I lost track of time. I could have sworn I posted on this blog recently. Obviously not. I apologize to those of you following me. I just didn't realize it's been so long.
So what have I been doing all this time? Honestly, nothing really exciting. Last year was mostly a loss because of Covid. You'd think I'd have been writing, and I've tried, honest I have. I have three stories started and each one has me blocked. I'm not sure which direction any of them are going and that's the main problem.
I'm what they call a "seat of the pants writer". That means I don't plot out my books. I tried plotting one out once at the advice of another writer who spoke to a writing group I belonged to. What she said made perfect sense at the time.
Unfortunately, I got a couple of chapters into the story, and bam, just like that, nothing would come. I didn't know how to get my heroine into the next situation. I think I didn't care for the situations I had plotted and that was a big problem. And I really didn't like the ending I'd created, so. there I was staring at a blank screen. Nothing came to me. I had blocked myself into situations I didn't really like and neither did my character. And let's face it, if your main character isn't happy, the author isn't happy.
I was blocked on that story for two years. Every time I tried to write, the same thing happened, Nothing. So I set it aside until I forgot what I plotted. Finally, I opened it one day, and just like that, the ideas started flowing. I created a different ending and it didn't take me or my character long to get there.
That's how I usually write and plotting is okay for some writers, but definitely not for me. I know the beginning of my stories and the end, how I get there - or I should say how my characters get there - is as much a surprise to me as it is to my readers.
So, what's wrong with the stories I started? I don't have an ending on any of them so my characters don't know where to go. I hope someday to finish them but for now, they sit with blank spaces.
So since I haven't been writing, what have I been doing. A lot of embroidery. I got a new embroidery machine and I love it. I've been making all kinds of things, especially Christmas gifts. I have a lot to make, so I start early, although I haven't started for this year yet.
Last year, I made bowls and ornaments, and placemats.
Some for myself, some for everyone else. And the cutest snowmen. And then I made Easter gifts, beautiful crosses for my kids, little cute things for the grandkids, and great-grandkids. It keeps me busy and out of trouble. Recently I've been making bookmarks for my Bible Study Group and for Easter dinner at church,. Today, I'm actually working on baseballs for a dinner we're having at church tomorrow with a baseball theme. It's really been fun. Next month we're doing a Christmas in July dinner at church and yep, you guessed it, I'm making ornaments. I also made baby bibs for my granddaughter's first baby.
Other than that, not much else, Oh yes, I was in the hospital with pneumonia last summer. It started out as a UTI but the doctor wouldn't see me until I had a Covid test, which took three days to come back, by then I was so sick I wanted to crawl in a hole. I begged the doc to see me since it was now Friday and I knew I couldn't go through the weekend without some kind of prescription. She finally agreed to see me and then made me wait in the waiting room for over an hour, Not one person came or went during that time, And when she finally called me back to the exam room, she poked my stomach, asked me a question and insisted I go to the emergency room, that I needed a Cat scan because I might have Diverticulitis, I didn't have one symptom of that. I knew I had a UTI, I've had them before.
So they hooked me up to an IV and were getting me ready for the Cat scan when the emergency room doctor came in and asked what was going on. I explained I thought I had a UTI and he asked if I had any labs. Nope, I hadn't so he said we'd get those before they did a cat scan. Praise God, he did, because he came back with the results. A UTI just as I thought. He gave me a prescription and sent me home.
Unfortunately, I was getting worse instead of better. So the next Tuesday, off I went back to the emergency room. And now I had pneumonia and was admitted. Probably got it because all I did was sleep the week before while waiting for the results from the Covid test and running a fever. I'm surprised I wasn't dehydrated, too.
Anyway, after four days, I felt like my old self and they sent me home, for which I was very grateful.
Now, I'm very happy that life is returning to normal. Masks are now optional (except for Medical facilities) and I take every opportunity not to wear one.
Hopefully, I'll keep up my blog better now that I'm aware of how little I've posted.
Happy Summer, everyone.
