The Writing Life: Old Nooks and New Adventures
- Christene Campbell
- Aug 5
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 7
The summer is sizzling, and I’ve got writing fever. That’s two good reasons to celebrate.
I also have updates to share: a long-awaited goodbye and new adventures in writing and learning.
Goodbye Sargassum Season!
If you live in the Caribbean, you’ve most likely seen the mounds of sargassum along the beaches.
And if you’ve gotten too close, you’ve probably smelled it too.
As a child, I don’t recall ever seeing sargassum when I visited the beach during the summer. But that was decades ago. Now, the sargassum is a seasonal visitor. And according to scientists, global warming is to blame.
This year, the rafts of sargassum started coming as early as May, maybe even earlier in some places. By early July, the putrid mounds piled so high, you could catalogue the different shades of brown.
I’m no fan of sargassum nor its stench, but I have to admit that it’s relentless.
I often watch the brown rafts defying the tides. Once on land, the sargassum blankets the shoreline for miles.
If someone compares you to sargassum, it’s not a compliment.
But it’s not an insult either. If I had the tenacity of sargassum, I’d publish a book every week.
Still, I’m happy that the sargassum season is drawing to a close.
I visited one of my old nooks earlier today and was pleased to see the beach again. Here’s a snapshot of that nook, now mostly free of sargassum.
Adventures in Writing
On the weekend, I was going through some of my unfinished stories. And yes, there are many.
Within this collection, I discovered a short story I drafted a few months ago. It received a few rounds of edits, and I had planned to publish it, but I never did.
After rereading my story, I felt it was ready to make its debut into the great big world. So I made a few tweaks, and now I'm ready to share it with you.
It's titled "The Raid" and is part of a broader collection of short stories I plan to publish in the coming months. But as a standalone story, "The Raid" offers a window into the world I crafted in my debut novella. It’s a heart-warming introduction to Cassandra’s world.
Here’s a snapshot.
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Adventures in Learning
Yesterday, I started a five-day mini course to help me tap into the promotional power of Pinterest.
The course is free, which makes it perfect for my budget. Each day, I receive a quick lesson via email, which includes action steps.
Next week, I’ll be sharing my feedback on this mini course. So be sure to look out for that review post.
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© Christene Campbell at Cozy Caribbean Fiction
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