Frosty View

For years I wanted a window in my writing studio and I finally got one in December when Tom and I moved into our new place on the third floor of the Box Factory for the Arts.

Unfortunately this view, which I'm sure is fabulous in the summer, is cold and frosty this time of year. It's a little chilling to look out and see snow flying and the icy water of the St. Joseph river flowing with slush in it.

But, cold or not, I'm working on three writing projects I'm determined to finish this year and perhaps having it be so fridgid outside just inspires me to stay put and not venture out.

Tom and I are anticipating a trip to California in June, which will be here before we know it and the view from this window will be much different. And if I can keep to schedule, I'll be nearing the completion of three writing projects I've been working on for five years.

New Studio, Finally!

Tom and I finally have our studio up and organized on the third floor of the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph, Michigan. We have three windows in our studio, which is something I've wanted since I first took a studio here about 6 years ago. We moved in the first part of December



My side of the studio

Although I really liked my old studio, it was dark and had become chock-full of stuff to the point where I had to apologize for the mess to everyone who came in and I found it almost impossible to work there.

Tom's side of the studio

This studio is light, bright and organized - this is how I plan to accomplish so much this year.

New Year Update

I haven't written for a while, mostly because Blogger had an issue where they would not let me upload a photo from my computer. Evidently that has been fixed, so I can update with this illustration of me holding my latest grandson, Weston, born January 27.

As for my writing goals for the year - they are pretty simple - but work intensive at the same time.

Novel:
I plan to finish the novel I've been working on for five years - working title "Copper top" - by the end of July. Then I'll let it sit for August, before beginning rewrites. By the end of the year I hope to be able to shop it around to agents.

National Park Essays:
I have also been working on this project for five years, but I'm very close to being done.  I plan to finish this collection of essays I'm writing about Tom and my travels to the western national parks after our trip to Yosemite in June. I'm in a manuscript critique group and I'm running this project through that workshop.
By this fall I'll be ready to look for a publisher. The title: "Canyons Calling, Michiganders Exploring the West."

National Park Poems:
I originally thought I would include poetry in the above project, but this year I decided it would be better as a completely different project. Once again, I will finish this project after we return from Yosemite and self-publish in the fall. Tentative title: "Heading to the Canyons."

And that's it! Three long term projects done so I can move on to other projects percolating in my brain.