Planning to Live in Retirement Edition 3: Writing

     

     I was blogging a lot, but then I hit another overwhelmed period, so then it became a bit hit or miss. Blogging is writing. I let thoughts come out on these pages. I followed blog trends like tracking frugal activities, menu planning, and week recaps. It stopped working for me along the way, though I like reading how others manage the ordinary, yet important pieces of life. As I move into these last months until retirement, I'd like to lean into writing with more focus and intentionality. Maybe it would be a good direction in helping to work through grief.

    Long time readers of my other blogs ( no longer active) might remember I was working on a book.It was a collection of short stories woven into a larger storyline.I haven't touched it in nearly two years, and at that point was five plus years into it. Perhaps time to get it done after retirement and at least close that chapter.I won't pretend I'm a great writer, or even a good one. But hey, even the good ones have editors. It might stay in a draft form forever or maybe my daughter would take a stab at a first cleanup. Then, maybe I could float it out there and see if something sticks. 

    Regardless of this book moving forward or not, writing is a post retirement activity that could both give me structure both in dedicated time in the action but in research to create hopefully interesting content. It's a possible effort to give this brain somewhere to go other than sadness and loss.

      I always have liked to write, even if I've never had enough talent or patience to make a living from it. I had a paid job in highschool though, writing for the local paper, covering some of the highschool sports. I was paid by the inch of type print. I guess technically writing has been included in many of my jobs such as editorials, newsletter articles, and journals, but heavily reviewed and focused content. 

     I'd like to take a class or two, maybe join a writers group.There's meet ups both in person and online that I've seen. We even have one locally. Maybe there'll be another attempt at a book or a blog spin off in my future. Or, repeating myself, that first project will stay in draft form forever while more drafts of other "books" keep it company.It's at least something.