It's been quite a while since I last wrote about a book I've read. And I've read quite a few in the intervening time. Too many to recall right off the top of my head right now. But I've been stewing over not writing in this blog and my writing prompts blog, not to mention working on my own cozy novel. Supposedly those are things that are most important to me. You wouldn't know it by the lack of writing, would you? But I've been doing other things and a whole lot of nothing.I'm fighting depression and poor health -- a deadly combo -- to boot, so I'm much slower than usual.
At any rate, I'm back and I decided that Dec. 1 was a good date to start my latest self-improvement project. I had read somewhere that some writers used a calendar to keep them motivated to meet their daily writing goals. Since I always liked the "gold star" method in school and Sunday school, I think this might work for me. It's a visual approach that serves as not only a daily reminder, but also a reminder during the day that will hopefully keep my mind on my goals. I'm feeling hopeful, so why not take advantage of the mood.
I'm going to post a large calendar on the wall behind my computer and each day that I meet a minimal writing goal, I'll put a big X in the square. I may even buy some colorful stars at the Dollar Store! The point is never to have a blank space on the calendar. I think that could work.
My minimal writing goal: write something, anything, fiction or prose, in any of my blogs or using my writing software to work on my mystery. I have yet to decide the minimal number of words. I want it to be low, but not ridiculously so. I usually go way overboard and promise to write 1500+ words a day. That pace is hard to keep up. So I'm thinking if I start with at least 250 words, I'll most likely go beyond on most days. I usually do. It's the getting started that's the problem most times. But at least 250 word means I worked at it a bit, put some effort into something productive. That's for those days when I'm either so depressed I have to look up to see the bottom, as the saying goes, or so busy I don't have time for anything more.
Today I'll just list some of the books sitting here on the computer desk or on my Kindle-PC app that I've read over the last few months. I know there are others, but these are a good place to start.
In no particular order:
Pushing Up Daisies, Rosemary Harris
Hanging by a Thread, Monica Ferris
Wild Goose Chase, Terri Thayer
Old Maid's Puzzle, Terri Thayer
Ocean Waves, Terri Thayer
Murder Past Due, Miranda James (aka Dean James)
Murder on the Mind, L. L. Bartlett
Dead in Red, L. L. Bartlett
Cheated by Death, L. L. Bartlett
Bound by Suggestion, L. L. Bartlett
Trouble in Mudbug, Jana DeLeon
Mischief in Mudbug, Jana DeLeon
Showdown in Mudbug, Jana DeLeon
Rumble on the Bayou, Jana DeLeon
That list is a bit overwhelming, but I enjoyed most of the books so much, I can actually hardly wait to write about them.
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