Odds & (Year) Ends

Hello, dear reader! It’s good to see you again. Yes, I know it’s been a while, and I’m sorry for not updating this blog more regularly. You see, 2024 has been such a wild and crazy adventure that I simply haven’t had time to sit down and update my blog. So, you may be surprised to learn that I’m currently working on multiple writing projects, including a couple of new ideas I’ve had on the back burner for years.

Before we get into the book-related stuff, let me fill you in on what’s been going on in my personal life:

1. Dan and I finally got married. Our wedding took place at City Hall on November 8th, and we’ve been soaking in the bliss of married life ever since.

I was never one of those little girls who dreamed of her wedding day. I did, however, fantasize abundantly about becoming a successful author (still working on that one, I’m afraid). So, when it came time to plan our special day, I was at a loss for where, and how, to begin. While it would’ve been easy enough to hire a wedding planner to look after all the details, we both knew that a big, traditional wedding, set in an expensive venue and attended by hundreds of people, wasn’t “us.”

Eventually, Dan and I realized it was more important to be married than to have a wedding. We tied the knot in a small civil ceremony with only two witnesses. Our reception was dinner for four at Kelsey’s, and I ordered the same entrée I had during our first date twelve years ago: Balsamic chicken with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes. On our way to the restaurant, we even saw a double rainbow. The day was simple, beautiful, and most importantly, a true reflection of who we are as a couple.

2. While we’re still lightyears away from actually putting in an offer on anything, we’ve started the very exciting (and overwhelming) process of house hunting. We’ve had our eye on a couple of places outside the city, where the prices are still somewhat affordable. We don’t harbour any delusions about how difficult it is to break into this market. I’ve more or less resigned myself to the reality that we may be stuck renting for the rest of our natural lives if home prices climb any higher, but who can predict the future (besides the writers of The Simpsons)?

3. Our Christmas tree is up, the apartment is decorated, and I have officially embraced the holiday spirit. I told Dan I wanted to do more baking this year, and so far I’ve made shortbreads, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip banana muffins, and Rice Krispies. We always end up spending way too much money on food around this time of year, and with the cost of groceries these days, we should probably reconsider our dream of home ownership…

Now that all that’s out of the way, let’s talk writing.

Book 6 has been surprisingly fun to write, despite the ever-evolving landscape of the story. Unfortunately, I’m starting to realize I have introduced too many variables to the plot. You may recall I ran into this problem when I was writing The Watching Game, my NaNoWriMo sci-fi thriller that I never ended up publishing. Sticking to a simple, straightforward storyline appears to be a chronic deficit of mine, to the point that I wonder if I should be aiming for short stories and novellas instead. What can I say? I’m stubborn and set in my ways. I’m also afraid I’ve fallen into an all-too-common writing trap where I edit and rewrite the same words so many times that I become blind to the bigger picture (e.g. plot holes, redundancy, etc.). Stepping back from my main work-in-progress and delving into something new, especially if it’s a totally different genre, usually snaps me out of this cycle.

I don’t post much online anymore. Every once in a while I find myself trying to reinvigorate my author brand with a witty line of dialogue or an update on my current word count, but I know in my heart it no longer makes a difference in any sort of measurable way. I’m simply not the person I was when I set out on my writing journey all those years ago, and pretending otherwise hurts not only my self-esteem, but the people I interact with in the virtual space. But, I am still very much a writer. In fact, these past several months of non-promotion have put me back in touch with my creative side in a way I haven’t felt since before the pandemic. That, to me, is worth far more than royalties and page reads (not that I’d complain if either of these metrics suddenly trended upward).

Anyway, I thank you again for coming by and hope you’ve enjoyed your time here. Don’t forget to check out some of my current titles before you go—you may discover your next favourite book right here on my site.

Until next time,

J.I.