1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #76 through #80

Welcome to 1001 Reasons Not to Clean! The main goal of this series is to see if I can actually reach 1001 reasons, 5 reasons at a time (the final post, if I get there, will be 6 reasons). I'm sure I can. It's not just my crazy brain being unrealistic, right? Links to previous posts are below. And feel free to share your excuses, and they might get added to my list (with credit, of course)!

#1 through #5 ~ #6 through #10 ~ #11 through #15 ~ #16 through #20 ~ #21 through #25 ~ #26 through #30 ~ #31 through #35 ~ #36 through #40 ~ #41 through #45 ~ #46 through #50 ~ #51 through #55 ~ #56 through #60 ~ #61 through #65 ~ #66 through #70 ~ #71 through #75

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76. Since you dive into alluring projects without doing complete research (you do some, like if plants are toxic to cats, yes), your poor Echeveria succulents haven't gotten enough sun, even though they're in a northern window (stupid Wisconsin). They've etiolated, so the stems have stretched out, instead of the plants staying as cute rosettes. After buying grow lights, you decide you want to rectify the situation even more and get to the beheading. This of course requires repotting everything. Still way more fun than cleaning.

77. After beheading the pretty plants, you decide to save all the leaves and try to propagate them. More succulents? Sure! If you can convince any to sprout - that black thumb of yours chuckles at the prospect. Weeks later, you actually notice a teeny tiny baby on one of the leaves. You're way too fascinated over the itty bitty thing to bother with cleaning.

78. Feeling as though you've got this succulent caring down, you spend hours online browsing all the pretty colored ones, creating a massive list of what you want to buy. Room for them all and money, be damned. These are the only plants you can keep alive with your horrible luck (even cacti die on you), and you intend to exploit that. Window shopping > cleaning.

79. Happy with your succulents' progress, you find two of your plants uprooted one day. You know the culprit. So instead of cleaning, you need to keep a sharp eye on the Devourer of Plants and Souls (aka Rikku, the blond (cream) tabby cat), so you can protect your poor, gnawed on plants.

80. Cat or no, you still want to expand your succulent collection, so you look for pretty pots online. You do need homes for that long list of plants you want to buy. Rabbit holes are so easy to fall down - much easier than cleaning.

Capricon 45 (2025)

Is it true that you feel like a zombie after a convention? Yes, totally, absolutely. I got back from Capricon on Sunday, and I slept most of Monday. XD

Last year was my first year at Capricon, but I mainly went to have fun with my family (yes, we brought the kids along in 2024 - they have some nice options for the younger crowd, too), instead of promoting my own writing. This year, I decided to do a little bit of author stuff as well.

The best part about this year - no kids! Lol. Hubbie and I wanted a kid-free con this time. It honestly allowed us to chat and get to know some new people, which is tough for me in the best of circumstances. Thankfully, Capricon is a welcoming convention, and for the most part everyone is an awkward geek, so it's less intimidating for those of us with social anxiety. ;)

Overall, I had a blast. I attended panels like Across the Rainbow: LGBTQ+ Representation & Diversity, which had wonderful writing insights. And I enjoyed the discussions in Tricksters and Other Morally Complicated Beings, as well as Common Motifs Across Mythology.

On Friday, I read two scenes from Dead As Dreams, which wasn't as nerve-wracking as I'd feared it would be - heh. Both Friday and Saturday night, I hung out at Donna J. W. Munro's parties. She's an author friend I've known for a long time, and she graciously allowed me to display my books (you should go buy her books if you like horror). And on Saturday night, Deanna Sjolander joined us, another mutual author friend who had her release party for The Case of Too Many Albins (another great buy, along with the first in the series).

I spent a lot of time gaming on Saturday. They have a gaming room that's open all day, including through the night on Friday and Saturday. A lot of card and board games are available to check out and test, and they also usually have a scavenger hunt that encourages you to try a variety of games. Hubbie and I signed up for a game of Flamecraft, led by one of the gaming room staff, a fun and adorable game (that's now on our to buy list - our kids will definitely enjoy it, too). I also took a look at The Witches, an out-of-print Discworld game, and played a couple rounds of Lemming Mafia with some new acquaintances.

And I also couldn't avoid the Dealer's Room! Since I can't seem to stop buying tea, I bought three loose leaf blends from Apothecary Teas. Oh, and I found a Discworld puzzle (also out-of-print) - looking forward to putting it together. Hubbie, who usually buys hardly anything, spent the most at Phylos World Building. He saw this Green Dragon and couldn't resist!

So, aside from the exhaustion this week (thank the gods for caffeinated tea), Capricon 45 was an awesome experience. Hopefully we can go to Capricon 46 next year!

P.S. Yes, I finished revisions for Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned right before heading to Capricon!

2025 - Double Time?

Well, we're over a week into 2025, and I'm already hammering away at my yearly writing goals! There are too many projects I want to work on, so I'm trying to up my output, using the lure of oh-shiny-new-if-I-finish-sooner. We'll see how long I can keep it up, though. Must get past Quitter's Day at least!

I also need to publish a couple titles this year, since last year ended with me only finishing my serial episode posts for Magic Morsel on Kindle Vella. My optimism is high right now, and I actually have hidden goals underneath my typical goals.

Double time. What does this mean? I have a certain word count planned for each week - that's my minimum, and the goal that would mean I'm still trucking along at a regular pace. But my extra goal is doubling all of it.

The information below does NOT include the double time, as it's mostly a personal challenge. Plus I'd rather not promise the world and only deliver half. It'll be a nice cherry on top if I have extra announcements and/or publications later in the year, though, won't it?

Here we go with the mantras. No change, as they're perfect for me.

2025 Mantras

❦ Just Write.

❦ Trust My Instincts.

❦ Focus.

2025 Upcoming Publications

❦ Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned (Magic Morsel, 1) - Spring 2025

❦ Intricate Agony (Fortunes of Fate, 8) - Fall 2025

Looks a lot like last year, huh? Well, aside from actual date estimates. This time, though, it's novel publication for the Magic Morsel title, after a revision (not too extensive, though). Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned might also be available on Amazon only for the first three months, releasing on other online platforms in Summer 2025.

2025 Writing Goals

❦ Yes Writing, Screw Cleaning - This should probably be a mantra, but it's me prioritizing more than anything - lol.

❦ Finish the revision of Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned - I've been getting through this at a nice clip, so this goal will be in the bag in no time.

❦ Edit & Publish Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned - I'm excited to release this as a novel!

❦ Draft, Revise, Edit, & Publish Intricate Agony - No stalling out on it this time. That means prodding my blah protagonist into action.

❦ Draft Hell's Bells (Devil Made Me, 1) - One of those projects I've been itching to return to.

❦ Draft Downward Spiral (Urban Unicorn, 1) - Yes, I'm pushing off the Zodiac Aegis series in favor of this series. We'll just say... Reasons.

❦ Newsletters - 9 planned/scheduled, and this year I'll be focusing on exclusive cover reveals and excerpts of my current work-in-progress. And I hope to build my list, too - so if you've been thinking of subscribing, Sign Up Here!

❦ Born to Write - Aiming for one post per month again.

❦ Networking & Social Media - Heading back to Capricon in February, and this year I'll be reading an excerpt from Dead As Dreams. If you'd like more info on when, shoot me an Email. And as far as social media goes, it's kind of hit or miss. Per usual, I'll keep posting on my Facebook Page with updates as needed. I hope to post pics to Instagram more often, but that can be crochet heavy at times. And Tiktok... Who knows if it'll even be around next month!

❦ Marketing & Promo - More fiddling with Facebook Ads. We'll see if I attempt any other ad platforms this year.

And that's what I hope to accomplish, minimally. I keep thinking if I can double time everything, I'll write so much more and jump into my extra goals! So here's hoping that excitement keeps me sustained, and I mash out ALL THE WORDS this year (without killing my keyboard).

Do you have any crazy goals for 2025? And how has the year treated you so far? If you're a writer looking to share your goals with a group of other writers throughout the year, please consider joining us at Writing Quest!

Writing bullet journal pic below of my current January progress.