Time for a lookback on the week.

As usual, I’ve stayed busy all week, blogging for the RRBC challenge, contributing to some of my other projects, tweeting (yes, I’m still there), previewing new CDs for my radio show, attending two Zoom meetings for boards of directors on which I serve, volunteering in two different elementary schools, played tennis three times, and, finally, going over editing I received from 4Wills Publishing for my upcoming novel.

I’m excited about the new novel, which is ostensibly a sequel to Empty Seats, but it goes in many other directions as well, places I’d never expected as I was writing. Sometimes that happens–the best-laid plans of outlines or expectations go elsewhere. Robert Frost always talked about the road not taken; I took one road in this new novel, and maybe I’ll go back later and take the other road in yet another novel.

Another RRBC member (you know who you are) suggested that I write several shorter novellas about the characters in Empty Seats—the Empty Seats series, focusing on each character in the original book. I’m working on that as well. What a great idea that is!

Now I’m working on another novel that’s sure to get me in trouble with my in-laws because I’ve based a character on my particularly difficult (deceased) mother-in-law, although I do allow her to redeem herself by the end. You know what? At my age, I don’t care any more. It’s sort of like the old adage of “when I am old, I shall wear purple.” At this age, I found it therapeutic to write about the way she mistreated me through the eyes of a made-up character. Write what you know, and I certainly know that situation.

Coming up this weekend: A radio show on Saturday night, a meeting on Sunday morning with the person who helps me with my website (hoping to fix the fact that I can’t leave comments on people’s blogs), and a get-together with some old friends. We’re going to watch the PBS special on the music of the Civil Rights Movement. And two new blogs. Stay tuned…