In November 2025, I wrote about not having a project after publishing two books close together. The first, Dr. Diana’s Toolkit for Better Writing, a book that writer friends had been asking me to write, was published October 29. The second, my first thriller, Harbor House: Deadly Intentions, was published on November 18.

I’d spent the last half of 2024 and much of 2025 working on those two books, in addition to my usual quarterly blog contributions to Writers in the Storm and a bit of teaching.

Soon after I wrote that November blog about having no project in sight, I had to laugh. Looking through various projects that were queued, some waiting for 30 years, it was ridiculous for me to think I didn’t have something to work on.

What bubbled to the top was a class I’d taught in 2024 about how to avoid and use procrastination, but I’ve always been keen on writing about time management, another class I’d taught in the past.

Suddenly, I thought, why not combine them into one book? They are related, after all. Two sides of the same coin.

So, gathering all my class materials, blogs, and research material, I organized, drafted, tore it apart because it wasn’t working, reorganized, wrote, revised, read it a dozen times, and cut it down to the bare bones without a lot of fluff. It was published February 25.

Looking back, I realized I’d published 3 books in 4 months. Wow. Did I do that? Apparently so, but it feels so unreal!

I saw a shirt on another writer today that said, “Reading is My Favorite Sport.” Once upon a time, I could say that was my favorite, too. Not anymore. Writing is.

I love to write. The juxtaposition of words. Writing a word I’ve never heard of. Stopping to look it up. Amazed that it’s the perfect word and wondering where it came from.

Talking to a producer recently, I said that I love to write.

“Ya know,” he said, “that’s probably the first time I’ve ever heard a writer say that.” I was surprised—just as much as he was, he admitted.

Our discussion became about how writers enjoy the finished project but hate so many parts of it. The first drafts, the rewriting, the editing, the revising, the polishing, and the dreaded promoting that must follow.

Nope, I love it all. Well, maybe not the promoting as much, but I’m finding ways to like it. Mostly because I’m not following the so-called rules.

In the beginning, I dreaded writing the first draft. Now, I love it because I found a way to write first drafts FAST—as in 10 days for a book. I wrote about it some in my CPE: Characters, Plot, & Emotion book.

I learned to enjoy editing. It helps when I distance myself from owning the words and examine them as if I were an editor, looking over someone else’s work.

I enjoy grammar because I taught it and grinned every time I saw students grasping a concept, understanding the why behind the need for that comma. Or, when a fellow writer is excited because they remember the trick I taught them about using who versus that.

As I journey, navigate, and negotiate my way through the winter of my life, I look back and feel blessed.

Blessed that my mother saw my voracious reading and encouraged me toward certain books and movies.

Blessed that both my mother and stepfather loved movies as much as I, where we could talk for hours about the classics, and where my stepfather would imitate Jimmy Stewart perfectly.

Blessed to have students who loved my classes, telling those who feared taking one that “yeah, she’s tough, but she’s fair, and you’ll learn a lot,” and who would follow me from class to class. Even where one student who proudly boasted to me just before one class was to start, and how he had avoided my classes. I told him I knew why he had. He changed the subject, but again, I knew why; and then, midway through the class, he apologized to the class for not taking their advice, finishing with, “I wish now that I had taken her classes.

Blessed that others acknowledged my expertise in grammar and writing, where I became the go-to for teachers and students from other campuses, too.

Blessed that I.T. acknowledged my computer expertise and allowed me to fix, install, or move equipment without having to send someone out. “But don’t tell anyone,” they’d say.

Blessed that my inquisitive nature enabled me to find two million dollars being charged incorrectly to the department that I worked in as a contracted temp, where the supervisors said that I knew more about the computer program we all worked from than their full-time employees did.

Blessed that my curiosity of knowing the truth has led me to fun researching hours.

Blessed that in the latter half of my life, I got to meld my love of teaching and writing into a job that never felt like work…well, until I had to attend a campus or department meeting or attend team building meetings, taking us away from projects with tight deadlines.

Blessed in recognizing that there are far better writers than I, and thankful that it’s a multifaceted sport with readers of various interests.

Blessed that I have fellow writers who love meeting up online for write-ins! You are my tribe!

Blessed for the many friends I’ve had throughout my journeys—some of whom were best friends and taught me valuable lessons.

Blessed for the family and friends who have supported me and loved me for who I am and never will be.

Blessed for the rabid fans that I have and for those I will have in the future.

Blessed that I had a wonderful (!) dissertation chair who taught me so much in just a few words. We had just finished talking about my dissertation topic when he said, “Don’t go for perfect. Go for getting it done.” Thank you, Jonathan! That advice still serves me well.

It’s how, I realize now, I was able to publish three books in four months and how, for this year, I’m able to line up reworking a favorite script, turn a half-written mystery into a thriller, and plot out and write a historical based on a true event.

These three projects have much in common. They’ve all been waiting for some 30-plus years.