the writing life – Page 9 – Sharon Lee, Writer

And yet again it is Thursday

. . . this keeps happening. Must investigate.

So. Thursday. Sunny 40!F!/4C.

Breakfast was the last of my homemade hummus and naan. Am munching on cheddar cheese pretzel pieces as I type this, because (1) they’re addictive and (2) I’m snackish. Lunch will be the other piece of lasagna.

PT has been accomplished, as well as a PO run, and a stop at the grocery store. I filled the car up with gas, so I’m ready to go flying outta here on Saturday morning on a heading for Brunswick.

I have not been able to get excited about Doing Something for Christmas. I did pick up a ham slice, and I have yams on hand, so, yanno, ham and and a yam for dinner on the day could be a thing. I also picked up a frozen so-called single pizza (Screamin’ Sicilian, for those who keep track of such things), in case that’s something I’ll be wanting. Oh, and canned chick peas, on account of I am making hummus again.

Mostly, though, it’s looking like next Thursday will be nothing any more or less special than all the days have been lately.

The plan going forward is to heat the oven so I can have warm lasagna for lunch, then hit the WIP.

Tomorrow, I need to do a cat box changeout, and also get all my working files off of Steve’s computer, where I’ve been diligently writing, so I can continue to write while his office is upside down and the French doors are being replaced.

I need to decide if I’m just going to set up my laptop in the living room, and write there, or bring it totally back into my office. I’m leaning toward the living room, which will keep the task-spaces separate, and which I’ve been finding really useful.

Saturday, of course is the pre-dawn trip to Brunswick, two MRIs and home again, where kind neighbors have volunteered to come over and help push furniture around, because the window people require a six-foot clearance. For which I can’t blame them and there’s no denying that’s a full office experience.

. . . I think that’s all the news at the moment.

How’s Thursday treating you?

In which the author nips the bud

Monday evening. Book club was fun, though we were down a member, due to Life, and we did not chose another book.

Came home and had about an hour to spend with the WIP, but! Absent taking out the trash first thing, I don’t have to be anywhere or do anything until 5 pm, so tomorrow morning is Bidness as Usual.

I? Think I’ve figured out why so many people are wanting in on my Liaden Universe® read-along, and I am going to nip this in the bud right now.

Ready?

BUD-NIPPING ANNOUNCEMENT: No, I am not reading 27 Liaden novels outloud. If this is what “read-along” means to the Greater Internet, I apologize, and will now explain what I mean when I say “read-along.” I take as my model in this, Humpty Dumpty from Alice.

What I am going to do is read — read — the existing Liaden Universe® novels, starting with Agent of Change and going through to Diviner’s Bow, in Publication Order. I will post my thoughts as I go along, and those who had decided to read along with me may comment on my comments.

I am not (that’s NOT) reading them aloud, live or to a recording. Why not? Because reading aloud is a performance, and I don’t want to perform, I want to read for understanding, and hopefully, pleasure.

I haven’t set it up yet, but my reading notes will most likely appear on Splinter Universe. I haven’t gotten much further in my considerations than the vague idea that I’ll post a link whenever I’ve made a new post.

I’m looking at a start date of January 1 2026, and I will, as above, be starting with Agent of Change, first published as a Del Rey Books Mass Market Original, with a cover by Stephen Hickman, in February 1988. I was 35; Steve was 37. It was our first novel, but not our first collaboration, and it hit the bookstores in December 1987, where it could be purchased for a whopping! three dollars and fifty cents, US.

Here endeth the Bud-Nipping Segment of Tonight’s Entertainment.

Everybody have a good evening; stay safe. I’ll look in tomorrow.

Here, have a picture from my annual review:

Monday morning drive-by

Monday. Sunny and cold. Tea and sunlight have happened.

Scrambled eggs with spinach and onions with whole grain toast for breakfast.

Today will be Upside Down Day: Chores/RL in the morning, writing when I come home from the bookclub. Already done the banking, where I was pleased to see the on-signing for Liaden Universe® Constellation Volume 6 sitting demurely in the account. Ms dea’Gauss will likewise be pleased.

Next up is proofing the reprint story and bio for Adversity and Audacity. Then, one’s duty to the cats, and staging the trash, by which time it’ll probably be time to go to the library.

Someone asked Why I was going to read the Liaden Universe® novels in publication order.

Setting aside that, “Because I want to and it’s mine to decide” is a completely legitimate reason, I am reading them in publication order because!

Agent of Change was published in February 1988 (written in 1984). Diviner’s Bow was published in April 2025 (written in 2023/2024). I want to see both the progression of the authors’ skills, and their perceptions of their life and world as reflected in their work. This is, I note, a chancy game when played by critics, biographers, and reviewers, but I know these authors as no others can, so I feel fairly confident in my ability to read their work correctly.

And on that note! Imma proof a short story.

How’s everybody doing today?

Who’s the hunter, who’s the game?

View the pre-Sarah cat census here

Now, where were we?

Ah.

Friday.

Sarah has departed and the house is much cleaner. She reported that Firefly flirted with her to the point of offering chin to be rubbed, which is really new. Usually, Firefly booked to Steve’s office the minute the door opened for the cleaning person. Of course, that was when we had Trooper to stand between us and all invaders. Firefly had apparently settled on a soft approach to invaders (Trooper satisfied himself with Keeping A Close Eye). I did think I saw a memo come in regarding adopting Sarah, but any such Resolution needs to be unanimous, and I, at least, cannot sanction making Sarah’s cats into orphans.

Wrote a little, my intention is to write some more, but also to quit early and watch the first episode of Miss Scarlet.

After Sarah left us, I made hummus, and then I made some toast to so that I could properly sample what I had wrought — and yes I will be making that again. And when I do, I’ll be using the blender, because my food processor is just a little midgy thing, and not up to an entire can of chickpeas. Though it worked fine doing it in sections. Messy, but fine.

While I was in the kitchen, I made some cookies to address the catastrophe reported the other day.

Remaining on the to-do list, one’s duty to the cats, a brief walk, Part 2 of PT homework, eating lunch, and hitting the WIP again.

So! That’s the news from here.

What’s the news from there?
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Well. Knocking off for the day. Didn’t get much writing done — only about 700 new words, but I did a lot of plotting and staring into space.

On the RL front, I had apparently hit the Land’s End sale hard last year. I had no idea that I had this many mock-necks. OTOH, it’s winter, so — yay! mock t-necks FTW.

I forgot to mention that I did go out to meet ‘n greet the new town manager last night, but it turns out that many people wanted to do the same thing, the new guy having grown up in Waterville and graduated from the high school and all. Long story short, his fandom turned out in such numbers that there was no place for me to park, even if I’d been willing to walk from the other side of the Concourse, which — SPOILER — I was not. So I came home. Mayhap I will write a letter after he’s officially in his office.

I see in my email queue a short story galley to proof, news of a check having landed, which should be in my account on Monday, and — oh. The library wonders if I’d like to do an Author Event in February. That might be fun.

The post office mail hasn’t been delivered yet, which is making me slightly cranky, since there’s a parcel due in that really can’t just sit out in the mailbox and freeze overnight.

My Plan for Saturday and Sunday — tomorrow and the next day — is to write, as next week is Quite Complicated, and that’s before we get to the crack o’dawn double MRI next Saturday. If I don’t check in over the next couple of days, it’s because I’m working.

And on that note — everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Patty Smyth and Scandal, because I heard it yesterday as I was out and about, and it’s a decent song and Patty Smyth can really sing. And I remember — yes, I do remember, the first time I saw the music video, and then trying to explain — er, no — describe it to Steve. WARNING: If continuity errors bother you, don’t watch this video. The Warrior

Story time

So, I spent an hour, or maybe a little more than an hour this morning in my writing space, looking for the place where Talizea yos’Phelium is born (Ghost Ship, as it happens, first published in August 2011, and if the Liaden Universe® ran on Real World time, Lizzie’d be cabin boy, or maybe at Scout Academy, instead of walking, now, except when she don’t.)

One of the things that my search convinced me of is that I really should sit down and read All the Liaden Books, which I’ve never had time to do. I still don’t have time, unless I want to dedicate my free-time reading in 2026 to the Liaden Universe®.

Anyway, what with looking for Lizzie’s birth, and checking another couple of pertinent events, I only wrote about 700 new words. However! I did write, and I have the supervisors to prove it:

Lunch was broccoli cheese soup, riffing off of a recipe in the insurance company’s newsletter. Then I had correspondence to tend to and real life chores, plus PT homework. I went downstairs eventually to do my duty to the cats, and take a walk.

Then before going back upstairs and maybe getting some more words written, I peeked into My Studio to look at my project, and said, “Oh, I’ll just cut one piece,” which — you know how this goes, right? Right. I cut out all the rest of the pieces. The next step is grinding, but that really does need to wait until I get this draft done. This will be easier to police than the cutting, since I don’t have a grinder here at home, but will need to rent a studio-with-tools at the glass shop in Manchester.

Tomorrow, now free of driving back and forth to Brunswick, is a Writing Day, and I have lots of leftover soup, so I won’t actually have to stop for more time than it takes to heat up a bowl and cut a piece of bread. I have two scenes sketched in, so I’m hopeful of a productive day.

For this evening, Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served — and appears to have been consumed — I’m all caught up on everything (except calling for a haircut, which for some reason I keep forgetting to do) so! I believe I’ll pour myself a glass of wine and go read for a bit.

Everybody have a good evening.

Thursday short form

I’m condensing this because the story is convoluted and played out over several days, starting the day before Thanksgiving,

Short form: I was scheduled for an MRI this Saturday in Brunswick, which is about 110 mile round trip from the Confusion Factory. It turns out that I need TWO MRIs and I have opted to have both done at the same time, rather than drive 110 miles back-to-back. All of this took a lot of time and angst, and produced much confusion, and too many phone calls, and I am … rather low because this is exactly the sort of thing that sets me on my ear.

The good news is that I now have Friday-Saturday-Sunday-Monday to write.

That said, I’ve been thinking lately about Jessica Rabbit and her famous line, “He makes me laugh.”

Now, I bow to none in my admiration of Jessica Rabbit, but in this, she was wrong. “It’s not, “He MAKES me laugh.” It’s “He LETS me laugh.” Which is to say, he — let’s call him, oh, Steve — creates a space in which it’s safe to experience joy, to be glad, to laugh, and to be yourself without fear and without editing.

And on that note?

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Tuesday evening post-snowpocalypse

Welp, that ain’t nine inches. Or even six. More like, oh, inch-and-three-quarter? Maybe two? I feel pretty comfortable saying that Physical Therapy tomorrow morning at 8 is a go.

While I’m out tomorrow, I should probably stop at the grocery store, which means I should probably make a list this evening.

Right after I serve Coon Cat Happy Hour. And pour myself a glass of wine.

No progress made on glass today — it was words all the way down. You will also notice the lack of a wordcount. This would be because the WIP is currently in about half-a-dozen pieces and God She knows how many words — or whole sentences! — are sneaking out for a drink when I’m not looking.

Tomorrow, after PT and grocery shopping, I’ll be settling down to write until Saturday morning when I’ll be driving to Brunswick to have an MRI. Or maybe TWO MRIs. My PCP’s office seems confused on this point. I do need two MRIs, and the information I’ve received from the PCP’s office is that they are helpless to add the second MRI to the Saturday appointment, but! If I ask the folks at the hospital nicely on Saturday, they’re sure to do the second one on my say-so, because it’s “in the system.”

Yes, yes, it is a variation on the Secretarial Nightmare: “Call this number and tell the guy who answers this. He’ll know what it means.”

SPOILER: He never knows what it means.

So, Saturday’s looking to be fun.

Local peeps! Where’s good to eat in Brunswick on Saturday? I’ve only ever eaten at The Great Impasta, which is fine, but I’m feeling like I should branch out. Oh, no, I’m wrong. I’ve also eaten in the Bowdoin College cafeteria, but I don’t think that’ll be an option on Saturday.

With all that said! Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Winter in his snowy white coat

So! As I was saying — it’s Tuesday.

I woke up ‘way too early, ate an English muffin with cheese, sat with the Happy Lamp over a cup of tea and was at work on the WIP before 8 am, which is, coincidentally, when it started snowing. I decided to leave the trash and recycling in the garage; they can make their spiritual journey to the curb next Tuesday.

I’m taking a break from the WIP to make phone calls, and am now waiting for the PCP’s office to call me back about whether I can squish both MRIs into one MRI on Saturday, or if I’ll have to be rescheduled.

I will not be going to needlework this evening. In fact, I doubt that there will be needlework this evening.

Tomorrow first thing is my PT appointment. If I’m plowed out. If I’m not plowed out, Imma be right here, writing. Yeah, you might say I’m conflicted.

It is, as I write this, still snowing, and the ‘beans are sticking tight to their 6-9 inches, slowly petering out around 4 am.

While I’m taking my break, I’ll go downstairs to do my duty to the cats, and start warming the oven for lunch. Then back to work. I really want to finish this draft from the end of the month/year, being as I missed finishing it by the end of November.

buys the boys in the basement those special pretzels they like — and another keg of beer. Always with the beer, those guys.

And how’s the weather where you are today?

If there’s a God up in heaven, he has a Silver Thunderbird

So, Thanksgiving.

Went to work early and wrote, eh, 700ish words on the story that woke me up yesterday. Closed that and wrote another 800ish words on the WIP.

Made a fancy dinner — two chicken breasts, stuffing, gravy, asparagus, San Pellegrino Limonata with a splash of Pinot Grigio. I had dessert on hand, but I went back to write some more, at which point, there was a BOOM! that shook the whole house and the windows in their frames. The cats leapt up. I leapt up. Honestly, I thought a tree had hit the house, and ran outside — but all was well. Did a quick tour of the house, including the basement — all was as it should be.

Turned out that a propane tank had exploded in Oakland (Maine) about 5 miles from my house. People on the neighborhood list on Facebook were saying they heard the BOOM! in Winslow, across the river — call it 8 miles away. The house was reduced to flinders and flame, one guy was lifeflighted to Portland. A dog was found in the area, badly burned; people passing by took him to the emergency vet. Fire departments from at least five towns were called in. It’s a right mess, and I’m glad I was no closer than five miles, because it was plenty scary right here.

Tomorrow morning, Sarah’s due to clean. After, I intend to devote myself to My Art for the rest of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

I do still have one burning question to resolve today, which is!

Do I want to have a chicken sandwich for dinner?

Hope everybody had a good day, whether or not it was a holiday.

Thanksgiving Day in pictures

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Marc Cohn, “Silver Thunderbird“

White bird dreams of the aspen trees

Tuesday. Chilly and dim. Trash and recycling at the curb.

Breakfast was cold pizza. A milestone. I had what I believe to be my first pizza since Steve died on Sunday night, post-interview. It would have been something we might have done. This being so, I had cold pizza for breakfast, also for the first time in more than a year. … It was good. Pairs well with Scottish Morn tea.

Woke up this morning with a short story in my head, so I need to map that out before I hit the WIP.

I have finished writing the Holiday Letter; it is now cooling before I reread and (probably) revise. Firefly helped me find the cards, and then we all had to sit around and explain to Rook about cards, and let him sniff them. He got green glitter on his nose.

Still reading The Thursday Murder Club (yes, yes: slow reader). One of the things I’m especially enjoying is the acknowledgement that all of the club members had Done Stuff — even a lot of stuff. They did not just manifest one day as Old People, their pasts either irrelevant or a blank.

And of course, it’s wonderful to see them manipulate the “clueless and helpless old people” perception.

I’m a little scared of Elizabeth, though.

So! This evening is needlework. This morning is writing.

I’m gonna need more tea.

What’s on your schedule today?

Today’s blog post brought to you by David and Linda LaFlamme, “White Bird“