The first half of May delivered an astounding basketful of surprises, unexpected opportunities, and exciting developments. For the first sixteen days, my blank pages contain very few freshly minted words—translation—none, zip, zilch, nada. But when fortune’s favor smiled on me and offered a rare chance to unplug, unwind, and decompress for two entire weeks, I jumped. I don’t regret my decision. It’s a familiar tale. We don’t realize we need a break until we pack our bags and get the hell out of Dodge.

However, a vacation, sabbatical, leave of absence, or time off is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Responsibilities do not disappear. Bills require payment, obligations hold their bond, and promises must be kept. Few commitments are more important than the ones we make with ourselves. The face in the mirror knows when we make excuses, attempt to rationalize our decisions or lie. The same image is also kind, caring, and recognizes the truth in our words. I try my hardest to ensure I don’t disappoint my biggest supporter.

Each month, I average about 12,000 written words, and I have a similar expectation for this month. Feeling rested, recharged, and full of ideas, I’m betting I can reach my goal by writing 800 words every day through the end of the month. I’m ready. Are you?

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The first half of May delivered an astounding basketful of surprises, unexpected opportunities, and exciting developments. For the first sixteen days, my blank pages contain very few freshly minted words—translation—none, zip, zilch, nada. But when fortune’s favor smiled on me and offered a rare chance to unplug, unwind, and decompress for two entire weeks, I jumped. I don’t regret my decision. It’s a familiar tale. We don’t realize we need a break until we pack our bags and get the hell out of Dodge.

However, a vacation, sabbatical, leave of absence, or time off is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Responsibilities do not disappear. Bills require payment, obligations hold their bond, and promises must be kept. Few commitments are more important than the ones we make with ourselves. The face in the mirror knows when we make excuses, attempt to rationalize our decisions or lie. The same image is also kind, caring, and recognizes the truth in our words. I try my hardest to ensure I don’t disappoint my biggest supporter.

Each month, I average about 12,000 written words, and I have a similar expectation for this month. Feeling rested, recharged, and full of ideas, I’m betting I can reach my goal by writing 800 words every day through the end of the month. I’m ready. Are you?

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The first half of May has already delivered an astounding basketful of surprises, unexpected opportunities, and exciting developments. For the first sixteen days, my blank pages contain very few freshly minted words—translation—none, zip, zilch, nada. But when fortune’s favor smiled on me and offered a rare chance to unplug, unwind, and decompress for two entire weeks, I jumped. I don’t regret my decision. It’s a familiar tale. We don’t realize we need a break until we pack our bags and get the hell out of Dodge.

However, a vacation, sabbatical, leave of absence, or time off is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Responsibilities do not disappear. Bills require payment, obligations hold their bond, and promises must be kept. Few commitments are more important than the ones we make with ourselves. The face in the mirror knows when we make excuses, attempt to rationalize our decisions or lie. The same image is also kind, caring, and recognizes the truth in our words. I try my hardest to ensure I don’t disappoint my biggest supporter.

Each month, I average about 12,000 written words, and I have a similar expectation for this month. Feeling rested, recharged, and full of ideas, I’m betting I can reach my goal by writing 800 words every day through the end of the month. I’m ready. Are you?

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I woke to rain spattering on my window and wished I had the luxury of pulling the covers over my head and going back to sleep. But the planting crew with my new trees confirmed an 8 am start time, so I reluctantly threw back my covers, forced my feet to connect with the floor, and stumbled to the shower. Coffee, always the first order of my day, was finished when the trucks pulled in front of the house.

Five hours later, the weather cleared, transplanted trees and bushes settled into their new, forever homes, and my muse whispered in my ear. She planted seeds in my mind and prodded my characters to resume their tales. My muse is a cruel mistress, and she demands my obedience. But I have been working without her guidance for too long, and I will gratefully do her bidding. She says she has been watching me, and today we start the actual work.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 517 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Spring has sprung. May 1 is the last date this area expects a hard frost, and my yard work is in full swing. Yesterday began the carefully choreographed parade of contractors that starts with the call to mark the buried utility lines in the yard. Next on the agenda is the sprinkler system turn on, winter damage assessment, and flagging the sprinkler heads.

Thursday’s schedule involves planting two new trees. The Black Tupelo in the front yard replaces the canker-infested Blue Spruce we removed in February. I selected a Bald Cypress and a handful of Red Twig Dogwood shrubs to create an attractive accent against the white fence in the backyard. They will help control the standing water that pools along the fence line during wet weather.

The big event is Friday and Saturday. Weeping pine sap from the Blue Spruce killed the front lawn and left the soil too acidic for a successful reseeding. The crew will remove the dead grass, backfill with new soil, level the area, and lay new sod. They will also redefine the existing garden beds, and establish new layouts around the fresh plantings, then top-dress with mulch.

I’m also power washing the house and fence, adding new perennials to freshen the curb appeal, and in a few weeks, when the weather is warmer, setting out tomatoes, basil, peppers, and perhaps a few other vegetables in my garden plot. Even with the added activity, I haven’t forgotten my focus.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 389 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Tuesday ended up being a day filled with challenges and unexpected opportunities requiring on-your-feet-thinking and spur-of-the-moment decisions. It was a day when you gather as much information as time allows, work the details on the back of the envelope, pivot, make a bold decision, and hope for the best.

Normally, those days leave me exhausted, but the scenarios I tamed left me excited and invigorated. It was a great day to get some words written.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 520 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Monday hit me like water from a fire hose. Every project seemed to reach three-alarm levels, and I scrambled to stay ahead of the blaze. Fires out, crisis averted, and I was left soaking wet and exhausted. Boy, so glad I decided Monday morning was a good day to increase the mileage on my daily walk. That is how it works when you attempt to stuff ten pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack. Push on one side, and something squeezes out of the opposite corner.

Never fear. Superman saved the day and set everything back on the correct course. This Superman may need a few hours in the Fortress of Solitude to restore the enormous energy drain Monday extracted. I hope the week gets easier.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 413 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Sunday provided a rare opportunity to decompress. It felt like an episode from a dystopian show where everyone disappears, and you find yourself alone. Eerie, surreal, and utterly wonderful. I had the house to myself, devoid of nerve-jarring noises, and with no distractions and zero interruptions, I found time and space to write. Tragically, after an hour, someone broke the spell, and we were back to business as usual. But for sixty blissful moments, the muse whispered in my ear, my fingers flew across the keyboard, and words appeared on my screen. I live for pockets of time when everything works.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 525 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This is my weekend to catch up on everything I didn’t do last weekend. I jampacked yesterday with errands, an endless backlog of household chores, and an intense desire to destroy my list. I imagined the joy of grabbing a cup of coffee, my current read, and settling into my comfy chair for the duration. It’s my fault. I know what happens when I start a new book—I don’t want to put it down until I reach the last page.

Since I know my preference, the sensible choice would be a compromise that involves forcing myself to select a short story collection or a sweet novella. Nope, that would be too easy. I want a sweeping epic fantasy, with multiple books in the series where each installment clocks in at 700-800 pages. I have difficulty believing people who claim they can read a chapter a night before bed. What? If I want to sleep, the last drowsiness aide on my list is reading. Embarking on a new story is a sure-fire prescription for a sleepless night, a yawned-filled day, and a heated argument about when to begin reading the next book.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 282 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

No one was happier than I was when Friday came early. I’m always a bit surprised and beyond delighted when the weekend arrives to shut down and crazy and unpredictable work week. We employ every ounce of wisdom when we schedule over-committed weekends as a thematic dovetail to a series of insane workdays. Or maybe I am just blessed.  It seems there is no rest for the wicked. One of these days, I need to figure out the secret of the people who always claim to be bored. I might have a few spare hours for that research on the twelfth of never.

Someone famous once said there is plenty of time for sleeping when you are dead. I suspect that is only wishful thinking.

No matter the challenges and the obstacles blocking my way, I maintain the item at the top of my list as a non-negotiable. Yesterday I wrote 431 words.

Did you write yesterday?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer