I woke up at 2 a.m.–the usual reason–bathroom. My body is aching because of all the yard work I did yesterday. I cleared the tubs/planters of the tomato plants and otherwise dead things. Gathered in the ripe tomatoes and cucumbers–there weren’t many. I had even pinched back the growing tips a month or more ago to get them to concentrate on ripening the tomatoes that were, even at that stage, a wonderful, full size–but green. Didn’t work. And I need to focus on getting the current trilogy moving along, so I didn’t harvest the green ones, to make whatever thing that would be a ton of work, that Dearly Beloved would never eat!

Now it’s 3 a.m. and it’s thundering and lightning all around. I love it. Possibly the reason that I can’t sleep and that I ache so much. I’d like to think that I have untethered from any affects of planets, moon and stars–and storms, but maybe I missed one or two. Blast.

So I grabbed my journal and started puking out my thoughts–we have a family wedding in just over a month, and I have a deadline right behind that wedding. I make lists in my journal and most of the tasks have to do with writing. Getting product out there to bring in more income. My stories are barely bringing in a monthly income, which is better than in the past. I’d like the barely to become an earning-a-living income!

In time.

So, as I sat down with my journal (at 2:30 a.m.!) I made a list. I like doing that though. It gathers my random and scattered thoughts into some kind of organization. Makes me focus. And when I cross stuff off, it makes me feel productive. Whether the task is creative or business-focused–checking one thing off gets it off my mind.

I have over fifty short stories that I’m not doing anything with. (Well, I have one with its own cover and published–in fact, it’s my free newsletter sign-up giveaway.) It’s time to change that. That’s like having a packet of seeds in a drawer and expecting them to feed your family. So, one-by-one, I will attempt my own covers (because why would I pay someone to create a beautiful cover when I’m only going to charge $.99 for the story?), publish each story, and then compile say five at a time, into a short story anthology.

Make those stories work for me. Earn for me.

It is pouring outside right now. Supposed to rain most of the week. So thankful I didn’t leave those tomato vines in the pots to get all nasty and slimy in all that rain. So glad that is done and checked off my list.