Planning Ahead

Writing a novel requires planning. I have spent a month outlining a new novel. Now I can begin fleshing it out and doing the actual writing.

I have been a home gardener as long as I've been a writer. Gardening is an activity that teaches you lessons applicable to the rest of your life. Patience, Perseverance. Experimentation. And Planning.

I ordered seeds for my future vegetable garden. One experiment is trying new varieties of jalapeno peppers. I didn't grow enough last season to can. I have a few in my freezer, but my goal in 2022 is to have an overabundance worth pulling the canning equipment out of the closet.. 

Last year's garden provided green beans and tomatoes - enough to carry us through to next season. My husband was between contracts during peak gardening season, and took an interest in the vegetables and flowers. The more beans you pick, the more the vines produce. Or so it seems.

Pole beans, unique varieties of tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers are part of our future garden plans. I also hope to improve our beet production, and push indoor starts for eggplants and cucumbers to produce earlier in the season. My husband is sprouting marigolds indoors. We're going to try starting pots of flowers indoors for earlier blooms in our short growing season.

In the writing world, I have ambitious plans for three novels. I can't possibly finish three books in one year, but I can lay the groundwork for each, and complete at least one.

Whatever your 2022 goals are, begin with a little planning. I hope you enjoy a bumper crop of success!

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