Hey everyone. The cold weather is finally over, and summer is here. It’s got me thinking about how half the year is already over and all the things that I have accomplished and all of the plans I’m making. The year began in tragedy and a lot of changes have taken place and are still ongoing. But I got through it. I’m happy to say that my insomnia is gone as well after suffering a bad cold for two weeks and doping myself up on meds. Now I am back on a regular sleep schedule. So, things are a lot better than they were a few months ago. And I hope to make things even better.  

My book is coming along nicely but it’s taking longer to write because I am doing it without an outline this time. I am actually enjoying writing it cold and without knowing what every scene is going to be. It makes writing this book a lot more exciting. But I must admit that I do miss having it all mapped out sometimes. I still have moments where I feel stuck on what to write next after finishing a scene. It takes me a few hours to figure out what the next scene should be. But once I have the idea in my head, I’m raring to go.

Every now and then I look at what I’ve written so far and thought, “Oh my God, this is total crap!” But this is typical of first drafts and part of the process. I’m writing a futuristic story set in my hometown of Chicago. This could go any way I want it to at this point. But that’s the fun part about writing. It’s your story and you can write it any way you want and change things and screw it all up one minute and then get lost in a masterpiece that can never ever be duplicated the next. There’s a method to a Writer’s madness and I am no exception. I have been known to write almost half a book and then if it doesn’t work, I either shelve it or destroy it. I’m hoping that it doesn’t come to that. But sometimes a plot just doesn’t work no matter how much you try to force it to.

I often choose not to tell people what I’m writing. In fact, I downright hate it, because I know how I am. If I tell someone about my story and they show the slightest hint that it’s going to suck, I don’t write it. The thrill is gone, and I began to feel like I wasted my time. I know that’s being a bit melodramatic, but I just can’t help it. I have been this way for years and it will probably never change. But that’s okay. Everyone is different and so is everyone’s writing methods.

This summer will bring forth some much-needed fun for I am planning a vacation soon. More like a Staycation because I’m staying in my city, just branching out a bit more. I have always wanted to take my laptop to the beach and write but have never done it because I live so far from the beach. But my son has never been to the beach in Chicago and we have planned to make that happen and explore other fun things to do right here in Chi-town. In the small suburb where I live there is not much to do so, it gets incredibly boring. I am strongly considering moving again because life is so short. I just want to enjoy it as much as I can. Losing my dad made me feel differently about a lot of things and I have wasted enough time.

I will keep you posted on the book’s progression as time goes on and I hope we all have a great summer.

Until next time…