Five Things - August 11, 2025

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…

1. "Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

2. I’ll be at Chicago Fan Expo August 15-17 signing books with a few of my RI writer pals. If you’re in the area, come visit us in booth AP26. I’ll also be moderating some panels including: World Building- Mind Your Myths and Backstory on Saturday from 12 pm – 12:45 pm, The Writers After Party on Saturday from 4 pm – 4:45 pm, and Writing the Other-Creating Characters Outside Your Comfort Zone on Sunday from 2 pm – 2:45 pm. Check out the panels, and stop by to say hello!

3. We’ve had a whirlwind of travel these last couple of weeks, from finishing up our time in Colorado to South Dakota to Wisconsin. In South Dakota, we stayed in the Black Hills and visited the Washington Monument, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Wind Cave. Then we spent the night in the Badlands and explored Badlands National Park before heading to Sioux Falls for a couple of days. We’re currently chilling by a lake in Wisconsin, where we spent a fun weekend with some friends, and Wednesday we head towards Chicago so I can get ready for the Con. I made a couple of reels on my Instagram account which barely capture the incredible landscapes and monuments. It’s hard to see the scope and magnificence through the camera lense, but at least I’ll have a record of all the amazing things we’ve seen!

4. As I enter the final stretch of grad school (classes start back up in a couple of weeks), I’ve been thinking a lot about the upcoming year and beyond. I’ve written a ton of content over the last eighteen months, with several completed manuscripts to show for it, but I haven’t spent any time getting those stories into the world. Starting in January, when my grad school thesis draft is finished, I’m going to turn my attention to publishing and promoting my work again. For those of you who follow my alter-ego, Maggie Clare, I’ll have three completed romance novels ready to go by the winter, and those of you who like my speculative work, my thesis is a fantasy novel featuring a feathered dragon. Lot’s happening over the next year on the creative front, so stay tuned!

5. We are down to three states left in the lower forty-eight. These include North Dakota, Minnesota, and Idaho, which we have plans to visit by the end of August. Before we hit the three -year mark, we’ll have filled out our map!

Monday Musings 10-17-22

It’s official. We sold our home of nineteen years! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be prepping our new RV for full-time living, finishing up a few projects around the house, and sorting and packing. We’re slowly checking items off our list in anticipation of the big move. It’s exciting for sure.

On my last post, I talked about managing expectations during this time. That way of thinking has allowed me to approach our giant to-do list with equanimity most of the time, still make some forward progress with my writing, and be present for all the activities, events, and relationships that are important to me. So far, so good!

Speaking of activities, I’ll be at Rhode Island Comic Con November 4-6 signing books and moderating panels with a fantastic group of local authors. Here’s more info on the panels:

Friday, November 4, 5:30-6:15 pm - World Building 101

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you. 

Saturday, November 5, 11:30-12:15 - A Hero, Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.

These will both take place in The Convention Center - Room 552. Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 2-7-22

I am editing again. Most days, if you ask me which is easier drafting or editing, I’ll say editing. The framework of the story is already there, and I know I’ve got something worth keeping. But, editing is a lot of work, and I still have moments when I want to toss the whole thing. I’m at the point right now where I’m not sure if I’m making anything better, if I’ve cut too much, or if I’ve lost the plot entirely.

The funny thing is, I’m good at editing. My agent loves that I can take constructive criticism without a fuss. My previous editor raved at how much improvement I made from one manuscript draft to the next. I teach workshops on editing. At this point in my writing career, I know how to navigate the process and not let self-doubt drag me down a rabbit hole. So, what’s my problem today?

Fatigue. I’m just plain old sick of the story. Tired of working on it. I want to spend time on something shiny and new. But I can’t. I have to finish this thing first. Blah.

This book has been percolating in my imagination for years. When I finished my science fiction trilogy, it’s the project I knew I wanted to develop next. I was so excited about it. It’s a solid concept with interesting characters and an intense plot. I know it deserves to become the best version of itself, and I have to finish the work to get it there.

I’ve learned a few things from finishing my previous projects. I know I have to create a schedule and stick to it. I know I have to work through the moments when I feel stuck. I know the only way to the other side is straight through. Most importantly, I know my enthusiasm will return because the story really is good, and the last version of it will be the best.

Okay, self-talk over. It’s time for me to quit whining, and, like the Nike commercials advise, just do it!

“Keep going, because you did not come this far just to come this far.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

I’ll be at Boskone February 18-20 at the Westin Boston Seaport. My weekend is jam packed and I’m really excited about the panels and programs. Here’s my schedule:

• VIRTUAL: Apocalypse Now and Then: Pandemic-Inspired SF/F/H Format: Panel
  18 Feb 2022, Friday 19:00 - 19:50, Marina III (Westin)

• Lurking in the Id, or How to Write a Really Scary Monster Format: Panel
  18 Feb 2022, Friday 20:00 - 20:50, Marina II (Westin)

• Group Reading (Fantasy): Mike Allen, Tabitha Lord Format: Reading
  19 Feb 2022, Saturday 11:30 - 12:20, Griffin (Westin)

• Worldbuilding — Mind Your Myths and Backstory Format: Panel
  19 Feb 2022, Saturday 13:00 - 13:50, Burroughs (Westin)

• Anatomy of a Relationship: Writing Characters Who Display Healthy Human Connections Format: Panel
  19 Feb 2022, Saturday 15:00 - 15:50, Harbor II (Westin)

Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 11-1-21

November 3rd is National Stress Awareness Day. I didn’t know there was such a thing until I was asked to write an article about it for Inkitt, the publishing company I work for. When I interviewed several employees, we talked about the challenges of working in the modern era, how we create balance between work and life, and how we care for our mental and physical well-being.

We all identified similar issues that contribute to our stress. The technology that makes our lives easier also has a flip side in that it’s possible to never disconnect. Working in the creative space, we’re all passionate about our careers and enjoy what we do. In some ways, that makes it even harder to step away. I feel a bit guilty complaining about the stress level of my work, when honestly, its my dream job. Still, unhealthy habits take a toll, and the publishing industry has its own unique type of stressors and headaches.

I’ve blogged about this topic before and shared many of my own tricks to help with balance, productivity, time management, and stress relief. Today, as I write this from the Nantucket ferry, after a Halloween weekend of silliness and laughter, I realize that having fun should be on the very top of the list of stress relieving activities.

Ray and I celebrated the 30th anniversary of our first date on Halloween. I know, I can’t believe I’m this old either. But anyway, one of the reasons I think our marriage has lasted so well for so long is that we really, truly have fun together. We dress up for King Richard’s Faire and laugh our asses off at the off-color shows. We enjoy Halloween as much as our kids. We laugh often and play well together.

When we don’t agree on a particular version of fun (for example, he thinks playing golf is fun, whereas my fun happens later over dinner and cocktails, and he doesn’t think Comic Cons are any fun at all), we still support each other in having that fun independently. So, I would add this little piece of advice to the article I wrote. Make time for fun. Laugh often and easily. It’s good for us!

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” — Lord Byron

IN OTHER NEWS:

I’ll be at Rhode Island Comic Con this weekend. You can find me signing books at table 619, and here’s my panel schedule:

• World Building: Mind Your Myths and Backstory - Saturday, November 6 at 11 am in Room 551

• Writing the Other: Creating Characters Outside Your Comfort Zone - Sunday, November 7 at 12:15 pm

I’ll be at the annual RI Author Expo on Saturday, December 11th. Signed books make great holiday gifts, and our Expo features many talented local authors. The program and panel schedule will be coming soon! NOTE:The venue has changed to the Crowne Plaza, Warwick from 9 am-3 pm.

Here are some photos from our Nantucket weekend!