A Forrest's Ramblings #2

Things have been pretty quiet in the forest lately. Sorry about that. I’d been gearing up to get some intensive revising done on my Apothecary WIP, and was excited to shout about it, and then...life happened.

Mid to late October, I got a call from my landlord telling us he’s selling the house. Big shocker.

I’m serious, I had no idea. Didn’t expect it. Maybe it was denial, considering the state of things around the country. I just figured, maybe things wouldn’t change.

Even more of a surprise, his first thought was to sell us the house. We’ve been great tenants, never asked for much, and he’s been a great landlord: never raised our rent, fixed things when they broke. But the times have changed and costs just keep going up. I’m sure many of you reading this are painfully aware. So it was time.

To be honest, I didn’t think it’d be possible to buy a house. Growing up how I did, watching how so many are struggling to pay rent, let alone save enough… I just assumed it was out of reach. But everything aligned, and we officially closed. I am so grateful and so relieved. Rent in my area, and even the surrounding areas, is beyond reach for so many, not to mention the scarcity of homes in general.

So here I am. A homeowner! It’s wild. I celebrated by raking the perimeter of the yard, haha, and I actually felt good about it. It’s funny how things can change with just a simple change of perspective.

With all that going on, and the uncertainty and anxiety, especially in the beginning, I was just wiped out. No spoons for any writing at all. But, eventually, I did get some work done. I still managed to launch A Bitter Drink, which I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who has supported me! And I’m hoping to do signed copies in the near future for those interested.

With NaNoWrimo, unfortunately I didn’t get as active as I’d hoped. I did get some progress done, I finally rewrote a difficult chapter, and started the rewriting process of the next, but that’s about it. My progress has been exceptionally sluggish, but like I try to remind myself and all of you: writing is not a race. It’s okay, and necessary, to focus on our mental and physical health. Sometimes that means working on our projects, but other times it means changing gears, resting, maybe even tapping out for a period of time. There’s no shame in that.

I expect December is going to be very busy with my day job, but I’m hoping with all this excitement now behind me, I can get back to my own projects again.

Things change, and that’s okay. We’re creatures of habit, but we’re adaptable too. Life is ebb and flow. It can be scary, but if you lean into it…good things can happen. 😊 An enormous shout out to my partner and his family for all the encouragement and support they’ve given me, and us.

I hope that for all my fellow writers who participated in NaNoWriMo that you’ve fared well! Regardless of how much you’ve written, every word, every note, counts! Keep going, keep creating, keep sharing!

With the whole house buying thing, things are gonna be tight for a while. I am open for business for those looking for an editor or proofreader! Please visit my Editing Services page for more details, and please don’t hesitate to contact me for further details or questions. If you’d like to support me in other ways, my Ko-Fi page and BuyMeaCoffee page are always accepting donations, and I also accept paypal.

Once again, thank you all for your support and readership. I am so grateful for you all. 😊