writing – Shelley Burbank, Writer

The Exhilaration of Creativity

Shelley Burbank
August 5, 2020
Good Life Crazy Times / Writing Wednesday
3 Comments

"Putting a book together is interesting and exhilarating. It is sufficiently difficult and complex that it engages all of your intelligence. It is life at its most free." --Annie Dillard, THE WRITING LIFE If only I could write as well as Annie Dillard. Right now, I'm writing on my balcony, in a not dissimilar way to a moment she describes in her book THE WRITING LIFE. Her balcony overlooks deciduous trees; mine a multi-laned San Diego road. But there are birds here, too. Like women peering through a shop window at a fabulous pair of shoes,…

Fear and Loathing in America

I'm starting something new on the blog. It's called Off the Cuff. Here I write about sundry topics on my "off days." Basically, I'm venting. So beware. However, I also attempt to find a silver lining or a way forward. Also, there may be references and footnotes. Yeah. It's that kind of thing. Today's Off the Cuff topics: Social media, for the most part, no longer serves me. And people are crazy. ***** Social Media "Whoas " For a few weeks, I've posted notices on Facebook pointing to my website, encouraging people with whom I'm "friendly"…

Writing Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Shelley Burbank
July 22, 2020
Good Life Crazy Times / Writing Wednesday
4 Comments

✍ Historical Fiction: Escaping into the past through literature. Photo by Shelley Burbank How's your Wednesday going? Today's the day I try to write about writing...so why do I have a picture of John Jakes's 1993 historical novel, HOMELAND, posted up there? Simple. Because I haven't left my desk all day, so my world is pretty much limited to my screens, my shelves, and my imagination. And as of yet, I can't take a photo of my imagination, although it might be a tad more bizarre than this book cover. I recently learned that my Wattpad novel Rosalie…

Writing Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Shelley Burbank
July 15, 2020
Good Life Crazy Times / Writing Wednesday
8 Comments

Good Writing Wednesday, friends. I am resisting the urge to put an exclamation point up there after the word “Wednesday.” My natural instinct compels me to do it, but I’m in editing mode these days and more aware than usual about things like punctuation. I’m also trying to get away from using the word “peeps” in an effort to sound more mature, i.e. my age. What’s next? I actually start using moisturizer on a regular basis?

🍓 Mindful Monday, July 13, 2020

So here we are again on a Monday, the entire week spread out before us like a delectable buffet of goodies…or not.

🍸Friday Happy Hour, July 10, 2020

Shelley Burbank
July 10, 2020
Friday Happy Hour / Good Life Crazy Times
4 Comments

Editing, red pen in hand, at my little desk. Photo by Danielle Burbank Happy Friday Happy Hour, Peeps.How has your week been? I’ve been okay, focusing on two things: rewriting LOVE & EAST MERCY and getting back into a healthy eating and exercise routine. This means tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal and pushing myself to add High Intensity Interval Training to my regular walking schedule. And not drinking. Still. I know. Eyeroll. The thing is, my body has been quick to respond to the more intense exercise, not visibly, but internally. I feel stronger already after just…

✍ Writing Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Serenity on a Wednesday with lavender chamomile tea, new age music, and a book on my e-reader. Photo by Shelley Burbank Happy Writing Wednesday, friends!How was your day today? I started out analyzing this website to find out why subscribers weren’t getting blog post notifications. Which led me to my plug-ins. Which led me to my email marketing program. All before coffee. Yes. You read that right. All. Before. Coffee. Here’s the thing. When you are trying to be a professional, published author, writing becomes much more than sentence structure, character development, cool new plotting techniques, and everything…

🍸Friday Happy Hour, June 12, 2020

Shelley Burbank
June 12, 2020
Friday Happy Hour / Good Life Crazy Times
4 Comments

Vintage apron classing up my crazy cleaning and cooking frenzy today. Happy Friday Happy Hour, peeps!Even though my intention is to also write Mindful Monday and Writing Wednesday posts on this blog, I seem only to be motivated lately to compose Friday Happy Hours. Trying NOT to read too much into that. Something shifted for me this week; suddenly I’m feeling a bit more energy after months of slogging through my tasks (thank you for the depressive mood, Covid-19, you monstrous B*%$#!). For some strange reason, today I woke up in the mood to clean. I mean,…

🍸Friday Happy Hour: Social Media Whoa(s)

Shelley Burbank
June 5, 2020
Friday Happy Hour / Good Life Crazy Times
12 Comments

This week 's Friday Happy Hour is brought to you by the color YELLOW. It's Lemon Drop season, peeps! Happy Friday Happy Hour, Peeps! So, it’s Happy Hour Friday. Hubby brought home not only vodka and three types of olives but also lemon drop mixer! Yes, I know you don’t use the olives with the mixer. Basically, ⅔ mixer to ⅓ vodka, shake it up with ice, serve with a lemon peel. I think the mixer might also be good with sparkling water for a non-boozy sipper. DISGUISED UPDATEFor those of you who are waiting with bated breath…

🍸Friday Happy Hour: May 22, 2020

Shelley Burbank
May 22, 2020
Friday Happy Hour / Good Life Crazy Times
5 Comments

In a little while I am going to participate in a virtual happy hour on Zoom with some of my Maine neighbors. It’s so weird and ironic. Most of them will be within literal shouting distance of each other because their houses/camps are next door. I mean, they could open up their doors/windows and yell at each other, they are that close.