,063

Lessons: 43,549

Lake House Mystery: 36,258

Journal: 21,503

Miscellaneous: 16,939

Short Fiction: 13,664

Poetry: 4,434

Best Month for Each Category:

Blog: January at 546

Essays: June at 487

Lessons: February at 12,031 (that surprised me – I really thought it’d be October)

Lake House Mystery: November at 18,468 (that did not surprise me)

Journal: April at 3,811

Miscellaneous:  October at 2,890

Short Fiction: June at 2,494

Poetry: February at 2,157 (that poem about teeth was LONG, y’all!)

Around the House, Books, Lifelong learning, My Own Personal Weirdness, My Writing, Organizing, poetry, Short Stories, Speaking, Writing

Happy 2025!

I know, I know…you almost forgot I worked here. I have the usual excuses, all tied up with string, sitting under a cat somewhere. Last year was a doozy of a year, filled with all manner of distractions, procrastinations, and other sundry explosions of my life.

I’ve spent the last couple of days thinking about what my writing goals are for this year. One is to make my usual chart of what all I wrote last year, but that isn’t done yet because the transcribing isn’t done. So no numbers today. Maybe tomorrow. After I’ve written, of course.

I’m on the schedule with an editor for September, so my big goal is to finish the latest draft of my big epic fantasy novel and polish it up. This is the novel y’all have heard me refer to as Caro’s Quest in the past. I still need a better name for it, but that will come. 🙂

Smaller goals include finding homes for my poetry and short stories, finishing putting together my first poetry anthology, finishing my research on the best time to release it, and then publishing that anthology. I’m aiming for sending off at least one poem and one short story a week. We’ll see if that’s a manageable goal as time goes on and reassess after the first quarter is over.

I’m no longer on the board for the East Texas Writing Guild, nor my UU church board. Those were positive decisions for me, based on me needing more time to write. I’m continuing on as a moderator for the Open Door Writing Group at the Tyler Public Library for the foreseeable future, which means writing and giving a presentation for a monthly lesson about writing.

That’s about it, y’all. It’s my first day back at the writing desk. I’m planning on starting off all my weekdays from here on out at my writing desk, working on stories or poetry for the first half of every day before moving on to social media, lesson writing, and marketing in the afternoons.

Yay 2025! I hope this year will be so much better than the last. 🙂

Books, Uncategorized

Final Book List of 2024

TitleAuthorDate StartedDate FinishedNotes
About GraceDoerr, Anthony *Aug 24, 2024 Dec 30, 2024Read for Book Club – after having read Cloud Cuckoo Land, I was expecting an epic novel and this was quite intimate.
All Stitched Up: The Complete Guide to Finishing Stitches for Hand-KnittersCrowfoot, Janenot setJan 09, 2025Need to buy a copy of this – so helpful.
Big Mouth and Ugly GirlOates, Joyce CarolAug 19, 2024Jul 27, 2024Read for Book Club – enh. It’s not my genre. I kept worrying for the protagonists.
Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes, #0)Baldree, Travis *Nov 06, 2024Oct 19, 2024Loved this book! Read it out of order and it still worked for me. 🙂
Boy of Chaotic Making (Whimbrel House, #3)Holmberg, Charlie N. *Jun 03, 2024Jan 15, 2024Love this series so much! Cozy Fantasy!
The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-HopCoval, Kevinnot setJan 09, 2025Best book I read all year. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the English language or poetry.
Could You Survive Midsomer?: Can you avoid a bizarre death in England’s most dangerous county?Brew, SimonMay 30, 2024 Jul 27, 2024Choose Your Own Adventure book for adults. 🙂 Went through it many, many times.
Dear Kimberly…Love, Makayla: The Unraveling of My Evangelical Faith Into the UnknownMcCuistion, Kayla JoJan 16, 2024Jul 27, 2024One of my band mom friends wrote this. Very thoughtful. I stopped an started a bunch because it’s hard to see a friend going through a hard time.
Design Your Own Crochet Projects: Magic Formulas for Creating Custom Scarves, Cowls, Hats, Socks, Mittens & GlovesDelaney, SaraJan 09, 2024 Feb 28, 2025I’ve checked this out twice now, so I should really just buy it already.
Earth, Air, Fire & Water: More Techniques of Natural MagicCunningham, ScottDec 28, 2024Dec 30, 2024Trying to get ideas for this novel I’m writing
Geek Knits: Over 30 Projects for Fantasy Fanatics, Science Fiction Fiends, and Knitting NerdsDark, Joan of *not setJan 09, 2024So many cute ideas.
Hooked: When Addiction Hits HomeShantz-Hilkes, ChloeApr 11, 2024Apr 29, 2024This helped me understand people in my life so much better than I did before. If you hear me talk about “the yellow book”, this is that one.
How to be the best Maid of Honor ever: You’re Welcome SeriesBrooks, MakaylaJan 05, 2024Jan 05, 2024One of my band mom friends wrote this. I love supporting my fellow writers. This one is more of a pamphlet length than an actual book.
How to Make a Living as a Writer: Publish books, articles and blogs (Writing Boot Camp Book 1)Roshay, Amber *Jan 09, 2024?I read this off and on throughout the year
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with AddictionMaté, GaborMay 04, 2024Dec 30, 2024This is NOT light reading. It took me all year to get through because I had to stop and recover so often.
Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, FantasyCarr, ToniJan 09, 2024Jan 09, 2024Loved
Knitting Plus: Mastering Fit, Plus-Size Style, 15 ProjectsShroyer, LisaJan 09, 2024Jan 09, 2024Want my own copy, but haven’t found one yet.
The Knitting Way: A Guide To Spiritual Self-DiscoverySkolnik, Linda T.Feb 12, 2024Jan 09, 2025Loved this enough to buy my own copy.
The Last of the Moon GirlsDavis, Barbara *Jul 27, 2024 Jul 26, 2024Read for Book Club
– it was all right. Would read other books by the author.
Lessons in ChemistryGarmus, Bonnie *Apr 19, 2024Apr 06, 2024Read for Book Club – Delightful and cannot wait for the movie
The Library of the Dead (Edinburgh Nights, #1)Huchu, T.L.Oct 19, 2024Oct 19, 2024Loved it so much I read it in one sitting.
Literary Knits: 30 Patterns Inspired by Favorite BooksLohr, NikolJan 09, 2024Jan 09, 2024So many cute things
Living with a Functioning Alcoholic: A Woman`s Survival GuideNeill, NeillFeb 2024Feb 2024My copy of this was NOT yellow. It was good, just not the “yellow book” I talk about.
Madly, Deeply: The Diaries of Alan RickmanRickman, AlanFeb 2024Oct 21, 2024 Audio book – took ages to get through, but thoroughly loved it.
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)Andrews, Ilona *July 2024 July 2024Re-read so I could read the next one
Magic Burns (Kate Daniels, #2)Andrews, Ilona *July 2024July 2024Good!
Midsomer Murders Location Guide: Discover the Villages, Pubs and Churches Behind the Hit TV SeriesHopkinson, FrankJun 02, 2024 Dec 30, 2024This book was obviously a coffeetable book that should not have been turned into an e-book. It was pretty, though. I just couldn’t read it on my Kindle.
Modern Crochet: Crochet Accessories and Projects for Your HomeMills, MollaJan 09, 2025Jan 09, 2025Lots of cute ideas here.
Modern MendingLewis-Fitzgerald, Erin *Oct 20, 2024Dec 04, 2024Got through ILL.
NeedleplayWilson, EricaJan 09, 2025 Jan 09, 2025I own this book now.
Nine Liars (Truly Devious, #5)Johnson, Maureen *Jan 09, 2025Jan 09, 2025This series is so very good.
Not Your Mama’s Stitching: The Cool and Creative Way to Stitch It To ‘EmShoup, Kate *Feb 27, 2024 Feb 27, 2024 Cute stuff in here. Would be good for a beginner.
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the VoidRoach, MarySep 30, 2024Dec 30, 2024Read for Book Club and found it fascinating. Would read anything by this author now.
Real Men Don’t Eat QuicheFeirstein, BruceJun 30, 2024Jun 30, 2024Ree bought this for the LOL’s
Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1)Bardugo, Leigh *Jan 02, 2024Jan 8, 2024Was watching the show and thought, I might like this better as a book and it turned out I liked both.
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the RentDench, JudiOct 19,2024  Dec 22, 2024So good. So funny. I love Judi Dench even more now and that should not have been possible.
Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2)Bardugo, Leigh *Jan 09, 2024Jan 29, 2024Good!
Sweet Shawlettes: 25 Irresistible Patterns for Knitting Cowls, Capelets, and MoreMoss, Jeannot setJan 09, 2025Many cute patterns.
The Thin ManHammett, DashiellFeb 19, 2024Feb 24, 2024Read for Book Club
The Weaver and the Witch QueenGornichec, Genevieve *Jan 08, 2024Jan 09, 2024I had deja vu the entire time I read this and kept wondering if I’d dreamt it or seen it as a movie, but neither thing appears to be true, so it must just be that the writing was insanely good and I really felt like I was THERE.
The Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)Baum, L. FrankDec 02, 2024Dec 02, 2024Re-reading this after watching the movie version of the Wicked musical, which is a version of the book, which is a retelling of the movie version of of this book.

After I copied and pasted all that out of Good Reads, I realized that at least a couple of books were inexplicably missing, so I’m going to add them below:

  • “Barbara and Susan Talk about Empty Nests”
  • “The Nightingale” by Kara Dalkey Finished 1/27/24

Books I started, but did not finish (mostly because I used them for research for my novels or my lessons – this is not a complete list, but based off what I can remember and see from my seat here at the computer):

  • The Making of a Poem
  • Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook
  • Sound and Form in Modern Poetry
  • The Essential Poet’s Glossary
  • How to Publish Your Poetry
  • The Language Poets Use
  • Sin and Syntax
  • McGraw/Hill Handbook of English Grammar and Usage
  • Dialogue by Robert McKee
  • Make a Scene
  • DIYMFA
  • The Concise Dictionary of Interior Decorating
  • Real Magic by Bonewits
  • Damon Knight’s Creating Short Fiction
  • Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey
  • Scene and Structure
  • Totally Useless Information
  • A Writer’s Complete Fantasy Reference
  • Body Trauma: A Writer’s Guide to Wounds and Injuries

Everywhere But Home, Lifelong learning, Speaking, Uncategorized, What I Love, Writing

Come out and see me at the Open Door Writing Group – Night Group today!

I will be speaking at the Open Door Writing Group – Night Group today at the UU Fellowship (1629 Old Omen Road in Tyler) at 6pm on the topic of “Humorous Writing”. Come on over and join us!

Everywhere But Home, My Own Personal Weirdness, My Writing, The Past Comes Back to Haunt Me, Uncategorized, What I Love, Writing

Playing catch-up

How is it already September? The summer went by so quickly and I’ve spent so much of it rushed off my feet with all the background, real-life stuff that is hard to cover in a blog post.

Here’s an update on my word counts from the last few months:

June: 8,880

July: 12,807

August: 22,434

Look at how I’ve improved! I’ve triple-checked that last one, but it is correct.

June’s improvement mainly came from writing more short stories. I stayed pretty busy with all the behind the scenes stuff from the other house, getting my eldest ready to go spend a month in China, teaching at both the ODWG writing groups, etc.

July’s word count bump came from not only more writing days in front of the computer on short story work, but also in the category I call “Lessons”, which I write for my local area writing groups. I was trying to get ahead for the busier times of the year when I’d have less time to prepare a lesson. It’s wild to me that I had any kind of improvement at all, really, because my spouse and I spent two weeks flat out with Covid.

August’s giant improvement came in the form of a road trip with my husband. For our anniversary last month, he surprised me with a trip to a little town in the middle of nowhere, which had a fantastic vibe, lots of fun things to tour, and quirky town oddities. Well, that tied in to the long-neglected Lake House Mystery in my brain. So I pulled out that old manuscript, updated a few bits here and there, and then started adding some fun stuff that popped into my head during the trip. After six days of adding little bits here, there, and everywhere, I had an extra 16,000-ish words added, all easy-peasy, which was amazing because that literally doubled the size of this manuscript.

I’m not done there, though. This mystery needs about 30,000 more words before it’ll be done. I’m wanting to finish that this month, while the mood is still is the air, so to speak. Crossing my fingers and hoping real hard.

-L