Good Fall Things

Some exciting things happen in October. The leaves change and depending on where you live, it may have already started. My backyard is already getting colorful. My granddaughter had discovered the fun of jumping in piles of leaves. So now it takes even longer to rake with her assistance. But it's worth it.

The Draconid Meteor Shower will hopefully give us some delightful viewing tomorrow night. Unlike some of the meteor showers, the Draconid can be viewed after sunset instead of after midnight. I hope the rain goes away by then. Read more about them here.

I threw out almost 20K words on my WIP because it wasn't any good. LOL. That's a totally unbiased opinion. I hated it and what I'm replacing it with is better. So far.

"Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick." Spanish proverb

I haven't shared wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac recently. So here it is. When buying pumpkins to use as your fall or Halloween decorations, only pick ones with stems on them. The stem slows decay.

Our family has a lot of birthdays in the all. Both of my stepsons, my birthday, and my oldest sister. Not that any of us want to celebrate getting older. Getting older does encourage one to appreciate the small things. Cool fall nights. Fall scents like hot cider, burning leaves, and apple pie. I love to watch the geese fly south. Living in the country, sometimes there are half of a dozen flocks in the sky at one time.

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart." Erma Bombeck

That new show, Evil, is very scary. I'm enjoying it immensely. So many unanswered questions and the characters are complex and interesting. Stumptown and Prodigal Son have caught my interest but I don't know if they'll keep it. I'm going to give Watchmen a try on HBO. Supernatural is back this week. Yippee.

I'm always excited to find a new author and a new book series to read. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter is one that has me excited. The world Winter created is unique and the protagonist is complex. The question of who the good guys are will keep you turning the pages. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one.

Will you try to see the meteor showers? What do you like best about fall? Have you discovered any new fantasy series you could recommend to me?

Won't You Stay a Little Bit Longer?

I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store yesterday. As I rounded the corner just past the produce section I came upon the area where large bins are filled with bargains. I stopped in my tracks, shocked by what I saw.  Candy corn!

Yes, that horrid Halloween treat, made of sugar and sugar and sugar with a little food coloring thrown in. It just can't be time for Halloween candy. I know some schools have started and I only have ten more days before my daughter returns to college, but where did summer go? I'm about three weeks behind where I expected to be in my writing goals and in the little fix ups projects I had planned around the house and yard. Time has just flown by.

Do you feel like the summer has hurried on its way, making room for turning leaves and candy corn? I did see some trees with their leaves turning already. Are you keeping up with your goals? Ever torture your body with candy corn?

I love the cooler nights, but I do wish summer would stay a little bit longer. Are you ready for the change of seasons?

Seasons

I have the first book of an epic fantasy sitting on a shelf in my office. Its working title is Seasons of War. I'll probably dust it off next summer. The book is divided into four parts, one for each season of the year. I've been thinking about seasons.

My daughter is always saying how much she loves fall. I have mixed feelings about fall. I always hate for summer to end, but in years past I always had my children's sport activities to look forward to. I loved watching my boys play football, my third son running cross-country and my daughter play field hockey. But it also meant school started and I would have to go back to work. This year, fall is giving me mixed emotions again.

I'm looking forward to starting this last year of my teaching career. The pillars of public education are changing and quickly. Some of it is good, some of it is really, really bad. The school I work at is a great school,  doing well on all the standardized tests and preparing students for the next level. I'm proud to have been part of it. But I'd rather stay at home and write. I'm  not completely done with sports as my oldest son is now coaching the high school team and I always attend a lot of events to support my students. Kids notice when their teachers are there. It matters to them. But next fall, I'll be home writing.

This fall is also when my last child, my mini-me daughter, heads way off to college. Seven hours will separate us. Ouch.

But back to my first paragraph. The seasonal weather pays a big part in that book. In medieval times, a harsh winter could bring a war to a frozen halt. Weather and the change of seasons can be an important device for setting the emotion and raising the tension or suspense in a scene.

Have you ever read a novel where it never rains, never snows and all the days are set in the perfect temperate climate? Do most novels seem to take place in summer? What seasons do you use in your writing? What season is your personal favorite time of year?