Patricia Stoltey

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What’s going on at your #amwriting spot?

April 24, 2018 By: Patricia

I’m sad to say not much actual writing has been going on in my favorite #amwriting place, which is my little office upstairs in the front corner of the house overlooking the court. I’ve hung out on social media a little, watched the pygmy nuthatch and the woodpecker jog up and down the tree out front, and thought a lot about planting lettuce, spinach, gladiolus bulbs, and a couple of rose bushes. On most days I’m serenaded for an hour or so by the youngish neighbor practicing drums in his garage. It reminds me of when my own boys were young and happily played for our neighbors who never complained.

Naps, baking banana-blueberry muffins, cleaning out the refrigerator, re-arranging everything in the pantry…

Oh, Procrastination, why dost thou ride on my shoulder like an anti-muse?

Two really good things result from procrastination (at least in my experience): 1) I get out of the house more often to meet friends for coffee, breakfast, or lunch, and 2) I read a lot more books. Currently I’m reading one of the most clever sci fi books I’ve ever read: R. Gary Raham’s A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand: From deathbed to pethood and beyond in Earth’s far distant future.

One constructive project (no, not #amwriting) I’m working on is posting to my blog more often and bringing in more guest authors.

Thursday I’m featuring author and editor Alice Duncan with the story about the ups and downs of her Daisy Gumm Majesty series. Alice writes under a lot of pseudonyms as well as her own name, and she’s prolific (sigh!).

Teresa R. Funke was my guest on April 17th with her post on How to Write Outside Your Experience. As a publisher and author or World War II books, including the Home-Front Heroes series of novels for middle-grade readers, Teresa knows about creating stories that she did not experience first-hand. She often, however, interviews real people who did live the tales, which explains why they ring true. My favorite adult book by Teresa is called Dancing in Combat Boots. It’s a collection of real-life stories from women who lived the times.

If you’re interested in being a guest on this blog, just let me know in the comments or send me your email address by messaging me on Facebook. I’m interested in family-friendly posts about writing, books, and the writing life.

And a TA-DA!

Wishing Caswell Dead is a finalist in the general fiction category for the Colorado Book Awards. Along with finalists from the poetry and literary fiction categories, general fiction finalists get to read 5-7 minutes at the BookBar in Denver. Winners will be announced on June 2nd.

That’s all, folks. Time to get ready for my critique group which will meet at my house tonight. I must go rearrange clutter, stabilize the tower of TBR books on my coffee table so it doesn’t fall and crush someone, and make sure my laptop is charged.

Please drop by on Thursday and meet editor and author Alice Duncan.

Category: Books and Authors, Guest Blogger, The Writing Life, Writing

Why Writers Procrastinate and 5 Ways to Avoid It … by Colleen M. Story

September 21, 2017 By: Patricia

When Pat told me she struggles with procrastination, my first thought was, “you’re not alone.” Studies over the last few decades suggest that procrastination is on the rise. In the late 1970s, about 5 percent of the population admitted to being chronic procrastinators, whereas today, about 26 percent do. We don’t know why this might …Read More

Category: Books and Authors, Guest Blogger, The Writing Life

For All You Overwhelmed Writers — Rescue is On the Way!

September 1, 2017 By: Patricia

Many thanks to Colleen M. Story and Midchannel Press for providing  an advance copy of Overwhelmed Writer Rescue: Boost Productivity, Improve Time Management, and Replenish the Creator Within. If I can be saved, there’s hope for all writers drowning in task overload and no writing time to be found. Overwhelmed Writer Rescue is for  those …Read More

Category: Books and Authors, The Writing Life

Writers–Make Peace with Your Choices and Stop Feeling Guilty

July 11, 2016 By: Patricia

I read so many blog posts and Facebook updates from authors who are carrying the huge burden of producing less than the author who lives down the street or even producing less than the goal on their personal writing plan. That prolific author Laura DiSilverio, for instance, writes 2,000 words a day no matter what. …Read More

Category: The Writing Life, Writing

Meet Patricia

I read, I write, I blog, and sometimes I do the laundry and cook. My 2014 novel, Dead Wrong, was a finalist in the thriller category of the 2015 Colorado Book Awards. Wishing Caswell Dead (Five Star/Cengage, December 20, 2017) is a historical mystery set in 1830s Illinois in the fictitious Village of Sangamon. The novel was a finalist for the 2018 Colorado Book Awards for General Fiction. Read More…

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