Monday, July 9, 2018

Rolling Onward, July Style

What a weekend and start to the week. The terrible heat has lifted for the short term, and the relief is so welcome. It's so nice to sleep with the windows open at night. I know it's only the beginning of July and it will return, but it feels like lovely June weather today and for a few more days to come.

Today I'm guest posting on Christine Rains' blog. I'll hope you'll stop by while I talk a little more about putting the science in science fiction. Much thanks to Christine for letting me take over her blog while she's suffering on the beach! LOL. I'm sure she's having a great time.

Spent a lot of time reading over the past week as well as writing. I dove into Justin Cronin's trilogy that started with The Passage. I had only read the first when it first came out in 2010. Not sure why I didn't finish it before but I'm glad I finally did. It is a horror-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it kind of series so a lot of people die. A lot of people step up and become heroes too. In case you haven't heard, one of the networks is making The Passage into a series. I think for this fall. Hopefully, this link will take you to the trailer. Right now, this is the fall show I'm most excited about.

Despite all the writing I'm getting done, I'm still spending some time working on my craft. My local writers' group had a writer of cozy mysteries give an hour workshop on putting mystery into your story. It was very interesting. Next weekend, I'm taking an online course on making your characters come to life.

Still keeping up with my 1,000 words per day though I missed three days in a row on the elliptical. Too many visitors to the homestead. Lots of deer in the backyard. The fawns are really growing fast. Sometimes they walk right by the porch when I'm sitting there reading.

Could you stop over at Christine's blog for me? Any new fall shows you're looking forward to? (The return of Football doesn't count.) Have you done anything lately to work on your writing craft? Has the infernal heat let up for you?


32 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Already visited Christine!
The return of football counts to me. It's a bit of a sports void right now.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

You are doing great with your writing/writing craft! I'm thinking of taking an online class, but I also need to stay on task with the novella and other story subs, so we'll see. :)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I was thinking of you when I added that to the post. I don't mind football either until they start having games on almost every night of the week.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Some online classes are more time intensive than others. And some are expensive. This is a quick one.

Jemi Fraser said...

Good job on the writing! It's sometimes hard to get done when the house and the days are filled!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

It is. Even though my six children are adults, one or more of them always seems to be around. Love them.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

It was beautiful this weekend. Almost cool with the breeze.

We don't get deer in our fenced back yard, but it's usually "Birdiepalooza" at any given time.

betty said...

That is so cool with the deer being so close! Glad to hear your heat subsided for a bit. Our HOT temps left but now we got the humidity associated with the monsoons (which we are desperate for rain here). Not sure if I would rather have the hot weather and low humidity or lower temps and higher humidity.

betty

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

We enjoy our birds too. My granddaughter is fascinated and calls them all 'tweet, tweet.'

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - well done on getting your writing done, reading and then being involved with the workshops - lots stimulating you - cheers Hilary

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I vote for hot with lower humidity. We're supposed to be headed for a dry spell now. We'll see.

J E Oneil said...

I'm so glad the heat finally broke. It was deadly. It must be so fun to see deer in your back yard. Occasionally we even get them around here!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Some days all I want to do is read, but I try to keep working.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I know it will come back but a few days break is everything.

Pat Hatt said...

I've ran into dozens of deer while out and about, thankfully not literally though. Stupid heat is still here, ugg. Working on your craft is always a win indeed.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

3 of my 4 children had literally run into deer. They're all over where we live.

messymimi said...

The heat has let up here a bit because of the rain, and congratulations on continuing your writing goal and your elliptical goal (everyone needs a day off on occasion).

Natalie Aguirre said...

Sounds like you are doing great with your goals and also taking some awesome online courses. I'll stop by Christine's blog now.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

My knees need days off, but three in a row isn't such a good thing. LOL

Tyrean Martinson said...

Although we never get the true infernal heat here, it has lessened here, as well, although it's supposed to hit 90 on Thursday (that's hot for here).
Great job on all of your goals!

nashvillecats2 said...

A good post as always Susan.

Yvonne,

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm adding the Justin Cronin books to my TBR list. I haven't read a good "end of the world as we know it" book for ages.

We're getting too much heat here in Northern Colorado and would welcome a few days in the 70s (pipe dream?) or even the 80s plus some rain with no hail. I don't want fall and winter to come too soon, but the heat is no fun at all!

Juneta key said...

I love it when the wildlife come out.

Anonymous said...

I saw you over at Christine's blog. =)

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

It's keeping my busy but this is the time of year when I can do it.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

We're at 90 again today, but without the humidity do it cools down a little at night.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I guess you have to worry about wild fires in that part of the country. Hope you get that rain.
I loved the first two books in Cronin's series, but the 3rd was a bit of disappointment to me. Lots of people gave it 5 stars so maybe it was only me.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

We do too. We see the same deer family nearly every day. Once the apples start to fall we have a herd of them out back.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for stopping in, Patricia.

M.J. Fifield said...

I haven't seen very many deer since moving to Florida. Our yard is visited mostly by turkeys, armadillos, and wild rabbits.

Glad you're getting some relief from the heat, and that the writing's going well!

Jo said...

I assume you are not a gardener Susan. One blogger friend goes wild with the deer visiting and chewing up everything in site. I too would enjoy them visiting like that. The writing seems to be progressing well, best of luck with it.