Assorted Stuff and Randomness

The Luncheon of the Boating Party - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

My head's been full of weird, existential thoughts lately. Much to the disappointment of people who actually know me, that doesn't always make me the greatest company, but it's been great for my writing. Good. It's been a while since I felt properly full of writing ideas that haven't either been done to death or that just don't quite scan for whatever reason. I haven't been doing too badly at sticking to my publishing schedule lately, either. 

The weather seems to have finally gotten the memo that it's June, as it's been feeling an awful lot like summer lately in ways I don't like. It's been warm, it's getting humid, and the combination of both has been making my soul feel like coming out of my body and floating away somewhere. This has never been my favorite time of year, as I don't like warm weather one little bit. But after last year, summer brings with it a certain amount of fear, as well. I'm trying very hard not to think about wildfires. I really hope the powers that be are better prepared to handle such things this time around.

Seth and I have been trying to make the most of things by using the mild-to-warm weather as an excuse to spend more time outside. We usually eat dinner in the kitchen, but lately, it's been warmer than I'd like in there for sitting, especially after I've just gotten done cooking. Being outside gives me a chance to cool off. Plus, it's actually been nice getting a little bit of sun and fresh air. My body and constitution seem to like it, even if my mind isn't always a fan. 

........

My writer's mind keeps circling back to creative writing quite consistently lately. I'm surprised, actually. Truly creative, imaginative storytelling is something I thought I wasn't interested in anymore and no longer knew how to do. It's been interesting to find out that not only still can I write like that -- and reasonably well -- but that my mind still readily goes there on command and naturally seems to come up with really unique ideas. 

It's making me look forward to this year's NaNoWriMo event with eager anticipation, as my head's already starting to fill up with ideas I'd love to work with. Having this little cache of finished, polished stories sitting on my computer, all ready to go, has been so handy these past few months. It allows me to float a new one out there whenever I feel like it instead of waiting to feel inspired, writing something brand new off the cuff, and publishing it right away the way I might with a blog story. 

Last year, I wasn't entirely sure what (if anything) I'd be doing with the stories I wrote, but now that I know I'll likely be publishing them here and there on platforms like Medium or Vocal, I can create with that in mind. The stories are the perfect length for platforms like those, and I can come out of a single NaNoWriMo event with enough material to keep publishing that way all year long. It's pretty cool.

I'm planning on doing the same with poetry soon. The Margaret Atwood masterclass I took was so inspiring and such a game-changer for my creative writing, so I'm currently chewing my way through a poetry one from Billy Collins. I'm excited to see whether I've still got a knack for poetry somewhere deep down, hibernating and waiting for a chance to come out of hiding.