Monday, April 28, 2014

This Year's Garden




I've made an executive decision: I'm going for a flowers-only garden this year. I might try to grow some cherry tomatoes in a container, but that will be the extent of the veggie gardening.

The spot where I grew veggies is sunny and perfect for some of my favorite flowers. The front yard is shady, which has its limitations. I've been drooling over those gorgeous purple alliums for years. They're my first choice. Close behind are zinnias, petunias, and flowers I can cut for bouquets.

My writing dreams also go through changes. I'm working on the last book of The Moses Conspiracy trilogy. Although I'm only at 40,000 words, I'm contemplating my next project. Shall I do a series of short stories in the same vein or go into a completely different genre? The 1950's hold a special fascination, as well as Colonial times.

Non-fiction is my first love, and I have tons of material in my files that I'd love to use. I'm still praying as I work on my current book.

Deciding what to grow was easy compared to deciding what to write next.

Writers: How do you decide what project you'll tackle next?

Readers:  Veggies or flowers or both? Do you have any suggestions as to what you'd like to see come from my pen?

Photo Credit:  MEJones

5 comments:

Karen Lange said...

I'll do both veggies and flowers this year, but like you, I'm scaling back. Last year's garden was huge and I didn't have the time to take care of it properly. A certain book contract kept me busy. :)

quietspirit said...

Susan: Hubby does our veggie gardening. He got back into it last year. We try to plant sunflowers. First year the rabbits got all of them. Last year, it only got part of them. I want to get some more seeds and plant them again. Sevarl years ago, I planted tulip bulbs; we had a bunch of red ones and a few yellow ones come up this year.

About my writing topics, I let the Lord decide my topics for blog and column. My devotional project came about from what I was praying about.

Carol Garvin said...

The shadiness of our rural setting dictates what will grow well here. I tried vegetables for a dozen years will very little success, so I finally filled the bed with shrubs, except for one sunny corner where I have a few herbs. The only annuals besides a few near our front door are in tubs on our back deck where they're easy to water and pick. :)

My blog topics are often inspired by a photo, but they vary a lot in subject matter. If I were published, I assume I'd have to consult with my agent, editor or publisher with a proposal for future books. From what I understand, most prefer their authors to continue in a proven genre where they already have an established readership.

Ruth Schiffmann said...

When I strictly wrote short stories and articles, it was easy to flit from project to project. Making the decision to tackle my first novel was difficult, but now that I'm in this mindset, I can't seem to go back. I'm working on novel number three now.
Wishing you all the best, whatever you decide.

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Karen - My garden was small, and I couldn't keep up!

Hi Quiet Spirit - I love tulips and all the spring flowers. Maybe I'll plant some bulbs in the fall.

Praying is the best way to get new writing topics. :)

Hi Carol - My front yard is shady, so I know about the challenges. Both my agent and publisher give me a lot of freedom, so that hasn't been an issue so far.

Hi Ruth - Those small projects help you get through the big ones. I wrote a post on that subject recently. Congrats! Finishing two novels and working on a third is great.

Blessings,
Susan :)