October

Five Things - October 7, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

  1. In class, we’re starting a section on mysteries and thrillers. While I’m quite comfortable writing thrillers with twisty plots and high stakes, I have to admit, I don’t know much about mysteries. I don’t really read them, and I’ve never written one. That’ll change by next month since our next creative writing assignment is a mystery, so wish me luck!

  2. It’s October already! When we started this journey, I wondered if the fall would still be my most productive writing time, and I’m pleased to report that I’m writing all the time! Much of this can be attributed to school, where I have no choice but to make content, workshop it, and move on to the next thing. It’s a fast pace, but writing faster was one of my goals for 2024. I’m also trying to find a home for whatever I create in class, whether that’s a podcast, anthology, or expanding the work.

  3. When I’m starting a new writing project, I’m totally stressed out until I have the infrastructure worked out in my mind. Before I know where a story is heading, including the major plot points and character arcs, I spin. For me, the heavy lifting happens in the planning. Last week, I had to write a synopsis for a novel I haven’t written yet. A synopsis, for those wondering, is a two page summary of the entire book, complete with the ending. Most writers would rather have a tooth pulled than write a synopsis. Anyway, since I loved the premise for my short story ‘Run, Harry, Run,’ which I wrote for my last workshop, I wondered if it would make a good full-length novel. Once I worked through this synopsis exercise, I decided that yes, it will, so I’m adding it to the pile of projects on my list for this school year! If you’d like to read the opening scene, you can check it out on my alter-ego’s blog post here: Short Fiction Fun!

  4. We’re still in Nashville. All our repairs were finished, and we got our brand new windshield, but just as we were about to head out of town, no hot water! That should be fixed by today, and then we’ll continue our westward trek. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be in Albuquerque by Saturday.

  5. “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape.” – Cate Price

Monday Musings - 10-31-22

October is a month with five Mondays, so that means this post will appear on tabithalordauthor.com and msmaggieclare.com. It also happens to be Halloween, and I’ll be spending the evening alone. Ray is out of town for work, and the kids now all live on the opposite side of the country. But, instead of throwing myself a pity party, I’m going to dress my tiny dog in a cute costume and give out candy to the neighborhood younglings. Then, I’m going to pour a glass of wine and binge watch something on Netflix. It really sounds like a lovely evening!

Halloween has always been a big deal for us. Ray and I had our first date on Halloween a million years ago, and we got engaged on the spooky holiday a year later. We’ve thrown massive parties over the years, provided that ‘special’ cider for the adults in the neighborhood, and could have outfitted our own horror movie with the number of costumes in our closets.

So, it might seem a little strange, and maybe a little sad, that I’ll be spending the last Halloween in our house all by myself. Well, me and the dog. But I don’t feel sad. I feel really excited. Next year, a new family will be here making new memories and we’ll be off on a grand adventure somewhere. When I look back, it’s with a sense of completion. When I look forward, it’s with enthusiasm and excitement.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I’ll be at RI Comic Con this weekend signing books at the ARIA table #621. Stop by and say hello! Here’s my panel schedule:

World Building 101 - Friday, Nov 4, 5:30-6:15 pm - Convention Center Room 552

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you. 

A Hero, an Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar - Sat, Nov 5, 11:30-12:15 - Convention Center Room 552

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes, and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.