Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. I’ll also share a quote I find meaningful as a point of focus for the week. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things, starting with the quote of the week…

“What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it happening again.” - Anne Frank
I got to spend this Mother’s Day with our kids for the first time in years. Only our daughter was missing, and she’ll be here next week to help celebrate her brother’s graduation. Every time we’re together, I feel such gratitude that I helped these lovely humans into the world!
I am officially on break from school for a couple of weeks until the summer session starts in June. I didn’t think I needed this downtime so much, but I really, really do! I’m using the time to finish a contemporary rom-com that began its life as a short story for workshop last semester. I liked it so much, I’ve developed it into a full-length novel titled Run, Harry, Run. The synopsis and outline are finished, along with half the manuscript, so I’m challenging myself to complete the story before school starts up again. It’s a luxury to have hours to spend on my own project, and I plan to take advantage!
I get a lot of advertising on my Instagram account for cool events. Because we move around every few weeks, the ads are usually for the last place we visited instead of where we are, which is a bit frustrating. It seems as though Insta has finally caught up with us, though, and I have a running list of stuff I want to do here in SoCal. For date night last week, Ray and I went to The Obscure, a distillery where the staff makes their own booze and then concocts really delicious cocktails from their supply. While you’re tasting in their artistic, moody space designed to feel like the French Quarter of New Orleans at night, they’re telling stories about the origins of the stuff you’re drinking. It was a unique, yummy experience which I highly recommend if you’re in the area.
This week we’ll be moving the RV from northern LA to a state park right on the ocean. Just as the hot weather is hitting in this part of the country, we’ll be chilling on the Pacific. After a winter in the desert, this beach lover can’t wait!

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

In class, we’re starting a section on mysteries and thrillers. While I’m quite comfortable writing thrillers with twisty plots and high stakes, I have to admit, I don’t know much about mysteries. I don’t really read them, and I’ve never written one. That’ll change by next month since our next creative writing assignment is a mystery, so wish me luck!
It’s October already! When we started this journey, I wondered if the fall would still be my most productive writing time, and I’m pleased to report that I’m writing all the time! Much of this can be attributed to school, where I have no choice but to make content, workshop it, and move on to the next thing. It’s a fast pace, but writing faster was one of my goals for 2024. I’m also trying to find a home for whatever I create in class, whether that’s a podcast, anthology, or expanding the work.
When I’m starting a new writing project, I’m totally stressed out until I have the infrastructure worked out in my mind. Before I know where a story is heading, including the major plot points and character arcs, I spin. For me, the heavy lifting happens in the planning. Last week, I had to write a synopsis for a novel I haven’t written yet. A synopsis, for those wondering, is a two page summary of the entire book, complete with the ending. Most writers would rather have a tooth pulled than write a synopsis. Anyway, since I loved the premise for my short story ‘Run, Harry, Run,’ which I wrote for my last workshop, I wondered if it would make a good full-length novel. Once I worked through this synopsis exercise, I decided that yes, it will, so I’m adding it to the pile of projects on my list for this school year! If you’d like to read the opening scene, you can check it out on my alter-ego’s blog post here: Short Fiction Fun!
We’re still in Nashville. All our repairs were finished, and we got our brand new windshield, but just as we were about to head out of town, no hot water! That should be fixed by today, and then we’ll continue our westward trek. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be in Albuquerque by Saturday.
“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape.” – Cate Price

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