Not Just Writing All the Time - by Brenda

Besides writing, what else do you do? What’s on your writer’s bucket list?

I have many pursuits aside from writing to fill up my days, although some activities are season-dependent.

In the summer, I enjoy gardening and spend an hour or more each morning watering, deadheading and weeding. My husband commented this year that my garden “is a pleasure” so my puttering seems to have been worthwhile. I also like getting my bike out and most mornings find me on my way to the store to pick up some supper before the day gets too hot and before I settle down to write.

I’m an avid reader year-round and spend stolen pockets of time with a novel, usually in my leather chair in my office or outside on the back deck if the weather is good. My book club meets monthly from autumn to spring, so this broadens my reading tastes. We also live in a neighbourhood where people drop by late in the day, often with a glass of wine or a beer. We sit on someone’s veranda and chat and watch the world go by before going back to our houses to make supper. This ends with the cooler weather when we stay buttoned up inside.

My daughter's dog George likes to share my reading chair

I enjoy cooking and baking but go in spurts. I’m as happy most of the time to go out for supper, which we do at least once a week. There’s a pub called Whispers which is a ten-minute walk from our house, and it’s a regular destination.

In the winter months, curling becomes my main focus, both playing and watching. Both my daughters are competitive curlers and we often travel to watch their games, especially if they are in play downs that lead to a national or international championship. Our daughter Lisa was on the ladies team that represented Canada in the last Olympics, taking us to South Korea to cheer them on. I also curl socially and spend quite a bit of time at my local club once the season starts at the end of September.

Lisa preparing to throw a curling stone.

Sightseeing in Pyeongchang, South Korea

As for my writer's bucket list, I'd love to go to some writer events/festivals overseas since I enjoy travelling and meeting new people, especially people who love reading crime fiction. I suppose this means becoming well enough known first to get invited, so having my books reach a wider audience is also on the list. Other than this, I want to keep writing, stretching myself, and coming up with good ideas and stories - the dream of every writer I think!

Website: www.brendachapman.ca

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