What's Your Frog?

Where Fleur eats the frog and surrounds herself with kittens

Like anyone, I have things on my to-do list I avoid. And I’m not talking about writing—sure, that’s hard, but satisfying in the end. The things I avoid are the tasks I’m not so good at or don’t know how to do yet. Like updating my website (I did it, see?) and creating advertising for my new book, Get a Clue. Amazon has a thing called A+ content, which is just their name for ad graphics. I should really work on this, but I’m avoiding it.

I was talking to my lovely sister about this avoiding-things thing, and I said, “It’s my frog.” You American readers probably know that’s from the concept of ‘eating the frog’ – meaning, you do the hard tasks on your to-do list first. Executives, presidents, and other people more successful than I am use it. I had to look up where this term came from, because I was curious. It was alleged that Mark Twain said, if you must eat a live frog, do it first things in the morning (or some such), but the less-fun answer is that some dude said it in a productivity book a few decades ago.

In any case, I intend to eat my frog this week and work on that A+ content. Wish me luck.

What’s your frog? And how do you get those tasks you avoid done anyway…?

Photo by Jack Hamilton on Unsplash

Here’s a stock photo of an actual frog. I quite like frogs in general and only eat metaphorical ones.

Good News

My first page of a story I hope to write next year will be in Crimebits 3, a U.K. anthology of puzzles and short snippets of novels, a really fun series I encourage you to check out. It’s out later this year with an intro by author Mick Herron, of Slow Horses. Pretty cool to be a part of, and nice to get good news in these quieter months of summer.

What I’m Writing

I’m plugging away at my MG novel, a little at a time. I’m into Act II now, and still hope to have a draft by Labor Day (the first weekend of September). Wish me luck…

I’m also taking notes (old school, in my notebook) for editing that mystery for adults that I drafted earlier this year. I think I figured out the solution to a plot problem that’s been nagging me, though it does require a full overhaul. This will likely be something I do in the latter part of the year. It did make me realize how good it can be to step away from a story to see the perspective.

Where I’m Going

August is quiet, but I’ll be descending on Mancos in September, for their annual Mesa Verde Literary Festival. I went last year and roasted like a Hatch chili, but this year will be mindful to avoid the heat where possible. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends and making new ones.

What I’m Reading

I read Whistler by Ann Patchett, worth all the hype. And let’s admire that cover for a minute…

Then I finally got around to an advanced copy of The Players Club by Rachel Mills, which is a fascinating book about a group of women who pretend to be someone else for the day. High concept with lots of plot twists. Very fresh and original, and out in May so you can snag it at a bookstore near you.

What I’m Watching

I’ve been trapped inside (the air is smoky and makes me sick, a bummer for this hiking girl) and watched entirely too much TV. Mostly dramatized historical documentaries, but also Ted Lasso. What a joy of a show.

Fosterfloofs

Foster mama Brie went back to the Humane Society for adoption, for my Colorado friends in the market for a new best friend. She’s beautiful, smart, and sweet.

Her babies still need to get a little bigger, so it’s operation fatten-up-dem-kittens here at the cottage. As I’m writing this, I’m surrounded by all eight kittens. (As an aside: it takes about three times as long to write when these floofs tap on your keyboard…)

I’m not my most glamorous with those hair rollers in, but it’s such a fun picture my daughter took, I had to share it. It’s like where’s Waldo? but with cats.

It’s exactly as enjoyable as you imagine it. I’m a lucky catlady.