A New Look and A New Blog

You may have noticed the blog looks a little bit different. I’ve been working on updating it to make it easier to navigate, and find posts and pages. I like the new look, and feel like I’m making progress in creating something I’m proud of. I want to thank a very good friend of mine who has been helping me with the ins and outs of WordPress. His help has been invaluable.

Where have I been? I’ve been struggling to find the next phase of my life. If you’ve been following my blog, you know I’ve been unemployed for over a year, and with the state the world is in finding a new one is proving to be difficult. No matter how much I’ve tried or how many jobs I’ve applied for I haven’t been successful. It got pretty demoralizing. I finally sat down and had a good think. Where was my life going? What was I going to do with the rest of my life? How would I live my life going forward? I’m sure there are a lot of people going through similar circumstances and hopefully, for all of us, things get better soon.

So where am I going? Long ago, when I was a young girl of eighteen, a friend’s mother put a book in my hands that changed my life. I have always been a reader but this was my first “adult” book and it was eye opening. The years and years that followed I devoured just about everything I could get my hands on. If you asked my nieces I spent our summer vacations at the cottage sitting on the beach or on the back porch reading. Along the way I thought I might want to be a writer someday and took some creative writing classes in college. A professor inspired me with words that I still remember to this day. Later some friends and I formed a writers group and we spent time reading our short stories to each other. It was an amazing time in my life. Now I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to follow my dream.

I’ve started writing again. I’ve written a couple stories, which stay on my computer because I’m not ready to share them yet. I did enter a contest and I’m waiting to see if I won. If I don’t it’s no big deal because the experience is what is important. I’ve started writing a fantasy novel. I have the outline written and six chapters. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve written so far but it’s the first draft so I don’t expect it to be super fantastic! I took the advice of David Eddings and what he said about writing: write a million words then throw it away. Then you’re ready to start. I had a love story I was writing but realized since my few relationships had failed I didn’t have enough experience to write a story about romantic love. So I threw it away. Now I’m starting over in the fantasy genre which is my absolute favorite. The outline just wrote itself. Now to put flesh to the bone.

I am a writer. In my heart I always have been and that professor from long ago said I had a gift and I needed to share it with the world. Now is the time and I am ready to take this next step in my life. I hope you’ll stay with me.

I still plan to write some reviews and share my life with Libby. I also plan to share some tidbits from my work in progress but not until after the first draft is done and I’m on to the editing and making it pretty. I also have a presence on Reedsy and plan to post short stories on Inkitt. I will also post my short stories on this blog as well. I have a lot to share.

Libby, of course, fully supports my decision mostly because we spend so much time together. Even as I write this in the early morning hours she is softly snoring on the couch content and peaceful. Life is slowly dawning into a new normal and hopefully we’ll also know some peace.

I don’t know when my next post will come out. I’m still working on a schedule but until then, stay safe and follow your dreams my friends.

Therese

Postscript: The short story I submitted was accepted and has been posted on the Reedsy website. If you’re interested here is the link. The results of the contest will be announced by the end of the week.