Still an author, still writing when I can.

I haven't given up, and dear readers: I hope you haven't given up on me!

Two months ago on my blog, I shared how writing plans got delayed by the ups and downs of life, so if you haven’t already, you can get the rundown here.

Since then, I got to spend some time in amazing-as-ever Paris catching up with friends, plus a lovely reunion trip in Italy. Snippets and food recommendations and anything else travel related can always be found on my Instagram, so for now let’s focus this cozy Sunday time on the topics of life and writing.

The curveballs get curvier

I was able to get a great writing session in on the plane journey from Paris back to Toronto, but since then, I hadn’t really touched the manuscript until today—yes, I wrote today, and it was glorious. It’s just one of those things when you make your plans and life makes other plans for you. As was the case when I wrote my last blog post, I won’t get into much detail about it, because do the details really matter? Instead I think it’s enough to say that when stressful things are going on, your family may need you to step up and be there more than ever. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do, amidst a day job in writing advertising copy that’s busier than ever.

So it goes in life, and I’m not alone—everyone is facing their own obstacles, and any bad day you feel like you’re having, someone out there is having a worse one, which is only to say, the deep breaths and perspective help me in the tougher moments. I hope they help you, too.

Life, lately, but we’ll still find time for eye makeup!

But it’s not all dreary—about that writing!

I haven’t given up, you know. And, dear readers, I hope you haven’t given up on me. And even if I’ve accepted that my binge-writing, obsessive type-A speed-writing ways don’t currently align with the timing that’s available, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been making some progress, or that I’m any bit less excited about my next manuscript.

This next book is a beacon of light. The thought of continuing to write it keeps me going. I feel privileged that its me who gets to tell this tale, this homage to classic rom coms with an alternate-reality twist. I can’t wait to hit “The End” in my Word doc, and to find the right agent who will help me get it into your hands in the biggest and best way ever.

So please know that I’m out there in the ether, writing my words on the canvas on the universe whenever the moment finds me—even if for now, it can’t be hours and hours at a time, on the weeknights and weekends of my choosing. I’ll still find my moments, I can promise you that.

And to anyone out there chasing a dream and hitting one obstacle after the next, I hope you’ll give yourself grace until you find your moments too.

Speaking of writing, here’s a little snippet from today.

I hope you consider the following one of the perks of being subscribed to my newsletter—the snippets! And even though it’s been quite a while, I’ll pop back in while I can to share further snippets, snippets galore, hopefully!

Until then, read on, enjoy, and here’s wishing that you find your moments for whatever keeps your spark alive.

Yours in word count,

R

And yet her eyes stayed locked onto Sam. It was annoying to be so fixed on futility, and if she’d been at home and in need of distraction from a pointless man-shaped endeavor, she’d simply binge-watch a limited series in a single night. But this and other distractions were unavailable. Which left her with a choice: she could either spend the next thirty days creating made-up distractions in the ad-free streaming service of her mind, or, she could . . . lean in. Embrace the unscripted series of life. If nothing else, it would pass the time in this Wi-Fi deficient wasteland.

With steady strides she headed for Sam, ignoring the authoritative calls to step back in line.  

The nervousness of having him see her returned, only now it was in motion, each drumbeat of her heart propelling her onward. It didn’t matter that all of this was pointless, and that trying to connect with a dead-inside soul was a dead-end street in the middle of Sector C. Because it was exciting; to take each step, to not quite know what would happen next. And she hadn’t felt that way in the longest time.

Side effects of watching rom coms may include getting hopped up on “main character energy”.