and sometimes you just need a little self-induced panic

Alex and her beloved guitar teacher, Leland.  October 26, 2016.

When I was writing The Beauty of Different, whenever I had a bit of writer's block, I'd back away from Microsoft Word and grab my camera and go shoot something -- anything -- just to give my mind a break from trying to string words together.  Often the images would end up in the book, but often they wouldn't.  It was more of an exercise to get my head in the right (write?) space.

I've mentioned before that I've been working on my second book, but my friends, it has been slow going.  I started putting it together a year ago, and yet, I've completed an embarrassingly small percentage of it.  And yesterday, because I've apparently lost my mind, I promised my publisher I'd have a final manuscript to them by the end of the year.  And I meant it, too.

Because I've decided to motivate myself with sheer, unadulterated panic.

All this to say that it's time to put my head down and get at it, because by God, I'm gonna make this deadline.  While I do this, I'll still be sharing photographs and quick stories here, but while I've no doubt I'll still be enjoying many good weeks, and I'm sure that when I see a cool link I'll be moved to share it with you, my This Was A Good Week post will be more ad hoc (that is, spread out over a few days instead of all on one single Friday).  But if the past year is any indication, it means that I'll be shooting a lot.  You know, to get in the write space.  So some of the overflow will very likely show up here.

So. More pics. Shorter posts.  But always looking for the light (while I shoot and write like the wind).

Wish me luck, folks.

(Pssst .... while I was at my publisher's, I picked up a few copies of the brand-spanking new third reprint of The Beauty of Different.  If you'd like to purchase some signed copies for end-of-year gifts, they're now available in the shop, until they're gone.  Unsigned copies will remain available at Amazon or your favourite bookseller.)

Soundtrack:  Black dog by Led Zeppelin.  Because this is what Alex was playing with Leland while I was typing this post.