This month's optional question:
If you could pick one place in the world to sit and right your next story, where would it be and why?
That is a tough question. First of all, I have an awesome office at home and I have it all to myself on evenings and weekends. It's pretty much perfect and I shouldn't be greedy and wish for something better. That being said, I would love to spend a week at a dude ranch in Montana where I could horseback ride in the morning and evening, walk for miles and enjoy the big sky and write in between being outdoors.
My daughter moved to Boston this past weekend to begin her PhD program. I'm not a city person but I appreciate the history of Boston and its many lovely spots to have a seat in a coffee shop and write. Harvard Square is one of my favorite. Yes, I could spend a week writing there.
The question for me, could I stay on task in those beautiful places? I'd like to find out.
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." Labor speech, 1903, Theodore Roosevelt
Work on my next book is going slow as I dealt with knee replacement and helping my daughter move. This time her move isn't simply going back to college. It's a real move that will last 5-7 years. Those are my excuses for writing only about 15K words the past two months.
I'm back to watching my granddaughter five days per week as her teacher parents go back to school. Such a little bundle of joy. She's speaking in full sentences and knows all her letters. (Her dad taught her the alphabet by watching Wheel of Fortune) She's only 2 and a half as of today. On our agenda, more library programs and swimming once per week to start. She loves learning and trying new things. Play doh last week.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Chinese proverb
I'm also back to exercising 5 or more days per week. Since I have my knee fixed, I can actually do downhills again and use the elliptical more than one day in a row. I feel younger with my bionic parts. LOL
I have a writers' meeting tonight, so I'll try to visit as many blogs as I can before and after. I seem to keep volunteering for things I don't have time for.
"Experience is what enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." Earl Wilson
I'm enjoying the last season of Killjoys. Only a few episodes left. I'll really miss those characters. The last season of Poldark starts later this month. I'm looking forward to the last season of Supernatural starting up in October. There's a new show this fall called Evil that looks interesting. Not sure anything else will catch my interest. Seems I'm depending more and more on Netflix and Amazon when I have the urge for a little screen time.
Do you have an ideal writing spot in all the world? Do you get yourself in trouble by too much volunteering? Do you like the coming of fall?
34 comments:
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Hi,
Those aren't excuses for not working on your book; they are valid reasons. Sometimes life gets in the way and we have to take a break and do other things that are just as important or more important than what we usually do.
Enjoy your granddaughter. Those days go by so fast. You'll never regret the time spent with her.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
When you visit Boston, do some writing at the McKim Building reading room. It's one of my favorite spots in Boston. I am looking forward to Poldark!
Good luck with a speedy recovery, Susan. I look after an invalid husband, very rewarding, and I still manage to find a few moments to write 😊
I visited Boston some years ago when in the US. A great place.
Yvonne.
This homebody/introvert prefers writing in her home office. :)
I love the idea of your granddaughter learning her letters by watching the Wheel. Oh, and now I want to play with Play Doh! :)
That's still a lot of words.
Go, Bionic Woman!
NetFlix is getting to be the place to go for quality shows.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Chinese proverb. Love love love this quote as I am both a student and a teacher. I get this.
I think with summer (and all its activities) sometimes makes us slow down in our writing. But still, 7500 words a month is an accomplishment. Boston is a beautiful town. I'd also like to return there and poke around. Lastly, Play Doh? Oh, I can smell it as I write!
I did a lot more volunteering at my kids' schools when they were young, but they reached an age (around 10) where it wasn't cool to have a parent around, so that fizzled out. Which is fine. I have plenty of things to keep me from writing.
For me, Boston would be a great place to do research. Those cemeteries are full of stories. I'd probably wind up a day of poking through those pithy epitaphs with dozens of oysters at that famous oyster house where Webster sat so often. You've got me thinking that I might need a trip east!
Hi Susan - Boston is just great ... but I'd wander off to look at things! Congratulations to your daughter - sounds like a brilliant place to study and work in for her PhD. I know I do way too much volunteering ... but it's all grist to the mill and good for me! Cheers and am so pleased life is improving and the littlies keep you totally occupied - Hilary
An office all to yourself sounds lovely.
If I went somewhere else to write, especially somewhere I've always wanted to be, I doubt I'd write. I'd want to explore and make the most of the trip.
I like your writing-place choices. If you ever manage to test one out, even for an afternoon, you'll need to share with the rest of us. ;-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
I'd love to visit Boston one day. I wouldn't get any writing done because I'd be wearing myself out visiting all the historic sights.
I hope you get to write on the ranch someday. It sounds so much fun to watch your grandchild. I can't wait to get to.
Have you seen Carnival Row on Amazon yet? I am going through the episodes slowly, but I like it. It's a fun steampunk fae fantasy series.
A Montana ranch and Boston both sound like really interesting places to write. Like you, though, I'm not sure how much I would get done in the most exciting of places.
Happy writing and family time!
She's learning from Wheel of Fortune - LOL!
I love my elliptical. My back and knees just can't handle jogging on pavement anymore.
Sorry about your daughter moving. I mean, it's great for her, but I know you'll miss her.
It sure seems like a lot of shows are ending this year.
Sounds like some wonderful activities with your granddaughter!
Play doh sounds perfect. We can learn lots from kids. They help adults to tap into and reconnect with the dormant child within each one of us. It's refreshing.
I had to smile at your 'bionic parts' reference...
Happy IWSG!
Writer In Transit
Sounds like you've been very busy!
I like to write at home, but I wish I had an office to do it in. I get very easily distracted.
Go bionic parts. Not sure I'd right if there were things to do about. Enjoying the kiddo is a win indeed. Looking forward to Supernatural too.
What a clever way to learn the ABC's! The wee one knows his, but I think its a great idea as another learning tool. Seems like you have fun activities with your granddaughter! Oh, I know you are going to miss your daughter but another place to go and visit if you want to and can!
betty
I loved babysitting my grandkids when they were little, have a great time with her! Can you believe it's the last season for Poldark. I don't want it to end:(
Good luck with getting back on track with writing, September comes too fast.
If i can get into my own head, it doesn't matter where my body is seated, i can concentrate on reading or writing, and i'm not sure how. Probably practice from when i was young, having to block out so much drama around me and using books to do it.
Glad to hear you're doing well after knee replacement. My husband just had one of his done last week. It's been a rough few days since he came home, but he's starting to improve, and your post gives me hope for the future.
I'm not sure I would write while visiting someplace new. I'd want to explore. Your schedule sounds like a very full day. When do you have time to write??? Don't you just love watching a grandchild's brain develop? The words, the concepts. My twin grandsons are 22 months old and I love hearing words pop out of their mouths. So much fun. Enjoy the time with them.
The ideal writing spot is at the YMCA cabins near Estes Park, Colorado during a group writing retreat...but where I'm found most often is in my own office at home...but where I'm most productive is during the local writing group monthly write-in at a relatively quiet coffee shop.
Great places to write. I'd like to visit Boston sometime myself. I think it awesome that you did write some even if it was not as much as you wanted to write. Happy IWSG!
I've done a bit of writing in a coffee shop before - I found it quite easy to zone in on my writing so the noise becomes ambient, but then when taking a break, you can tune back to the chatter around you, and who knows what ideas that will throw up.
I'm glad you're getting back to be more active. Keeping up with a two and a half year old will help with that too!
I'm definitely looking forward to fall. Not that I really want summer to end yet, but if it has to go away, at least we get fall as a reward.
I’ve been to Boston. I could definitely get into writing in a cafe there. Lovely place. Glad your surgery went well!
I could be less distracted by a beautiful place if I lived there. Otherwise, home for me too.
With everything you've been dealing with, I'm impressed you managed to write 15K these past couple months!
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