In which I get my writing back on track, winter finally arrives, and I venture into The Outside World

Welcome back to another Lockdown Chronicle. This week has been quite a productive one with regard to work and my own projects. It also seemed to fly by at breakneck speed because of it!

It was overall a good work week, though, and even my flaring let up from yesterday (the reason for which will become apparent below).

The Week’s posted stories and articles

The week started off well with a short book-review-thoughts-on-what-I’ve-read on the blog on Tuesday, followed by the first “Writing Wednesday” post on the newsletter on, well, Wednesday.

“Writing Wednesday” looked at some of the possible inspiration behind Sunday’s fiction, “And She Danced With the Moonlight” (which you can read over on The Worlds of Carin Marais by following the link).

Thursday’s Medium article focused on “How I’m Taking Steps to Renew My Writing Routine and Output” during the lockdown. Because of all the changes, tension, and stress, I’ve had to change my routine quite drastically.

The Outside World, or, The Quest to Fetch Books

On Wednesday we had a meeting at the actual office, not over Zoom, which meant that I could finally go into the building again and fetch the dictionaries I’d left at the office. Because I stupidly thought that it was going to be only three weeks before I’d be back at my desk. Ha. Ha. Ha.

It was extremely weird to walk into the basically empty building and walking to my desk that still stood as if I’d left it there the day before. (They had been cleaned and disinfected, don’t worry.)

Luckily I’d remembered to take some bags with me because I’d forgotten just how many dictionaries and language books I had kept at the office. I got my exercise carrying them around, I’ll tell you! (I also have five coffee mugs there. I am not sure how that happened.)

I also got to see the rest of the department in actual real life and not on the screen, which was awesome — well, except that we had to wear masks and couldn’t even hug each other hello.

I’ll probably clear the rest of my desk when I take in all my paperwork and sign the last of the forms.

Writing news

In other news, I didn’t really work on The Ruon Chronicles this week, but I did work on editing “The White Road to Cremation” and “Labirint” (Labyrinth).

Talking of “Labirint”, I’ve started the Afrikaans Substack Newsletter as well this week. I’d planned to only start in a month’s time, I realised that I needed to jump to get the address that I wanted. So I might as well start posting there!

The Afrikaans newsletter is called “Die wêrelde van Carin Marais”, but while the English one is Hersenskim, the Afrikaans one is Hersenspinsel, a synonym of “Hersenskim”. Because that’s how I roll.

Reading news

I’m still busy with Creating Your Author Brand, but should finish that over the weekend. I won’t be reviewing this book on Monday, though — that spot will be kept for Endless Ideas by Sean Platt and Neeve Silver, so watch this space!

Have a great weekend, everyone! Stay safe!