Postcard captions in dribs and drabs

The title for today’s blog posting came to me and triggered a question in my mind. Where or how did that saying originate? It seems that dribs dates back to the 17th century in some English, Irish, and Scottish dialects and meant “an inconsiderable quantity” or sort of like “drip.” The origin of drab in conjunction with drib isn’t as clear. It meant a “small debt or sum of money in England in the early part of the 19th century. I must admit, though, that I thought it was “drips and drabs” until I looked it up a few minutes ago. The joke is on me! It just goes to show that sometimes I think I know what I’m talking about but I actually don’t. At least I was using it correctly even though I wasn’t spelling or saying it correctly.

I had hoped to edit my historical novel manuscript, The Spanish Coin, for four hours today. (Anyone remember that Writing Plan of Action I posted about a few days ago?) Instead, a plumber was in the house working in various rooms for a couple of hours. It doesn’t take much to distract me. There was just no way I could settle down and get any uninterrupted time to edit that book between that disruption and then the aftermath of putting things back into cabinets and mopping the kitchen and bathrooms. I did not want to abandon my writing completely, so I did the research for and wrote nine vintage postcard captions in preparation for a possible piedmont North Carolina book for Arcadia Publishing. (My goal was to write two captions today.) I’ll keep you posted.

What I’ve been reading

I finished reading The Escape, by David Baldacci a few days ago. How I wish I could write a thriller like that! I really enjoyed it.

Other books I’ve read lately include Dog On It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (Book #1), by Spencer Quinn, a light-hearted easy read. Quite a switch from reading Baldacci! I started reading The Map Thief, by Michael Blanding, but didn’t get very far into it before I had to return it to the library. I’ll definitely check it out again. I love maps and this is a fascinating story. I’ve started reading The Fitzgerald Ruse, by Mark de Castrique n preparation for Rocky River Readers Book Club in February. I’m eager to see how that story develops. I like to have several books going at a time.

In the meantime, I have written nearly 2,000 words of a short story today that I hope to enter into one of two contests I’m considering. More on that later.

What are you reading?

Another missed opportunity

I planned to write something to enter in the 23rd Annual Austin Chronicle Short Story Contest. I also planned to write a short piece to enter in the Highlights Fiction Contest. Time was not on my side, but my main road block was a profound lack of story ideas. “Those ships have sailed,” so to speak. The deadlines have passed. I did not pull myself together enough to enter either contest. I am disappointed in myself.

Perhaps I should start a list of story ideas to draw from when I hear about a contest.

It’s not that I am not writing. I write every day. I just have not been able to align my thoughts with any writing contests lately.

To steal a line from Scarlett O’Hara, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Queens Writers Group Reconnect

I was recently surprised to reconnect with another member of the Queens Writers Group in Charlotte at an unexpected place. It was one of those times when I knew there was something familiar about her but it took me about an hour to figure out that it was Elizabeth Towles.

Elizabeth is working on her second novel. Her first novel was titled The Long Night Moon. Look for it online.

Everyone who completed a writing course at Queens University in Charlotte taught by Judy Simpson was eligible to join the Queens Writers Group. Judy was an excellent teacher and mentor. She led the group and encouraged and supported each of us until the day she died. I think of her often and miss her greatly. I am so grateful I had the privilege of having her teach me how to write fiction.

After not hearing from anyone in the group for about ten years, it was nice to reconnect with Elizabeth.

Striking a balance in life

With my “Writing Plan of Action” in place as of yesterday, today I turn my attention to striking a balance. I have the luxury of not depending upon my income from writing to keep me afloat. I would have drowned a long time ago if that had been the case! My income from writing thus far officially qualifies it as a hobby, according to the Internal Revenue Service. That means it does not matter how much writing puts me “in the red” financially; it’s just a hobby.

Don’t get me wrong; I would love to be able to make a living by writing. That’s what all writers dream of and aspire to, but few of us achieve that level of success. It would be marvelous if my historical novel manuscript, The Spanish Coin turned out to be “the Great American Novel,” but how often does that happen? I certainly won’t gain fame or fortune writing vintage postcard books like The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, but it is a thrill to see my name on a book as the author.

As I jump into my new “Writing Plan of Action” this week, I want to keep all facets of my life in balance. Writing and everyday life tend to leave no time for playing the mountain dulcimer. I’ll never become proficient at playing that lovely stringed musical instrument from the Appalachian Mountains if I don’t practice.

Playing the dulcimer a few minutes each day, studying the Bible, visiting the sick and homebound, walking the dog, quilting, sewing, doing needlework, and reading for pleasure are all things I need to make time to do. Those are the activities that tend to get squeezed out as I get absorbed by the self-imposed demand to write, write, write.

Tomorrow I will make yet another attempt to strike a balance in my life.

My Writing Plan of Action

This being my 100th blog post, I thought it was a good time to make a “Writing Plan of Action.” I made such a plan a couple of years ago for making items to sell in my craft shop on Etsy.com — Hickory Ridge Crafts. I tend to procrastinate if I don’t have a written list to keep me on task.

My “Plan of Action” for Hickory Ridge Crafts started as a weekly list. I soon found I needed a daily list; otherwise, the end of the week would arrive and half the things on my list had not been finished. What I present today in this post is seven goals and objectives, most of which have no end date or deadline. As I plan each week, I will assign tasks to each day in order to accomplish these goals and objectives:

(1) Schedule book signings/author events (on-going);

(2) Continue to blog every day (on-going);

(3) Continue to research and write captions for a Piedmont NC vintage postcard book so I can propose the book to Arcadia Publishing (on-going);

(4) Spend two hours each week building a list of places that might sell a Piedmont NC vintage postcard book (which must be included in my author proposal – beginning next week;

(5) Continue to search for writing contests to enter or magazine articles to write (on-going);

(6) Set aside one day each week to edit my historical novel manuscript, tentatively titled, The Spanish Coin, (until I get it polished as much as I can); and

(7) If Arcadia Publishing rejects my author proposal for a Piedmont NC vintage postcard book, start in earnest to find a literary agent to represent me and my novel.

Sounds like a plan! I’ll give a progress report occasionally.

A writing contest I wanted to enter

The playing field is rarely level. Don’t get me wrong; I am not whining. I’m just stating a fact. The playing field at school is never level because every child has a unique home life. I didn’t grasp that as a child. I had a peaceful, supportive family and assumed all my classmates did, too. It was years later before I realized that based on statistics, many of them were probably abused. Many of them probably did not know what it was to live in a home with two loving parents who encouraged them to always do their best and always do the right thing.

Fast forward to January, 2015. I wanted to enter the TransitionsAbroad Narrative Travel Writing Contest. The “no entry fee” was a big enticement for me. So was the $500 first place prize. The idea behind the contest was for people to write about experiencing a different culture and appreciating it. I had an idea and I put several hundred words on paper. Something drew me back to the writers’ guidelines. The part I kept stumbling over was about how submitting digital photographs would enhance any entry. In other words, accompanying pictures were not mandated but it would be difficult for an essay without illustrations to compete. I mulled that over in my head for more than a few days and concluded that my story’s chances of winning were slim to none.

I had the privilege of visiting Scotland just years before the advent of digital cameras for the amateur photographer. It was a grand experience — one I never expected to have. Scotland is beautiful. I went through about a dozen rolls of film.

Scotland was a pleasant place and life in the countryside and in small villages moved at a slower pace than I was used to in the United States. Darting into a pub for a “quick lunch” was impossible. By the third day of leisurely two-hour lunches became so enjoyable that my sister and I wished we could bring the practice home with us. As cultures go, that of America and that of Scotland are not very far apart; however, the Scots still know how to take time to smell the roses.

Chances are, I would not have won the contest. Not having digital photographs to submit with the piece, though, put me at a disadvantage. Even so, I have advantages that most people in the world can only dream about. Without my travels in Scotland, I would not have been able to submit the nonfiction piece I entered in the Southern California Genealogical Society’s writing contest last month. That time, I had the advantage. All writers draw on their experiences, and I will always be grateful for having the opportunity to visit Scotland.

One contest I entered

Yesterday I wrote about not finding story ideas for some upcoming writing contests. I did enter a contest in December and should know by May 1, 2015 if I won or placed.

The Southern California Genealogical Society’s GENEii Literary Contest closed on December 31, 2014. I wrote a 1,900-word nonfiction piece about Mary Morrison, my g-g-g-g-grandmother who came from Scotland to North Carolina in the 1760s and her mother-in-law, Janet Hall. Janet lived all her life on the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland, as far as I know.

If I could have a conversation with two of my ancestors, I would choose Mary and Janet. Janet’s life must have been full of hardship, although she grew up on a lush green farm at Southend, Scotland with views of Ireland 12 miles across the North Channel on a clear day. It was a beautiful place to be a child in the early 1700s, but a harsh place to be an adult where everyone was a tenant on the land owned by the Duke of Argyll.

Mary’s life included the excitement of leaving Scotland as a young adult to go to America. Her excitement was, no doubt, tempered with fear and misgivings about leaving her homeland. She and her husband, John, farmed in North Carolina, and they did well until John’s early death. Mary was widowed while pregnant with their ninth child during the Revolutionary War, and in less than four years she died. What a difficult life she and her children had here! I think about her when I garden the same piedmont North Carolina red clay soil in which she must have struggled to grow vegetables and flowers. I feel her presence as I live on the same land on which she lived 250 years ago.

Janet Hall and Mary Morrison are more than names in a family history book. They are real to me and their blood runs through my veins.

Always in search of writing opportunities

At least once a month I surf the ‘net in search of writing contests or other writing opportunities that appeal to me. I also try to stay aware of book festivals and author events within driving distance of where I live. There are several writing contests I’m toying with this month, but I don’t think any of them are going to pan out.

Other things have crowded out my writing time so far this week. Maybe it’s just an after the holidays let down. I’m trying to get rid of some of the clutter in my house. It’s dragging me down. My mind is cluttered with too many things, which makes it difficult to sit down and write.

January is a good time to get organized and establish good habits.

A great bookstore in Raleigh!

I finally got to visit Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh! What a wonderful independent bookstore!

Window at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.
Window at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.

I went in and introduced myself to Ted. I showed him my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and he immediately placed an order for several copies. They should be on the shelf at Quail Ridge Books & Music by now. If you live in the Raleigh area, please patronize Quail Ridge Books & Music and thank them for making my book available to their customers.

Entrance to Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.
Entrance to Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.

Quail Ridge Books & Music hosts an amazing number of author events. Perhaps someday I will be fortunate enough to be invited to have a book signing there. They had a display about upcoming author events. I counted 37 author events the store is hosting before the end of February. That is extraordinary!

Thank you, Ted at Quail Ridge Books & Music!