Farewell to 2019

It's the end of another year. This time it's also the end of a decade.

I would like to think that I'm not only older but much wiser. But I keep forgetting the lessons I thought I had learned.

This year I forgot the lesson I should have learned about saying "yes". I have this superstition about not answering the door when opportunity knocks. I'm always afraid that I will miss a chance to do something that would be life-changing. As superstitions go, this one isn't irrational. For example, I found a publisher for my Lizzie Stuart mystery series because I said "yes" when I was invited to take part in a mystery/detective fiction conference in New York City -- and then "yes" (or, at least, a hesitant "okay") when I was asked to lead a tour group on a walking tour of Harlem (a place that this Virginian had never been). A friend who knew Harlem came along. . . and, as it happened, a criminal justice professor from the Southwest was in New York, came to the conference, and joined the walking tour. While we were engaging in shop talk, we both admitted that we were would-be mystery writers. It was he who later passed on a tip about the crime fiction imprint that a Southern publisher was launching. So, you see, if I had said "no" my mystery series might never have been published. That's why I am superstitious about not saying "yes." But this year I should have thought more about what I could get done.

That brings me to that other lesson. We all know that one -- assuming that life will go along as one planned with calendar in hand. That there will be no snow, no household emergency, no two-week cold, no . . . this month, it was Harry, my cat. A bacterial infection and not eating. One weekend when we make an emergency trip to a vet clinic, the following Monday when I had to take him to his own vet because he wasn't eating. He got a shot and a couple of days later was eating again, but had a cold. Now the cold seems to be over. But I'm stopping to play when he wants to because I relieved that he's healthy again. Life happens and writing schedules fall by the wayside.

The third lesson is about staying organized while juggling multiple balls in the air. Being organized ensures that you don't waste valuable time trying to find something -- an article, a book, a website -- that is crucial to the project. Once, for a week or two this year, I was on the verge of being organized. Then I had to get to work on something that was more urgent. But what I should have learned is that I need to make the time to be organized. I have gone beyond the point of knowing what is in my stacks of papers. Before 2020 begins, I need to go through those piles and make sense of them.

But there was one lesson that I'm glad I didn't learn. I have been trying to be more productive by forcing myself to plow ahead even when I'm not happy with what I'm writing. This year, I missed a real deadline for a nonfiction book and deadline or two I had self-imposed while my agent waited for the thriller I'm writing. But all of my false starts have produced results. I've been digging deeper than I intended for the nonfiction book and made some fascinating discoveries. With the thriller, a few days ago I had an idea that solved my POV problem. Instead of a book written from the points of view of four characters, I am now down to two. These are the two characters who have the strongest voices and the clearest views of the events in the book.

 So I'm going into 2020 and the new decade, older and slightly wiser.

Happy New Year to my Type M mates and to all of you who join us here!

Fall merry-go-round

In her Monday post, Aline talked about her eager anticipation of September, as a time of new beginnings and endless possibilities. As an Eastern Canadian who didn't get much of a summer this year, I don't share her impatience to see it on its way. I want to cling to every last sun-drenched, fancy-free moment of it. But I have another reason to prolong those last two weeks of summer; my autumn is going to be crazy. Labour Day weekend coincides with the release of my new book, and with it all the signings and tours and blogs and festivals. This year they seem more hectic than usual.

Right now I am at my cottage trying to power through the first draft of the book due out NEXT September, because I know once the fall promotion season starts, I will be hard-pressed to give the next book a moment's thought. As I try to write my novel, however, I find myself committed to writing several blogs. Blogs are creative and fun, and I happily agreed to do each one without thinking that each (including my old regular Type M) takes hours out of my writing time. As it stands at the moment, I still have three more blogs to write, two with deadlines this week.

And then there are the posters, evites, announcements, website updates, and social media posts to promote the fall events. And preparing the talks and readings for each of them.

So with a view to killing two birds with one stone, this blog is going to double as a bit of promotion. The complete list of appearances and events will be on my website once I finish updating it, but here are the highlights. If there is an event that interests you and is within in driving distance, I'd love to see you!

THE TRICKSTER'S LULLABY is due for release in Canada and the UK on September 2 and in the US on September 26. The tag line reads:

A winter camping trip turns deadly as two missing teenagers, a twisted love triangle, and the spectre of radicalism create turmoil in the remote Laurentian wilderness.

Here's what is planned so far:

• Sept. 1 - 2. Women Killing It! Crime Writers' Festival, Prince Edward County, ON
• Sept. 16. Halifax Word on the Street, Reading at Halifax Central Library
• Sept. 21. Aunt Agatha's Mystery Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MN
• Sept. 22. A Different Drummer Bookstore, Burlington, ON
• Sept. 23. Toronto Launch, Sleuth of Baker Street, 1 - 3 pm
• Sept. 24. Toronto Word on the Street, Crime Writers of Canada Booth, 1 - 2 pm
• Sept. 26. Ottawa Launch, Mother McGintey's Pub, Byward Market, 7 - 9 pm
• Oct. 2. Ottawa International Writers' Festival, details TBA
• Oct. 12 - 15, Bouchercon Mystery Conference, Toronto
• Oct. 20. Renfrew Public Library, Renfrew, ON, 6 pm
• Oct. 21, Coles in Carlingwood Mall, Ottawa. 11 am - 2 pm
• Oct. 24. International Festival of Authors, 7 pm, location TBA

In between, I have a couple of book clubs, luncheons, and workshops, all of which should be great fun once I catch my breath. I have not committed to anything major beyond Oct. 24, which coincidentally is a very significant birthday, but I'm sure the time will be filled in! I would not trade all this excitement and adventure for anything, but right now I am encouraging summer to stick around awhile yet. 

Flying Time

I'm late posting today because I forgot to check the calendar. These days if I don't check my calendar when I get up in the morning, I'm likely not to be where I should be or to forget something I need to do. That happens in the summer.

During the summer, I'm likely to be so deep into writing that I forget what day of the week it is. Today, I knew it was Friday but what I was thinking about is that I have only another month left before school begins. I was wishing I had more time because I'd had a brilliant idea – about a book that I haven't started yet, about third in the queue.

But now I have the plot. An idea that came to me when I woke up early and started thinking about a situation I needed to deal with because it was distracting me. I make a telephone call, got someone else to take care of it, and then realized thinking about the worst case scenario had given me the method of death and a bunch of suspects for that book I don't have time to start now.

What I need to do today is get into my office at school and take care of some emails I need to return. I would like to be more efficient – deal with each email as it comes in. But I've been trying to do similar tasks all at the same time. The only problem with that is that I can't forget what I haven't done, and more items get added to the list. And something unexpected pops up. And the game plan gets shot to whatever.

I admit it. I am in a continuing state of frustration because I am never as efficient as I'd like to be. I have so many ideas and so little time to get it all done. It shouldn't be a choice between speed and quality. On the other hand, if I didn't have one eye on the clock and the other on the calendar, I would spend the next five years doing research and tinkering. I have two books – one nonfiction, the other my historical thriller – that I just need to get down on paper. Finish the first drafts. Then revise. And then I can start the next book in the queue.

Anyone have any tips on making peace with time?

Working the List

Sorry to be late today. We had a technical difficulty, and I couldn't log-on. I need to get ready for a film screening (including dinner with group) at school this evening. Therefore, I'm going to save my longer post for next time and simply share a couple of observations I've made since my last post.

1. The physical therapy that I mentioned having for my neck is working. I have to remind myself to do the exercises three times a day and get up and move from my computer before I freeze into place. But the exercises at home, the neck massage and heat pack at the therapy office, and the exercises I'm now doing on the machines are untangling my stress knots.

Note to self:  Remember I need to take care of my body because it's hard to meet deadlines when I'm in too much discomfort to work. The exercises are boring and trips to therapist time-consuming, but I need to stay committed.

2. This week, with end of semester looming and multiple deadlines, I have been making a to do list. Writing the list out, rather than telling myself what I need to get done, is both efficient and effective.

I know this, but I often don't take time to make a list -- unless I have errands to do and want to move from one place to another without backtracking. Simply making a list of what I need to get done can be overwhelming.

Note to self:  Seeing all of the to-do tasks from my life on a list causes dismay, depression, and near-panic. But having a list of task that I need to complete, allows me to prioritize. It also allows me to manage my time -- fitting in minor tasks like phone calls for appointment when I have only a few minutes here and there. Making a list for the next day gets me up and moving. Working the list -- checking off each task as it's completed -- is invigorating. I feel competent, efficient, and focused. With list in hand, I can decide to ignore minor distractions.

This post was first on my list today. Check.