Best-laid Plans
@BettyB (4117)
Summerville, South Carolina
June 10, 2017 8:06am CST
It’s been a year since I retired from teaching. I could have and probably should have taught another couple of years. I used my love of writing to justify my early retirement. I wanted to spend my days writing online and writing fiction, not doing lesson plans and calling parents.
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
Robert Burns
Well, it didn’t go totally awry. I have written some, but I spent a lot more time writing before I retired than I have since.
I have plenty of excuses, but my last radiation treatment is on Monday. Life should shift back to normal now, and that means spending three to four hours a day writing.
I miss writing fiction. My latest book is three quarters done. I really want to finish it, and possibly publish it. A lot of my friends are asking why I haven’t published anything in the last year, when I published three the year before.
Definitely time to get back on track.
Do you find it hard to go back and finish a project when you were forced to stop before it was completed?
16 people like this
17 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
10 Jun 17
Oh sorry to hear you were in radiation treatment Betty. I pray on your good health.
Yes I know how that goes friend. Sometimes our best intentions do not turn out as well as we hoped.
Still now you may carry on.
No I don't find it hard to go back to something, because most things I do are like riding a bike, I never forget. Just need to build a bit of momentum.
Heres wish you good luck with your writing.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
10 Jun 17
@BettyB Yes my Mother just went thru chemo at 87, now she is 88 and cancer free.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jun 17
@TiarasOceanView I'm cancer free now, but the key is to stay cancer free. That will require monitoring.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
11 Jun 17
Yes but mine is not really writing in that sense but I have so many articles I need to write for my blogs.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
11 Jun 17
@BettyB I have 7 blogs that I keep going pretty much all the time. I am not making a lot of money but I like having control over my own work.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jun 17
@BelleStarr Seven! That sounds like a lot of work. I might start one again come fall. I did enjoy it. It's something to think about anyway.
@just4him (307136)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 Jun 17
I hope you can get it completed and published. I have a lot of writing projects started that need finishing. I'm slowly getting to them, and will do so more now that Freedom's Cry is finished and will be published soon. I've already decided on the next book to work on towards publishing, so I must also decide on which one will see work done towards being finished. I have lots to choose from.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
10 Jun 17
I have dozens of manuscripts half done. Most I know I'll never go back to. The one I want to finish is the one I wrote when participating in NaNoWr last November. It's the last big project I worked on. It was the foot surgery and then finding that lump that put the project on hold. It's close to finished. I'm not giving up on it.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jun 17
@just4him This last year was the first time I participated in NaNo. November was a rough month as a teacher so I didn't dare commit to that kind of outside project. I will participate again this year, provided I get this book done. I should be able to. My books are not quite as long as yours.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157665)
• United States
11 Jun 17
Oh yes, I hate to be interrupted at anything. It is so hard to get back to it. I really think we need to quit working and spend time doing what we love, with people we love, while we can. I hope you get back on track soon.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
11 Jun 17
I don't regret retiring, and I look forward to getting back into the routine I set up last summer.
@snowy22315 (170473)
• United States
11 Jun 17
Yes, but I am not forced to stop. I just lose my mojo! Good luck with your book!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
11 Jun 17
Unfortunately most of our projects are dependent on others. Now we have been waiting for the date for our carpet install and it will be Thursday, so we were in limbo waiting.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jun 17
I hate waiting. When I decide on something, I want it NOW! The carpet will be worth the wait.
@1creekgirl (40615)
• United States
10 Jun 17
I hope this will be your very last treatment and you can get back to writing. What is your novel about?
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (40615)
• United States
11 Jun 17
@BettyB Sounds really interesting. Best wishes!
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
11 Jun 17
@1creekgirl Thanks. I hope to get started on it again this week.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
10 Jun 17
Yes I do, my life was so different till that word cancer came back in November, I have been taking care of someone who just finished 34 radiation treatments, 6 chemo treatments and had a tumor removed two weeks ago from his liver, I know how much time it takes to get that done, you have to put life on hold.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
10 Jun 17
I hope he's doing better. I was lucky. The mass was very small and hadn't spread. Removing it was a same day surgery, and I only had to do 20 radiation treatments. The biggest hope for keeping it from coming back is estrogen reducing medication. The mass tested 100 percent with estrogen receptors. Removing the fuel should take care of a potential reoccurrence.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
10 Jun 17
Hope your future would have good health.I am sure you would be able to finish and publish your book soon.Best wishes.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
10 Jun 17
Thanks so much. The radiation was the last step. The cancer was caught early and shouldn't give me problems in the future.
@DianneN (247191)
• United States
10 Jun 17
I didn't realize you had radiation treatments. I wish you good health and lots of writing in the future. You had reasons enough to keep you off track.
I am tenacious and finish what I begin. Fortunately, I haven't had to stop.
Now get back to finishing that book and let me know when it's done. I'll buy it.
1 person likes this
