What are you doing to pass the time during #Droughtlander?

Waiting for Diana Gabaldon's next book, or the next season of the OUTLANDER TV series, is always hard. It seems especially hard this time, for the following reasons:

- Diana is only two years into the writing of Book 10. It's much too early to tell when she might be finished!
- We have no information yet on how close she is to finishing any of the other projects on her list, like the Brian/Ellen prequel or the next Lord John novel. (Look here for a list of Diana Gabaldon's current and future projects.)
- All we know about the second half of Season 7 (episodes 709-716) is that it will air sometime in 2024. No definite date has been announced yet.
- While the writer's strike is still ongoing, no work can be done on OUTLANDER Season 8 or the prequel TV series. So we don't know when they will be able to start writing scripts for Season 8, let alone filming! And even when they do start filming, it will take them the better part of a year to film the 10 episodes of Season 8.

I think it's much harder to get through #Droughtlander when we don't have even an approximate end date. Unfortunately, that's out of our control. It seems to me that we have two choices: either bitch and moan and complain loudly and repeatedly on social media about how incredibly long it's taking (or the fact that they split Season 7 into two parts), or come up with some constructive ways to cope with it. I'm sure it won't surprise any of you that I very much prefer the latter approach!

I'm curious about what you are doing (or planning to do) to pass the time while we wait. Are you reading (or re-reading) the OUTLANDER books? Listening to the audiobooks? Watching the show on DVD, or on STARZ or Netflix or other streaming channels? Constantly scanning social media for the slightest mention of what the OUTLANDER actors are up to lately? Or are you taking a break from OUTLANDER fandom for a while?

I've been relaxing and focusing on other things, but of course I'm still "herding the bumblebees" in Diana Gabaldon's section of TheLitForum.com (formerly the Compuserve Books and Writers Community). I have resumed listening to OUTLANDER audiobooks since Season 7 ended, and I'm currently listening to DRUMS OF AUTUMN, yet again.

Next weekend I'll be going to Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia, to spend the weekend exploring the museums in the area (indulging my fascination with All Things 18th Century) and to attend Diana's talk and book-signing on September 16th. Naturally I'm very excited about that!

What about the rest of you? Please leave a comment here or on my Outlandish Observations Facebook page, to share your favorite coping strategies for getting through #Droughtlander. Thanks!

The Gaelic expression shown above, "Fuirich agus chi thu", means "Wait and see", and it's one of Diana Gabaldon's favorite phrases.