We had a blast with our friends from NH. The weather was spectacular and we justified revisiting some tourist attractions (we can’t get enough of Arizona!): Old Scottsdale, Tortilla Flat, the Apache Trail, San Tan Flat, and Usery Mountain Regional Park, to name a few.
Since their visit our main adventures have been to the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, an amazing
Painted Rock Petroglyph Site
collection of ancient rock etchings, and to Lake Bartlett. We’ve also been busy finalizing our plans for our cruise/land tour to Alaska in June!!
Friday night we were entertained by Jerry Seinfeld at Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix. I’d been sick in bed for three days so it was a struggle to get there but well worth it. Laughter is healing after all.
It’s not all fun and games here in sunny (how many times do I need to say that??) AZ. I have attempted to find time to work on my writing though I won’t go so far as to say that I have done so successfully.
Christina Baker Kline’s two novels, “Orphan Train” and “The Way Life Should Be,” while both good reads, didn’t give me any ideas on tying the setting together for my three in progress novels. Anne Tyler’s “A Spool of Blue Thread,” has moved me in a different direction however. Instead of three separate novels it might make more sense to combine them into one novel. Tyler’s novel is multigenerational centered not only around the same community but also the same house. Houses play an important role in my novels as well. Lots to ponder…
Meanwhile I’ve been whittling away at my short story, “Jamie.” Going line by line. Arduous work. I’m envious of the way some members of my writing group unflinchingly absorb the critiquing of the group and manage to submit revision after revision. I can barely tolerate my own critiquing—it’s enough to justify the procrastination I am so adept at. After a little (lot??) more work, the challenge is to figure out how to submit the story to the group and receive real-time feedback while I’m in AZ.
Although it’s no replacement for my weekly writing group back in NH, I’m participating in a three week online writing group “Creative Monsters Club.” Our coach Marcy MacKay, of Mudpie Writing, is supportive and intuitive. Last week the two other participants on Skype were in Ireland and Saudi Arabia. I am curious to see where the two other participants this week will be from.
My NH writing group has created a blog for the group: Thursday Night Writes. (I’ve reposted the initial post by Eleanor Ingbretson in my previous post. It’s great!) I feel guilty that I am not there to help more. We have such diverse writing styles that I am anxious to see how it all comes together. I imagine that will be its charm. I’m not certain everyone realizes how much it takes away from your other writing time (at least that is my experience). Yet we need to do this to move forward as professional writers.
Arizona hummingbird-my muse? 
Karen Whalen 