1001 Reasons Not To Clean - #86 through #90

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 ~ #76 through #80 ~ #81 through #85

❦ 86. After giving meds to your cat with a UTI, you're battered and scratched. No energy to clean after that skirmish!

87. Another year, another writing challenge. This time you're planning to write an entire novel in a year. That includes first draft, revisions, edits, cover art, publication, and marketing. It's a breeze for some writers, but you've never accomplished the daring feat. Write now, clean never.

88. Love & Pies. Yes, a game. A merge game, as a matter of fact. Best one out there, too. The story lines are really cute. Merge, merge, merge, merge. Clean? Nope. Merge.

89. Exercising has moved to the top of your priority list (after writing). You're determined to lose weight before your 25th anniversary in October so you feel awesome at the vampire masquerade in New Orleans you bought tickets for. (There are other health reason you should get in better shape as well, but the masquerade is honestly what's motivating you right now.) You'll clean after Halloween. Right?

90. Actually, you're reconsidering this whole no cleaning thing. You want to have a gorgeous, sparkly house like in the unrealistic pictures you see on the internet. Instead of not cleaning, you're going to ignore everything else in your life to clean from sunup to sundown... April Fools'! Writing jokes instead of cleaning is a much better way to pass the time.

Capricon 46

Another year, another Capricon, and another post-con coma (which seems to be stretching through the entire week this year - ugh). XD

Due to heightened anxiety issues the second half of 2025, I decided not to be a panelist this year. Thankfully that annoying anxiety stayed away for the con itself. However, I did help a writer friend with the party she hosts yearly. Which included having my books out for sale and signing. Both Friday and Saturday night turned out pretty awesome, especially since I sold some books!

This year, I took it a bit easy with most things, aside from the aforementioned parties. The panels I attended were: Loving Something When The Creator Is Toxic, Geek Out About Genshin Impact, Star Trek At 60, Geeky Gardening, and Non-U.S. Tropes. All fun!

Of course I spent a lot of time in the Game Room. I played Sushi Go, Trivial Pursuit, Twisted Cryptids, and Zombie Kittens. Hubbie and I participated in a couple scheduled games. Weirdwood Manor was the first, and let me tell you, what a challenging game! So I ordered a copy because... challenge accepted! We also played Flamecraft again. Amelia brought her adorable buddies Meat and Bread this year, and they watched over our playthrough. So cute!

Then of course the parties I helped with. All the books! Donna J. W. Munro (the best party host ever) threw a release party for her collection Dark Workings of Wild Women on Friday night.

Saturday night Deanna Sjolander joined the party, featuring the collaborative book she edited Blue Plate Special, the first in the Dark Reflections series.

And then I had my titles on display as well, along with some of my Speculative Stitches crochet. Honestly, the best part of Capricon this year was hanging out with Donna and Deanna. Always a blast to catch up with writer friends!

I'm planning to attend in 2027 as well, though I'll definitely have an adolescent in tow... Let's see how that shakes out - lol.

2026 - A Novel In A Year!

So... Let's see if I can write a novel from start to publication in one year! XD I really hope I'm not setting myself up to fall flat on my face, but seven days into 2026, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've already written 3k words of Once Gorgon Bitten, Twice Shy (Magic Morsel, 2), so I'll ride the wave of optimism for now.

Last year was great for writing, and I intend to keep up the momentum. Plenty to do to get a novel drafted, revised, edited, and prepped for publication. But I also have a few other goals for 2026. Time to get into the nitty-gritty.

2026 Mantras

❦ Just Write.

❦ Trust My Instincts.

❦ Focus.

Same as the last couple of years. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. =P

2026 Publications

❦ Hell Of An Unlife (Devil Made Me, 4) - Spring 2026

❦ Once Gorgon Bitten, Twice Shy (Magic Morsel, 2) - Fall 2026

Hey, at least Hell Of An Unlife is already revised. And it's the last title in the series! Consider grabbing the first three if you haven't already, starting with Hell Hath No Fury.

2026 Writing Goals

❦ One novel in a year!

❦ Edit & Publish Hell Of An Unlife.

❦ Draft, Revise, Edit, & Publish Once Gorgon Bitten, Twice Shy - It was really easy slipping back into the world of Morthmagica, and here's hoping it stays that way!

❦ Plan the third Magic Morsel novel (currently untitled) and/or plan Blood Stains the Soul (Trinity Torn, 3)

❦ Newsletters - 9 scheduled again.

❦ Born to Write - One post a month, with a break in August.

❦ Networking - Capricon again in February, but no readings or panels. I'll still have paperback copies of my books available, if you'd like to buy a signed copy!

❦ Social Media - More Instagram and Tiktok posts! Last year I kind of forgot about all that. Oops. Reminders set in Todoist now - lol.

❦ Marketing & Promo - Likely more Facebook and Amazon Ads, depending on how much I feel like gambling (because that's totally what it feels like to me when I run ads).

❦ SPFBO XI - Yes, back to Self-Publishing Blog-Off, and the eleventh year of the contest! Leave No Dragon Stone Unturned (Magic Morsel, 1) got through the lottery (I like to say it won the 50/50 because there were around 600 submissions this year), and has been assigned to Fantasy-Faction. Fingers crossed that the novel makes it to the semi-finals at least!

That's what I got for the year. The caffeine flowing through my system from my Chai is bolstering my optimism at the moment, but we'll see how I feel once my youngest, who has an upset stomach, gets home shortly. Heh.

If you have any writing goals for the year, please join us in the Writing Quest group, where we support each other in our progress (or commiserate when walls prevent that progress).

Happy 2026, all! And here's the obligatory bullet journal pic.