Author Update: Go Biden, BLM, WIP and Reaching 400 Followers

The saint and I were walking our dog recently around our neighborhood. When returning home, I picked up one of those pesky advertisement newspapers that people like to deposit on your driveway so you can then put it promptly into the recycling bin. Kind of like when someone leaves a flier on your windshield–it’s just too kind of them to give you an extra chore to do that day. A woman passed by, walking briskly and offered us a wide smile.

“Three more days, right? Can’t wait!” she chirped. I realized she was recognizing us as the owner of the Biden Harris 2021 sign, standing next to our BLM flag. We had decided to leave the election sign up until at least the inauguration; the BLM flag up for all eternity. Stalwart resolutions against the Trump flags and signs we had seen scattered haphazardly around our area. I had recently applied a coat of fabric paint to the flag, freshening its sun bleached surface.

“Y-yeah,” I replied, my shy nature ever present amongst, well, everyone since birth. Let’s be honest.

“Go Biden!”

“Go Biden!” I returned, offering a smile and a wave as she returned to achieve her walking goals.

One successful human interaction, in the bag.

***

Just a little story, showing there are still nice people out there, encouraging one another to stick it out. Over the past year, I have witnessed the good (peaceful BLM marches) to the bad (see recent Capitol atrocity) play out around me, with the pandemic lingering above the stage, ever present. We are living in a crescendo of history, forces pitting themselves against each other, people drawing lines of a social Civil War that’s amping up across capitols nationwide.

On my current WIP (GOTD), I am nearing the 45,000 word mark. I’m not much for word counts–I think a story is as long as it needs to be–but it serves as a helpful indicator to show how far I’ve come through my starts, stops and rewrites. I’ve probably broken all the “rules” of writing six times to Sunday by now, but that’s alright. What matters is the final product.

I’ve gone ahead and updated my website, and posted a brief teaser of my next book under “Works in Progress.” I hope you’ll give it a read, a like and an encouraging air high five from six feet away. I’ll be sure to return the encouragement. We all need that, don’t we? And in final news, Peregrine Arc reached 400 subscribers the other day. Similar feelings with follower counts as with word counts, but a useful marker all the same.

How is your writing going? Are you taking care of yourself? Growing a little more every day? Update us in the comments below. Cheers and happy writing. Stay out of the stagnant water of ignorance and hatred—go forth and flourish!