Monday Musings 11-16-20

The dark days of winter are quickly approaching, and this year, with more lockdowns on the horizon, I’m feeling a low grade sense of panic set in. I already struggle to keep from circling the drain mental-health wise in the winter, and with the added stress of the pandemic, I’m going to have to call on all the tricks in my book to get through the season.

So, what are those tricks? Most importantly, I pay attention to self-care. During the winter, my tendency is to let things go that I probably shouldn’t in the self-care department. I don’t feel like working out when it’s still dark in the morning. I want hot chocolate and comfort food pretty much all the time. Sweat pants and a baseball hat seems like a fine wardrobe choice. Instead of fighting these tendencies, I try to incorporate them in a healthy, balanced way. Here are a few specific things I try to do:

• Get more sleep. I need it and the longer nights promote it. I pretend I'm hibernating. 

• Make my work space more pleasant. Candles and twinkle lights. Seriously. They make the darkness, which lasts so much longer now, feel cozy.

• More yoga, less gym. I don't stress myself about getting in a hard core workout a certain number of times per week in the winter. Rather, I commit to more hot yoga. It's great exercise, it’s good for tight winter muscles, and it's hot. Did I mention it's hot? Even if the studio I attend has to close down, I have a place in my house ready to go, complete with space heaters and candles.

• Outdoor time. It takes more effort, layers, and proper footwear, but when I can take a hike in the woods, or even take a walk around the neighborhood, I'm in a better mood afterwards.

Hopefully, there is a light at the end of this pandemic tunnel, with a vaccine on the horizon. But, it is still a long, daunting tunnel to traverse before we get to the other side. Before the season really takes hold, it may be a good time to think ahead about how you’ll manage it. Your self-care methods may not be mine, but you get the idea. Feel free to share what works for you!

In other news…

Save the date! The RI Author Expo is going virtual this year. On December 5 from 10 am - 4 pm, we will have a fantastic line-up of FREE panels, programs, and virtual author meet and greets. We’re using the Grenadine platform and it would be best to register ahead of time so you can plan your day. On the day of the event, live links will be available for every program. Check it out here: RI Virtual Expo. Click the blue button on the top navigation bar to register for the event.

Here’s my schedule for the day:

• Tabitha’s Kaffeeklatsch (meet and greet) 10:00 - 10:45 am

• Not Your Mama’s Romance (panel) - 11:00 - 11:45 am

• Kick Your Scene into Action (presentation) 12:00 - 12:45 pm

• So, You Want to Write a Series? (panel) 2:00 - 2:45 pm

• A Hero, an Anti-hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar… (panel) 3:00 - 3:45 pm

Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 9-7-20

It’s a gorgeous September day here in New England. Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. We had dinner out and stayed overnight in a hotel. It was perfect, and life felt almost normal.

We are currently sitting on the front porch watching our neighbors with young children pushing strollers, chasing after bikes with training wheels, and walking toddlers and puppies. We’ve both commented on how much we enjoyed that time in our lives - and it was quite a long time, raising four kids eleven years apart in total. We also very much appreciate where we are now - able to take off for the night without any prior arranging, except to make sure kid #3 feeds the dog.

This Covid summer, we were limited in what we could do and where we could go, so we spent it mostly home together, enjoying this life we’ve built. It’s a full, messy, sometimes chaotic life full of laughter, tears, and love, and neither of us would trade it.

With the approaching fall, we’ll shift into busy season with work, school activities, deadlines, and early mornings. Still, our life now is the result of conscious choices and proactive decisions. We are where we want to be, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

“Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being.” – Matthieu Ricard

And now for some housekeeping items…

• From now on, I’ll be sending Monday Musings on the first and third Monday of the month. Turns out, managing multiple author platforms while trying to produce content is actually quite time-consuming! If you’d like to follow my Maggie Clare blog on the second and fourth Monday each month, you can sign up at www.msmaggieclare.com.

• I’m working diligently on Dreamwalker, my newest manuscript featuring a badass lady assassin, and I’ll be sharing a few sneak peeks here in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

• I’ve rebooked several Comic Cons and signings for 2021. You can find those dates here: Tabitha’s Event Schedule. Fingers crossed that the world will be safe enough for us to get together in person!

• Of particular note, the Annual RI Author Expo on December 5th is going to be virtual this year. I’m the gal in charge of planning the programs and panels. So far they’re shaping up to be interesting and varied. More info to come as we get closer to the event.

As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and virtual interactions. Please do stay in touch!

Monday Musings 8-31-20

I can’t believe today is the last day of August! When I sat on the front porch this morning, I could feel the change in the air. As fall approaches, I’ve been reflecting on this COVID summer. When all my travel and book promotional events had to be cancelled, I consciously adapted my expectations and revised my goals for the season. Now, standing on the other side, I’m reviewing, assessing, and planning for the fall.

Naturally, I’ve been obsessing over the things I didn’t accomplish, like finishing my latest manuscript. I’ve never been able to produce a lot of content during the summer, but I thought this year, with no travel, I might be able to do more. Turns out, I’m still not all that productive a writer during the summer season.

Okay, so the manuscript is only half finished, but I was busy! My habit, so I don’t get too down on myself, is to review the things I did accomplish right after the list of things I did not. This summer, I worked with an amazing team of educators to prepare our school for reopening. I took on more responsibility at Inkitt, where I am the managing editor for the writer’s blog. I launched two more books in my new romantic suspense series. I read several interesting novels and interviewed a couple of fabulous authors. I started working with a team to plan RI’s Virtual Expo. I rebooked all my travel for next year.

More importantly, I also spent good quality time with my family and close friends. We barbecued, swam, laughed, and yes, drank a bit more than we should have. All in all, for a summer filled with uncertainty and challenge, I came out of it no worse for the wear, and for this, I am very grateful.

I’ll spend the rest of the week planning what I need to accomplish this fall, but for today, I am going to appreciate the crisp air, blue sky, and these last few days of summer.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

Monday Musings 8-3-20

I can’t believe it’s August already. I am torn between hoping this year will swiftly come to an end, and not wanting to wish away time. When the kids were little, this quote always spoke to me, “The days are long, but the years are short.”

The sentiment fits well during this strange time of Covid. On the one hand, it’s already August. On the other hand, it feels like we’ve been living in an alternate universe, in which time has slowed and we are stuck in limbo, for a very long time.

I’m attempting to keep my mindset positive, with mostly good success. I remind myself regularly to focus on only those things over which I have control - whether they are related to the state of the world, my own work, personal relationships, or my mental equilibrium. I can control how I treat others, my work ethic, and my own inner dialogue. There’s less of an inner struggle when I let go of the rest.

“You can’t calm the storm… so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” - Timber Hawkeye

Monday Musings 6-29-20

In addition to fiction writing, I’m also the managing editor for a writer’s blog. Last week, I asked each of the bloggers, myself included, to write about their plans for the summer. How were they approaching their projects in light of Covid? How were they making up for the in-person events they would normally attend? How were they planning to refill their creative wells?

Their responses were varied, but there were a few things I noticed in common. Everyone was planning to look for new opportunities to connect. Everyone felt like they could actually write something this summer, as opposed to the beginning of the pandemic when most of us felt shell-shocked. Everyone was trying to adapt their own habits to meet this new reality.

There was also an underlying tone of uncertainty in our articles. None of us know what this pandemic means for us long term - personally, professionally, emotionally. We’re keeping the fear at bay by pushing forward, finding new ways to work, adapting. But, the fear is still there. Most of the photos we chose to go with our posts last week were a bit dark and ominous, even if the writing was mostly upbeat.

The sun is shining. We are attempting to find our equilibrium in these uncertain times. We’re thinking creatively. But the fear is still there. Or maybe we can reverse that sentiment. The fear is still there, but we are bravely attempting to navigate through it.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
— Nelson Mandela

Monday Musings 6-22-20

Over the years, I’ve learned to think about my creative life in terms of seasons. When I honor my personal, seasonal rhythm, my productivity over time is really good. It’s been an effective method. I create a lot of content in the fall when the days are crisp and my house is quiet. I allow myself a gentler pace during the cold, dark days of winter. I spend a lot of time on the business side of things during spring. And summer, well, summer is usually my favorite season.

My summers have been filled with conferences, conventions, book tours, and signings. Being with other writers or my own fans helps me recharge. Summer is generally the season when I remember that although writing is my job now, I still find great joy in it.

This summer, things are different, and Covid is already taking a toll on my professional life. But, I live in coastal New England, a beautiful part of the world, especially in the summertime. For years, I’ve wanted to spend the entire summer here instead of traveling, and this year, well, I don’t have a choice. So, I am going to look for the gift in this challenging time. I’m going to appreciate the longer days, the slower pace, and the ability to spend hours outdoors. I’m going to imagine I’m on a writing retreat and sink into my project. I’m going to let go of my expectations. Without them, I’m free to embrace the season in a new way.

“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” - Oprah Winfrey 

Monday Musing 5-18-20

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I often get focused on a particular word, either because it’s literary sounding and interesting, or because I can reflect on its deeper meaning. This week, the word is resilience.

In my role as Board President for an independent school, I’m working on a Covid-19 response plan to be ready to safely open our school as soon as possible, and to create contingency plans for the various scenarios we may have to face in this strange new world. In the course of this work, I’ve been privileged to communicate and collaborate with heads of school all over the world. Their innovative thinking, devotion to the health and safety of the children, and thoughtful approach is inspiring and gives me confidence that we will find a way through this world-altering event.

Every one of the educators I’ve spoken with - who are either working with distance learning plans, or, in the case of the European schools, trying to bring children back to campus - have said how resilient the students have been. My colleagues have shown exceptional resiliency and dedication. I see this resiliency in my own children, in the way they have found joy, camaraderie, and innovation in maintaining relationships, supporting their friends, and tackling their school work. I’ve found this resiliency in my group of friends and in my creative community.

Nothing is as it was, and it may not be for a while. But, I am encouraged when I’m able to usefully participate in finding a new path forward. We humans are resilient creatures, we’re creative, and we still have each other to rely on.

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.” ― Elizabeth Edwards