If you ask me, weather forecasters and politicians are in the same class. I’m sure both careers are challenging, but you don’t know who to trust. I surrender.

Take the weather, for instance. With all of the hype about a new winter storm brewing, I have no idea how to prepare. Today’s forecast was cold and partly cloudy. When I heard the salt truck on my street, I checked the weather app on my phone. No precipitation for today. Tomorrow? Nope. Hmmm.

Regardless, a visit to the grocery store was on my to-do list. Every parking spot was filled. I knew something was up, so I got bread and milk–just in case. By the time I unloaded the car and checked the weather app again, an inch of snow was predicted for tonight. Really? An inch?

Here’s my theory. The head weather forecaster sits in front of his or her computer with a cup of coffee. He or she then looks out the window and sees clouds. Types “cloudy.” Getting up to stretch, notices the salt truck. Types “50% chance of precipitation.” Then sees a snowflake. Types “100% chance of snow.” When the snow begins in earnest, types “1-3 inches.”

How relevant is all of that to my writing reflections? I’m glad you asked.

As a new author, I voraciously read advice about crafting stories. “Don’t write too much dialog,” some said. Others argued that it’s dialog that keeps a reader involved and brings characters to life.

OK, use dialog to move the story along, but simply say “he said,” “she said.” Don’t get all chummy with stupid alternatives like, “he replied,” “she giggled.” And make sure that the characters are speaking as we do in real life. I don’t know about you, but I giggled when I wrote that I bought milk and bread today. That’s as real life as it gets.

So, here’s another theory. Craft a story that moves you. One where you can imagine being immersed in the scene. Make it believable. But make it your own style. Be true to yourself.

“That’s what makes a great author,” she noted.

I received a pressure cooker for Christmas. Not the old-fashioned kind. This Instant Pot has 10 tools in 1. Amazing! It does anything you can imagine in the cooking world with the press of a button.

Despite years of teaching cooking classes, I steered clear of pressure cookers. Releasing a pot-full of extremely hot steam was not my idea of fun. Besides, I could make plenty of recipes by just being patient with long cooking times.

After days of watching youtube videos, I finally got the courage to test my Instant Pot. I threw caution to the wind and made a stew with the toughest cut of meat I could find. In 15 minutes, I had moist, tender, flavorful beef. Two minutes later I had completely cooked potatoes and carrots. Did I mention amazing?

I won’t belabor the fact that I was hesitant to push the release steam button and, instead, let it slowly release naturally so it actually took 3 hours to make my stew. But I learned my lesson. Once I got enough courage to press the button, it was no big deal. Throwing caution to the wind was exhilarating. I love my new cooker!

My pressure cooker experience made me think about one of my books that I’m preparing for a professional cover. I worked on Joyful Encounters through the fall, doing a close edit, rewriting the blurb, and looking for possible stock pictures for the designer. When she sent me an awesome design yesterday, I felt that sense of excitement tinged with worry. Should I tweak the blurb some more? Should I read the story again in case a pesky typo slipped in somewhere between the print and e-book? Is it ready for the unveiling?

Such pressure! (Get it?)

I suppose we’re all afraid of making mistakes, of putting ourselves in the public eye, of failing. But it’s time to throw caution to the wind. And, if anything, it will be a learning experience.

Bon appetit!

We all recognize the tune of Auld Lang Syne. We may also raise our glasses as we belt out a round of “For old acquaintance be forgot” when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, but what does it mean? Probably something different for each of us.

Technically, the Scottish words mean “old long since.” Loosely translated, we could say “for old times’ sake.” Maybe the old-timers cried in their beer as they reminisced about the good-old-days, forgetting that the old days weren’t always that great.

Regardless, it’s tradition that we reflect on the past year as we look toward the new year. For me, it’s been an amazing time of transition from teacher to author. As an independent author, that includes marketing–which is a mathematical mystery in itself. Formulas and algorithms aside, I find it exciting to find my comfort zone somewhere between where I am and where I want to be.

On this last day of 2018, I know that the future involves change. That’s the nature of our lives. Nothing remains the same unless, I guess, we hibernate on some deserted island. Come to think of it, with the melting of glaciers and rising sea waters, that would change as well. Ergo, nothing remains the same.

As we approach the new year, I’m not setting tangible goals that involve numerals. The number of books sold, the number of Kindle pages read, the monthly income from my books, the number of words I’ve written for my next story–none of those things are on my 2019 list of resolutions. [OK, I’ll probably check on those things, like four times a day, but they’re not going to be given high priority. Of course, that could change.]

Rather, my goal is to bring enjoyment to others through my novels. Maybe help someone who’s going through a rough time or encourage someone who feels alone and dejected. We all need a cup of kindness here and there, and I’m darn proud that readers tell me that I write “feel good” stories.

Yep, that’s my goal for 2019…for auld lang syne.