Cama Duke ❌👑

Reading Notes: James by Percival Everett Earlier this year I made time to read what had been highly recommended to me: James, by Percival Everett, a novel based on Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. I remember rereading Huckleberry Finn not l…

Finally took time to join the chorus of admiration for Percival Everett's James, sharing a few thoughts on my blog today. camaduke.com/2025/11/11/r...

A few myths about editing When I say myths about editing in the title, I mean my myths, the misconceptions I persist in bringing to the editing process.  The biggest myth for me is the idea that once I start editing, I…

Envying everyone engaged in first drafts this month. Meanwhile, I'm still editing, which has the benefit of being straightforward and... well, maybe not. I gripe about that in today's blog post. camaduke.com/2025/11/06/a...

Reading notes: Comfort reads Recently, possibly coinciding with the increase in cruelty in our country, I have sought out comfort reads more often than not, books where I feel safe within the likelihood of a happy ending, book…

Reflected briefly on a few comfort reads on my blog today: camaduke.com/2025/11/04/r...

Just Start In honor of everyone working on a first draft of a novel this month, I will share my favorite time management/productivity strategy: Just start.  We tend to focus so much on final products or …

My time management tip today is my favorite, one that is both obvious yet elusive: Just start. For all of you starting a novel this month, I am cheering you on :) #nanowrimo camaduke.com/2025/11/03/j...

2000 is a great way to do extra without overdoing it--I think some writers burn out when they push for too much at once. I'm missing the thrill of fresh drafts, but have to focus on revising right now, so I'll just cheer you on :)

Great start! 🙌

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Ghosts of Novembers Past It’s November, which is? was? National Novel Writing Month. Each year in November, people around the world challenge themselves to write 50,000 words in a month, something akin to a marathon becaus…

I discussed my goals for the month on my blog today, in case you're curious camaduke.com/2025/11/01/g... #nanowrimo

I've reached the 50k goal at least ten times. What helped most was to get in the minimum of 1,667 words every day. The minimum is powerful, if you do it every day. Working ahead=good. Catching up later=not so good. Any words written were better than skipping a day, and every word written is a win🙂.

Happy National Novel Writing Month for those who celebrate! I'm still editing my work, so I decided instead to set a goal to post more often on bluesky (fingers crossed). Anyone else setting writerly goals for the month?

Keep planting seeds Once again, I comment on my favorite topics. What works Focus on what is working more than what isn’t. When you can, sure, explore ways to improve. To get anything done, it helps to remind yourself…

My weekly check-in is on my blog--sharing thoughts on strategies to get things done, what I'm reading and writing, and democracy, yes, please: camaduke.com/2025/08/08/k...

We are all in this together My weekly check-in, commenting on some of my favorite topics What works While this is a bit on the nose for me, I just have to mention the power of journaling, especially as self-coaching. Talking …

This week's blog post: camaduke.com/2025/07/17/w...

Current mood: No My weekly check-in with a few thoughts on my favorite topics. What works If it’s important and/or something I might procrastinate, I tackle it first thing or as soon as possible. There is, however,…

Anyway, you can read more on my blog where I am posting a few thoughts each week on strategies, reading, writing, and democracy... camaduke.com/2025/06/26/c...

For my novel revision, after dabbling with unnecessarily elaborate systems to analyze my characters and their arcs, I realized that all I needed to do was search for their names and then read those parts of the book, preferably all in the same day. 3/

I gain insights no matter what I read, sometimes about the craft of writing and sometimes about myself, my current mood/state of mind in the moment, which always affects what captures my attention. 2/

From this week's blog: I have skimmed a few books this week that haven’t quite grabbed me, and I won’t name them because I don’t like to post something that may sound critical of another author’s work. 1/

Rallying my spirits A few thoughts this week. What’s working:  A strategy that has helped me when everything has been so distracting and upsetting is to focus on why I believe what I do matters. Try it: Identify and a…

From my blog this week: camaduke.com/2025/06/18/r...

For me, writing is how I create and contribute. For you, is it your kindness? Your attention? Your talents? Your ideas? Your service? Your compassion? Your humor? Your friendship? Your insights? Whatever it is, recognize it, honor it, cultivate it, protect it, and channel it in positive directions

What’s working this week: 

A strategy that has helped me when everything has been so distracting and upsetting is to focus on why I believe what I do matters. Try it: Identify and acknowledge the intrinsic value of what you do. 1/

Options for local action June 9-15 1. Attend the No Kings protest in West Jefferson, NC Saturday June 14 10am to Noon Indivisible High Country (formerly Indivisible Watauga) joined with Ashe County activists to sponsor the No Kings Ral...

Each week we share a few options for action for people in our region. No Kings protests on Saturday are at the top of our to-do list. Hope we see you there. www.blowingrockpersisters.com/post/options...

Everything all at once: A quasi newsletter blogpost So I’m going to try a new approach to what I post on my blog, something like a weekly newsletter.  What’s working:  If you know me, I’m big on strategies and process. Lately, this has been hel…

My current solution? Post a little bit on everything all at once. camaduke.com/2025/06/11/e...

Not posting some kind of response to what's happening in my country feels strange and tone deaf. Not posting about other topics feels wrong, too, as if I'm letting the worst people take away everything that sparks joy and hope and life.

Funny story, I decided to channel my political comments to my work with local activist groups so I could spend more time posting on other topics on this Bluesky account and on my blog, and this is what happened: I stopped posting at all.

Also I hope we're all on this same page

EVERYONE needs to be brought out of that El Salvadorian hell hole

they were ALL wrongfully deported.

I mean it's good to focus on 'And this guy was here legally and not ever a gang member AND they're Venezuelan'

but NO ONE should've been sent there

Amplify this.

States Have Added Nearly 100 Restrictive Laws Since SCOTUS Gutted the Voting Rights Act 10 Years Ago Many of the new laws are in states with a history of racial voting discrimination.

When people try to figure out what went wrong in the 2024 election, don't trust their analysis unless they start by mentioning this: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Our economy is at grave risk if you undermine core health care systems (among others!), even if the federal role has been invisible to so many for so long. Our systems may not be perfect, but refusing to help in the face of suffering is far more harmful than failing to be perfect.

Even those who do not have a family member harmed by such cuts would bear the emotional burden of seeing so many people in their community suffering. For me this is a moral issue; I believe we should care about one another. But intellectually, I know it is also a business issue. 3/

Cuts to Medicaid not only harm those who depend on it (half of all people on long term care, non-elderly people with disabilities, 1 in 5 adult women, half of all children) but those who do not use Medicaid but would have to leave work to care for them. 2/

Just wanted to share what I told my Congress people: Rapid or drastic cuts and changes to Medicaid will have countless harmful effects across the state of North Carolina, especially in rural communities. Cuts to Medicaid funding cause rural hospitals to fold, leaving everyone without resources. 1/