Raven's View

Okay, I really need to get this novel edited and out to my publisher. So - last chance here. I'll create my own NaNoEdMo and commit to spending September editing. 30 days, 2 hours a day - unless I want to do more of course. I'll have to hide my controller for EuroTruck Simulator, and maybe disable Netflix for the month, but I just might be able to do this. I've been getting to bed a little earlier, and rising earlier, so that may help.

The challenge for this week's Flash Fiction Friday was to write a medical thriller.

This week, we want you to take us into a hospital, clinic, or physician’s office. Most of the time, we’re in and out. All we require is a clearance note to be able to return to work, or we only need one additional vaccination to keep us compliant with school policy. But, what if, on one visit, we see, or experience, something that causes us concern? For instance, what’s that unnerving whining sound that’s coming from behind the curtain in Treatment Room C, or why did two different nurses call you back for extra blood samples when you were already on your way out?

It’s all routine, they say. Nothing to worry about, they say. Don’t give it another thought, they say. Comforting words, right?

Prompt: Write a story set in a healthcare facility

Genre: Medical Thriller

Word Count: 1,500 or less

Mine is around 700 words, and best savoured with a bit of Dijon mustard.

I'm in Toronto at my gf's for a week, mellowing out. Not that my normal week is that hectic, but this has been mostly time to hang out together, drink craft beer/cider in the backyard, reading the Globe/NYT on the front porch, going on the occasional jaunt for shopping or just to a cafe, and - sometimes - writing and editing. I have been editing my second novel, reviewing each scene, adding meta-data to track things better in Scrivener, blending in suggestions from beta readers.

Status:

• Editing - finally some progress, although my home setup with multiple screens is easier to use.
• Writing- Sigh. None, really. 
• Publishing - 'my' press, Deux Voiliers, is a volunteer affair, so  I've been asked to proofread another novel. I'm reasonably literate, but don't know the rule behind what sounds right or wrong. It will be interesting. 
• Social - visits with both sisters while here in Toronto That was nice. Checked out some new pubs and cafes too, and met some interesting people.
• Videos and games - We watched the Tragically Hip concert from Kingston via CBC. Live, no commercials. That's the sort of thing I want my public broadcaster to do. I'd not been a big fan and had never seen them in concert but we really enjoyed the three hours. I'm also awaiting some patched to the game No Man's Sky, for when I return home. 
• Other - my ears got plugged with wax, once worse than the other, so I know what my gf feels like. Clinic fixed me up. 

I turned 70 a few weeks ago, and am thinking I may be getting past middle age. I used to tease my mother that as long as she refused to think of herself old, we couldn't go there ourselves. She passed away a few years ago, at 94, so the field is now open. Luckily I neither act nor look my age, so it's not as if family or friends are pushing me to grow up.

Nevertheless, I do find myself thinking about what I've done so far, and what I have left to do. I've raised two great kids, fallen in (and out) of love a few times, seen some of the world, fallen out of a white-water raft,followed several interesting careers, made some good friends, learned tons of neat things, dabbled a lot in photography and in trombone, championed several causes, and hopefully impacted some lives in a positive manner.