Five Things - February 26, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. 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…

1. Ray and I took Daisy hiking at Red Rock Canyon. I’ve been there once before, but every trail provides a different experience and view. This time, we put Daisy in a carrier and did a relatively moderate hike. When they say ‘moderate’ they do mean it. It may have only been 2.2 miles, but elevation and rocky terrain make for a fun journey. Check out my Instagram to see some gorgeous photos of the day. We really never get tired of seeing the country like this!

2. Okay, so we’re in Vegas, and when Ray booked us here, I grumbled a little. I’ve had fun in Vegas the two times I’ve been here. Great food, great shows, great hiking (see above), but I can only tolerate so much of the noise and spectacle. Ray could live here. We’re very different people, as anyone who knows us can attest, but I have to admit, I am having a really good time. Our home base is an RV resort that’s just beautiful. The site itself has a fantastic outdoor living space, complete with a bar, fireplace, sink, grill, and cool night lighting. The pool is toasty warm, the hot tub bubbly, and the people super friendly. We’re also a few miles outside the strip, so we don’t have to deal with any of it unless we want to. We’ve had one fantastic dinner and show night at Caesar’s Palace, and our big splurge happens next weekend when we’ll see U2 at the Sphere. Sometimes, it’s the places I’m not sure about that turn out to be pleasant surprises!

3. The mobile cat groomer is coming today, and just in time. I never realized how much difference it makes to have them regularly bathed and clipped. Living in such close quarters with our furry friends means our furniture gets, well, furry. I’ve been told it’s their undercoat that sheds apparently, and a good grooming takes care of that for about six months. Who knew?

4. Related, when the animals get a deep cleaning, so does the RV. Today, I am taking the comforters and chair covers to the laundry on-site. We have a washer and dryer on board, but they aren’t big enough for our king sized blankets and quilt. Most RV parks have laundry, and I love the wireless app that connects to the machines, turns them on, adds funds, and alerts you when your load is finished. It’s the little things!

5. As the end of February approaches, I’m pleased to say that for once in my writing career, I am on target with my goals. I’ve been working on my alter ego Maggie Clare’s romantic suspense series, with the intent to finish the final three books before school starts in June. My ‘writing sprint’ technique seems to be getting the job done, and I’m hopeful all three will be ready for the editor by the end of May. Fingers crossed!

Our itinerary, subject to change:

February 16 - March 4: Las Vegas, NV

March 4 - March 6: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 6 - 9: Albuquerque, NM

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

Monday Musings - 5-30-22

It’s another month with five Mondays, and that means a crossover blog post on both Monday Musings and Dear Maggie! In both my literary worlds I’m at an in-between phase with my projects. Dreamwalker is out on submission, and I’m not ready to dive in to writing the sequel or another speculative novel yet. Meanwhile, Maggie’s Moving Target is due to release on June 21st. Since I’m producing this romantic suspense series as an indie author, there’s a lot of busy work happening right now, and I don’t really have the brain power to start writing the next book just yet.

What does a writer do during these ‘in-between’ times you might wonder? Well, after I finish drafting a manuscript, I find I’m elated but also slightly disoriented. I’ve been working on this labor of love for months, sometimes a year or more by the time the speculative novels are ready, and I definitely feel a bit melancholy when I have to say goodbye to that world and my cast of characters. The feeling is similar to a book hangover when I’ve finished reading an absorbing novel. I have to clear my head and make room for something new. As this isn’t my first rodeo, I have a few tricks to help me make this mental shift after I’ve invested so much time and creative energy into a project.

First, I celebrate. I remind myself that I’ve done something many people only wish they could do. Every time I write the last word on a manuscript, it feels like a monumental accomplishment. I try to give myself a few minutes to appreciate the finished product.

I catch up on reading. Reading for pleasure is something I’ve always loved, but once I began writing, seemed to be more and more difficult to squeeze in. I find that when I finish a project, it’s the perfect time to take a break from creating my own words and appreciate someone else’s. I read in every genre, and now, because I’m a writer, I find myself looking for the ways other writers have done their job well. How did this scene build suspense so well? Why did I fall in love with that character so quickly? Why was the ending so satisfying, poignant, thrilling? I believe reading widely helps me become a better writer, and reading for pleasure is still just that – a pleasure.

I clear the mental space for something new. I’ve spent a long time in the world I’ve created with characters I’ve grown attached to, and now I have to let them go. Inevitably, when I’m in the middle of one story, ideas for ten more begin to surface. So, I have a file of new story ideas that I’ve titled ‘It’s Not Your Turn Yet’. Some of these ideas will be discarded, but some have potential. During the down time between projects, I let the ideas swirl, start taking detailed notes, begin an outline. It’s fun and creative, and pretty quickly, I know which story idea wants to be developed next.

I write a short story or experiment with a different platform. In between most novels, I’ve written one or more short stories. So far, I’ve stuck to speculative fiction. I’ve let my imagination go and written high fantasy, hard science fiction, an apocalypse story, and even some horror. Writing short stories allows me to play with voice and genre, experiment a little without committing to something that will take me months to finish. Currently, I’m writing an episodic story on the Kindle Vella platform. Releasing each scene before I’ve finished the whole story and had a chance to edit is a new experience. I’ve plotted ahead of time with more detail than usual and tried to schedule my writing time more rigidly. Each time I work in a different writing space, I learn something, and for that reason alone, the time spent has been valuable.

The amount of down-time I can take between projects varies. If I’m in the middle of a series, I need to jump back in quickly to keep to my release schedule. If I’m truly considering what to write next, I might give my brain a little more time and space. Whatever the case, there’s a magic moment when I’m ready to write the first word of the new story, and that feels almost as exciting as writing the last word of the old one!

IN OTHER NEWS:

If you’d like signed copies of my books, you can order them through my websites: tabithalordauthor.com or ms.maggieclare.com.

Monday Musings 12-7-20

This past Saturday the local writer’s group I belong to hosted our first Virtual Author Expo. Usually, we have a fantastic in-person event where readers can buy signed books for holiday gifts or simply meet an author whose work they enjoy. Obviously, this sort of gathering was out so we opted to create an on-line event. The day was filled with Zoom author meet-and-greets, and panels and presentations on all sorts of topics. We had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised by the robust attendance. Even when we’re able to have our live event again, we may add this virtual event to the year’s line-up.

One of the panels on which I participated focused on writing a series. Later, I had a chat with my mom, an avid reader, about things that turn readers off, and one of them was when an author didn’t deliver a satisfying ending to a particular book in a series. It’s one thing to purposefully leave off on a cliff-hanger and pick up the story thread immediately in the following book (this is not a favorite technique of mine, but it’s one I’m willing to tolerate as a reader as long as I’m satisfied by the end of the series). It’s another thing to leave too much unresolved, leave your readers wanting, and not provide a complete enough story for a particular book in that series.

So, if you’re considering writing a series, here are some pointers and tips to keep your readers engaged for the long haul.

When we think about a book series, a couple of different types come to mind. There’s the series featuring the same main cast of characters but with a different plot for each. Murder mysteries are a good example. I’m a fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series. In each new installment, I look forward to catching up with Alex and his cop friend Milo. I also know that they’ll be working a new case, most likely unrelated to the last. It’s what I expect from this kind of series.

Then, there are series that require more than one book to complete the overall story arc. Harry Potter and the Hunger Games are favorites of mine and good examples of this kind of series. Each book is a novel in its own right, but each segment carries us toward the completion of the story. I’m going to focus these pointers on stories with arcs that take several books to complete.

1. Be sure you know the ending.

When your plot stretches across several books, it’s important to have a plan for the finale. Complications are good. Intrigue and suspense are good. Not having any idea for a resolution is not good. That’s not to say your ending can’t evolve as your story unfolds. In the course of your writing, things will change. You may find a more exiting way to bring about the demise of the villain, save the kingdom, or settle on a new planet. But, I think it’s important to have an idea of where you’re going before you get started. Without a road map, you may wander aimlessly for hundreds of thousands of words.

2. Know when it’s time to end.

After spending so much time with them, you’ve probably fallen in love with your characters and with the world you’ve created. It’s tempting to keep going, even after the story ends. Maybe there’s room to do this. You could fast-forward years into the future and create another conflict in your world. You could focus on minor characters from the first series and give them an adventure of their own. Possibilities exist, but be sure you have a fresh tale to tell. Don’t hang on and keep writing beyond the natural life of the story.

3. Don’t lose the thread of minor plot-lines.

You’ll likely have several minor plot-lines over the course of the series. It’s important to keep track so you’ve can bring them all to a satisfying conclusion. If you’ve chosen to leave something open, it should be a conscious decision that serves the story, not because you’ve forgotten something.

4. Maintain consistency with your world-building and in the details.

The rules of magic you’ve created, or the advanced technology you’ve described in your worlds, should remain consistent throughout. Important details, whether they’re about a character’s quirks, or the geography of a planet, should remain consistent. Readers notice when they aren’t.

5. Show character development.

Your characters will be faced with danger, endure loss, fall in love, overcome challenges, etc. Their adventures will have an effect on them, and it’s important to show this impact to the reader. Knowing where and how the action of the story will conclude is important. I would suggest that it is equally important to know how your characters will fare in the end. Will they be bruised but still standing, traumatized but healing, wiser or jaded? Your characters are the heart of your story. Show how they’ve changed in response to their experiences.

Starting a new series is exciting. As readers, we look forward to prolonging our time with interesting characters and spending more time on an epic adventure. Writing a series is just as much fun. If you decide to commit to a series, use the ideas above to help chart your course.

In other news…

YOU CAN ORDER SIGNED COPIES OF MY BOOKS!

Signed books make great holiday gifts. You can now order personalized copies of all books in the HORIZON series directly from my website. Click here to place your order: SIGNED BOOKS BY TABITHA LORD.