Month: November 2020

I’ve put a short memoir on page 5 of my “Writing” Menu.” Deer season is a big day in McKean County, PA. This is my memory of the 1942 season.

“Writers stuck at home during the pandemic can either binge more Netflix or get down to work.”

That headline from Carman Amato’s lead article in the November issue of “Booklife” ( the Indy Author version of Publishers’s Weelkly) struck a nerve.

 I can’t claim the pandemic has robbed me of time––I’m retired. I have time-use issues for other reasons. Sure, Amato suggests the overall depressed feeling caused by unsolved pandemic and national leadership doldrums, can be a problem. I get that. Whatever reason, I’ve lost momentum in my effort to get my historic fiction piece onto paper.

The Booklife goes on to quote life coach, Tim Mahr’s, suggestion that “motivation stalls out when tasks become overwhelming.” It’s easier to binge watch than create something new.  So when my crazy sleep pattern gets me up at 2:00 AM, I may think about working, but end up watching another episode of a Netflix program. (I have seen some pretty good stuff, though which makes it easier to justify the value of time spent)

I’ve got to do a better job of breaking down my creative effort into doable chunks, Then sit down and ––Just do it!

I’m looking forward to meeting with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) next Saturday, 14 November, to discuss my women’s fiction novel It’s My Turn, and my personal writing methods. This is a great group I had the pleasure of meeting with a few years ago to discuss the production process to mount a play for community theater. They are always interested, involved, and ask good questions. Nice to have a good day to look forward to after concerns of last couple of weeks (Covid 19, staying safe, and hoping for sane reactions to our country’s election process.)