Starting Over

That's what 2021 feels like. Staring over after an awful trauma. I had that feeling in 2019 after spending 2018 as a cancer patient and my career as a writer once again getting kicked to the curb.

2020 started off so good for me. I was healthy enough to travel again. I was writing on a regular basis. I even had some writer workshops lined up.

However, the first workshop ended right around the time COVID-19 was recognized as a major problem in the U.S. The news announced the first known COVID-related death when I was laid over in St. Louis on my way home from Vegas.

I haven't done a Monday Movie Mania post for almost a year now. DH and I simply can't take the risk of going to a theater. So, this year will be like some previous years when I couldn't go to movies for other reasons. I'll be catching movies on streaming services, like Wonder Woman 84.

Also, I refuse to put the fucking pandemic in my stories. We're already living it. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want an escape. From the news. From the stupidity of the denialists. From the worry about relatives and friends older than myself. So if you want that type of "reality" in your stories, then please look elsewhere.

Things change, and I'm patiently waiting for the circle to come around again.

In the meantime, I'm planning out my publishing schedule for the new year. I'm also giving myself a little more time between novels by publishing a bunch of short stories sitting on my hard drive. I like writing shorter pieces to explore ideas, characters, and new genres. Stretching my writing wings feels pretty damn good.

I hope y'all survived your first Monday of the new year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the other 360 days.