Stress-Free Blogging and Magic

Lots of chatter in the blogosphere these days about the toll that high-stress bloggers pay. This article in the New York Times talks about the recent death of a couple of high-profile bloggers who succumbed to the high-stress, low-exercise, 24-hour-a-day expectations that come from blogging for a living.

I would like to leap into the breach, here, and assure my legions of faithful readers that you need fear not for the health of your humble blogging servant. I don't do this for a living -- you'll note there's nary an ad to be found about the place -- and so for leftwriter -- the pressure's off. (Of course I do spend unhealthy amounts of time communing with my computer. When my son caught me talking to it today, he assumed that I was talking to myself, probably a good thing for both of us.)

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I spent my time on the elliptical trainer today reducing my stress levels by reading about magic. Since magic is so much a part of my stock in trade, I guess it's lucky I find the subject so fascinating. Right now I am working on a re-write of DEADLINE, but it is a contemporary story and I'm feeling the pull of magic. Time travel, caves and castles, ghost stories and the lure of all things possible.

The cave in this picture can be found in the rocks behind the real-life castle I used as a rough model for Ainslie Castle in my first book, SEEDS OF TIME. This particular cave is in the west highlands of Scotland, and so startled me with its presence that I was quite unable to go inside. One never knows what will happen when wandering into magical caves...

My new Ceilidh stories will be steeped in magic. Time to dip a toe in the water again.

~kc