The Best Laid Plans for a 6 Week Summer Road Trip

If things had gone as planned, I’d be writing this post while sitting in a motel room on the Big Summer Road Trip of 2015 that my hubby, Larry, and I have been looking forward to all year. We intended to leisurely snake our way along back roads from our little burg in Texas all the way up to Washington State in time to attend a big family party. If things had gone as planned, my biggest complaints right now would be feeling bloated from eating road food and struggling with poor WiFi at our motel.

Fate, it seems, had other plans!

Shortly after our writing research/ghost hunting trip over to Mineral Wells, Texas, (where I may or may not have heard “giggling ghosts”) Larry and I found out he has a dangerous blood clot in his leg. One of the caveats from the doctor is that Larry cannot travel to any remote places until the blood clot dissolves. Until then, he needs to be within a short drive of a hospital in case the clot moves to his lungs or, even worse, causes a heart attack. The good news is that he doesn’t need hospitalization. The bad news is that his leg hurts so much he can barely stand. While I can’t think of anyone who actually enjoys being bedridden, it’s especially tough on Larry because he is a go, go, go kind of guy. Basically, he’s a mad scientist who loves to make and do. If Larry could recuperate by quietly tinkering in his lab right now, that would be one thing. Instead, he’s been in bed for two weeks – which in Larry-years is at least a decade.

As for me, in those idle moments when I normally daydream about writing projects, I now find myself playing out horrific “what if” scenarios in my head. These scenarios get really bad in the middle of the night, sometimes even turning into nightmares. In one of the most over-the-top scenarios, I thought about how awful it would have been if Larry had dropped dead of a heart attack while we were ghost hunting at the Crazy Water Hotel. Since Larry does not even believe in ghosts, I can only imagine how pissed off he’d be, especially if his demise became fodder for an urban legend and the facts got all garbled. In my demented daydream, I imagined that he would be so annoyed that he would find a way to haunt the place. That scenario, at least, spun off into the ridiculous, but most of them have been more realistic. Needless to say, I’ve had a hard time sleeping lately!

Prior to the clot, my days were a whirlwind of road trip preparation, but now… while I know I need to switch gears and focus on other things, I feel adrift. I’m usually the queen of to-do lists, but right now… I’m still making the lists, I can’t seem to regain my focus. Frankly, I’m frazzled! Hopefully, I’ll quit spinning off into ridiculous “worst case scenarios,” start sleeping through the night, and to get back into the swing of things again before the next IWSG check-in. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for getting back on track, I’m all ears!

What is IWSG, anyway?

IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this:
“Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh

To read other people’s IWSG posts, Insecure Writers Support Group.

Want to read more?

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best selling travel guide: Unexpected Texas.
For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best selling travel guide to haunted places: Paranormal Texas.
For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out: The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber. Happy travels!

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my author newsletter using the form below:

Writing Advice: Take it or toss it!

“Never take advice, including this.” I love that quote from the author Katherine Anne Porter because it is so dang true! We all need advice, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s good from what’s bad. Have you ever taken the wrong advice regarding your writing? I know I have!

Most of the bad writing advice I get falls into 1 of 3 categories:

1. “You know what you should write?” I bet I’m not the only one out there who is constantly being told (usually by non-writers) what they “really should be writing.” This is amusing most of the time, especially when complete strangers suggest that I write their biography! And, sometimes (especially when it comes to offbeat travel destinations and overlooked history) these unsolicited leads turn into something interesting!

2. Well-intentioned but misguided advice: A friend called while I was wrapping up Unexpected Texas. It was my first book and I was so excited! My friend, however, was extremely skeptical. She told me writing books was wasted effort and that I should put my energy back into writing magazine articles. By the time I hung up, I was riddled with doubt! After sleeping on it, though, I realized this particular friend is suspicious of anything new, even in her own life. (In fact, she’s been “stuck” in a job she hates the entire time I’ve known her!)

3. Advice that is secretly meant to cut you down:  This is the most damaging advice of all, especially when dispensed by a supposed friend, someone you thought was on your side, but who secretly wants to discourage you. I’ve fallen prey to this several times because it can be so hard to spot! I often see other writing pals fall prey to this poison, too.

I know people who have given up writing completely due to such malicious advice. It’s nasty stuff, but the best antidote I know is to find a group of supportive writers such as IWSG, ROW80 and #StoryDam. As a creative person, you must be careful who you take advice from, and pay attention to how it makes you feel! What about you? Have you ever fallen prey to misguided writing advice?

What is IWSG, anyway?

IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this:
“Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh

To read other people’s IWSG posts, Insecure Writers Support Group.

Want to read more?

To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best selling travel guide: Unexpected Texas.
For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best selling travel guide to haunted places: Paranormal Texas.
For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out: The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber. Happy travels!

Hey, you! Want to come along for the ride?

For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my author newsletter using the form below: