I looked at the advanced weather report and saw that we’re headed not only for a thaw but a big thaw. In my area, all that snow we received last week is going to turn to water. The ground is still frozen, so it’s going to be a royal mess. Where I live, there are rivers that will be impacted, and well, those who live in a flood plain know the rest. I don’t live in a flood plain. I live near the top of a very large hill, but it doesn’t stop me from being concerned for those that do.

Warmer weather will increase my need to be outside. I’m thinking of taking my laptop outside to the front porch to write when the weather warms. There is nothing like the sounds of spring to add inspiration to my writing. Then again, the house next door isn’t finished yet. I’ll have to deal with the sounds of hammers and saws. But I think I’d rather listen to them than snowblowers any day.

The Red Pen is close to finishing the first edit of “The Candle.” I’m 75,000 words into the first draft of the following book, “Book of Souls.” Both are “Haunted Series” novels, so I’ve been living in that world pretty much all day, every day for the last few months. My family is very understanding when I start speaking about fictional characters as if they are relatives.

I’m boring when I’m in the muse. I have a few pen pals who haven’t received anything but incomplete sentences from me for weeks.

I guess when I finish the first draft and the edits, I will be going through a big thaw too. Will the world come rushing in, or will the muse flood my mind with another book? I really don’t know. I don’t want to get swept away and miss the beauty that is emerging around me, but sometimes I really don’t have any choice.

So forgive me for not tweeting, IGing, and FBing, but the writing life for me is what it is. Sometimes it’s so enriching that I don’t want to stop, and sometimes I stare at a blank page until Murphy taps his axe.

CRACK!