Since being self-employed and retired, (it can happen), I have always chosen what I want to do, and this has usually worked well for me. Somehow, everything gets done, and if I have to wait for another piece of the puzzle to finish something, I am happy to do this.

Just lately, though, I have begun to realise that doing things out of sequence is getting on my nerves and slowing down production.

Frustration has been a part of my life for a long time, following me around like a lame dog, so I have decided that it’s time to get all my ducks in a row, so to speak.

Just when I thought I had hit upon the answer to my frustration, I recently read an interesting post from David Gaughran, that wise and very clever Irishman who posts advice on writing and marketing for writers everywhere. In this post, Let’s Go Backwards, he suggests doing things backwards. (just when I was thinking of stopping this habit!)

In a nutshell, he suggests starting with the book cover and then writing the blurb. The idea is that you write the story to match the cover and the blurb.

I have often wanted to have the cover in front of me when I write, so these ideas seemed feasible based on the concept of visualisation.

To quote the great man himself…

“ Imagine: kicking off with a comprehensive review of potential categories on Amazon, and then commissioning the perfect cover to appeal to regular readers of that niche, writing the hookiest blurb to get those readers to click the Buy button, and then penning the actual story which is at home in that package…”

I am regarded as a bit of a freak in my family because I do most things differently from everyone else. Most of the time backward or, according to them, wrong. I even stir my coffee anticlockwise.

Should I change the habits of a lifetime, or should I continue to play catch up with everything I do?

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On a lighter note, I made it outside this week, dodging torrential rain, I might add, to check on what was going on. The weeds are taking over, and the grass is aiming for an elephant’s eye. (sorry about that South Pacific moment)

Is there an easy way to get rid of mare’s tails?

The new dahlias continue to be disappointing. I bought them in five different colours, but all the buds seem to be yellow.

The new plant, I call it sea holly, is actually going blue. I couldn’t believe it. I’m sure it’s not supposed to be five feet tall, though…