Holidays are upon us and 2020 is rolling to an end. While I’m certain all of humanity will be glad to see this year in our rearview mirror, the challenges it has brought haven’t all been bad. There are a few positives to find. Day to day life has definitely changed, travel has been restricted (*sob*), but there are benefits to keeping close at home.
Like more time. Day job is M-F, but now three of those days are working at home. No commute saves me 1.5 hours a day and that’s a lot of extra writing time! I’ve put it to good use too. Going Indie is no small feat. There is a LOT to be done. I’ve created spreadsheets to track it all. It helps, even if the list of things to be done is daunting.
I’m more productive. My newest book project is the start of a brand new adventure series. YAY! But just because I’m going Indie doesn’t mean I get out of enduring a brutal edit process. I have an incomparable editor (cmdediting.com) and her rock solid developmental skill in finding pitfalls and the potential is invaluable. Book 1 is finally at the end of that hard working phase and book 2 is well on the way to a spectacular plot that I’m excited about. In fact, I’m seriously loving this project. Stay tuned for an epic announcement…coming soon!
Travel is on hold. This is both good and bad. We aren’t going anywhere, but living 2020 in a state of limbo has given us the opportunity to save real dollars. This is a very good thing because coming up: Destination – Italy. Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Venice. That’s two weeks soaking up culture, Italian food, limoncello, and BOOK RESEARCH. The planning is inspiring too. I mean…look at this place!
Positano has been on my list of MUST SEE places for a long while. And that time is finally coming in early 2022. It seems forever away, but honestly, anticipation is half the fun.
While I wait, I’m pounding the keyboard, working two projects at once and watching the world go by outside my window. I live the country life and share it with deer, wild turkey, an occasional possum, not to mention a huge variety of birds, thanks to an obsessive level of bird houses and feeders that pepper our backyard. It’s all very soothing and great for creativity.
So here’s to the end of 2020. Take care and stay cool everyone. Mask up. And most of all… I wish everybody a safe and healthy holiday season!
Monica McCabe 