Planning and Setting Goals

It's that time of year again. Time to plan and dream and get out your organizational supplies. Time to write on our calendars and make lists, scour the internet for exercise plans and low carb menus. I love this time of year!! Not for the influx of self-help propaganda but for the limitless possibilities and hope that a new year can represent.

I know your probably have a list of things you want to change and accomplish this year, whether you wrote them down on New Year's Eve or like me, are still trying to figure out exactly what is truly important to you, it is wonderful that you have goals. The hard part is making a plan to see them through. Someone said that a goal without a plan is just a dream, and that makes a lot of scenes to me, because how can we reach them if we don't have any idea how to get there. In the age of instant access, we are lucky in one respect. We can find almost anything we need on the internet with the click of a button.

I am still trying to find my footing of this new year. Usually I have a planner that I print out from a variety of websites, that helps me keep track of the endless lists that I am always creating for myself. This year I am behind. Usually I print out my planner before the year even begins, customizing it to my specifications and popping it in a binder. I have the pieces just not an idea of how I want them to fit together. My hesitation is mostly due to the fact that I often have the best of intentions, but little follow through with using my planner. The first couple of months are great, and then somewhere around April I just stop using it, with no real reason to explain why. But I am a firm believer in the expression, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." So this time I am putting a little more thought into it, reevaluating what I have and only printing out the items that I need, making sure to use what I have.

What are your goals for the year? I will write another post with some of goals later... but I wonder how many people write down their resolutions for the new years? Do you keep them? Do you give up or quite? Do you revisit and revise your list throughout the year? Do you plan for long term? Or maybe you have monthly goals?  Please share, I am interested to hear about your success, or why you think could didn't follow through.

I can say that I have one goal already this year. I am going to work in more blog posts. Trying for two a month, or if I feel ambitious, one a week and this time I am scheduling them in! To my fellow writers and reads, I hope you have a blessed year. And as ever, Write On!

Formatting Frenzy

Another Post so soon?!?! I know... I had to add this in! I have been working on formatting most of the day. I am using CreateSpace to finish The Beast of the Ruin and get it ready for sale, both paperback and Kindle editions. (My sister is finishing up some book covers for me and is still working on the maps for this series, so I plan to update it at a later time.) While formatting the novel, I remembered that there was a way to add in chapter headings that were visible while scrolling through the pages. This feature also allows you to add in a table of contents that will update its own page numbers. No more hunting for chapter headings!!

Thanks to a video on YouTube from Chester Tugwell titled "Word 2013 Chapter Numbering & Page Number with Chapter Number" I was able to figure it all out. While I haven't finished the video or watched anything else from this YouTuber I am sincerely grateful to him for making this so easy. THANK YOU!!

Formatting is a bear on good days, but when I find short cuts like this, that will make things easier in the long run, it really improves my mood.

Do you have any formatting hacks? Any quick tips? How about pet-peeves? I know I do... comment and share your Word Doc Wisdom!!

TTFN!!

Write On, my Friends, Write On!!

Giving Thanks

There is much to be grateful for in my house this Christmas season. My Grandmother's health is improving each day and I look forward to the time when she will no longer need assistance with everyday activities. I know she will never be as independent as she once was, but she will be able to take care of herself. I am sure she is looking forward to that day much more than I am, as she is tired of her granddaughters making all the decisions for her.

I am grateful to friends and family for their prayers and support. We could not have gotten by without you.

I am thankful for this time with my grandmother though it has been very difficult and frustrating at times. I know that she would not be here if not for my sister and I stepping in on several occasions.

I am looking forward to getting out of debt. We are now taking active steps to limit our spending and help pay off the mountains of debt we have accumulated since my grandmother became ill. I would like to say that it is mostly medical bills, but I know there was a lot we should have done that we didn't. We were living as if we had the money we used to and that was not the case. If anyone is listening , all I want for Christmas is to be debt free, or at least to pay off a few of the smaller credit cards. I am tired of stressing over finances.

On a different note, I am almost ready to launch The Beast of the Ruin. My sister is reworking the cover along with a new cover for Ties of Fate. I am still working on Lost Lady, The Lost Prince, and now on an older work called The Captain's Ghost. I know it sounds weird but instead of taking a break, I usually switch gears from one story to another whenever I hit a block. I have dozens of stories I have almost finished from years ago. I just dust off a manuscript, read what I have and then start writing. I hope one day I will have a number of completed works under my belt. I feel this method works best for me because if I stopped writing for a bit, it could be months before I picked it back up again. At least this way I might work an hour on one draft and then an hour on another. Eventually they will come to fruition.

My GoFundMe account hasn't garnered a lot of attention. That's okay, I think I will lower the amount of it anyway. I had grand ideas, but what I need right now is funds to market my novel. If they don't know it's there, how can they buy it? Right? My sister and my friends and family have graciously been my test subjects... I mean test readers, editors and critics for many years. With their opinions and my sister's Photoshop ninja skills I have saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in publishing my own work.

I find that in many ways it is a group effort. I am so thankful that they are willing to lend me their time and skills. Their strengths help to strengthen me, and I return the favors whenever I can.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season, and are blessed with all that you need.

To my fellow writers who have finished NaNoWriMo, whether you met the 50,000 word mark or even your own smaller goals, remember that you have started something great! Keep going, keep dreaming. WRITE ON!

NaNoWriMo and the Writer that Time Forgot

We are in the swing of National Novel Writing Month, Welcome November!!! Not only do we have Thanksgiving to look forward to, but the abundance of creative activity adding to the written collective. It is amazing to see how many people are taking part and how far they have come in such a short time. It's only the 17th for crying out loud...

NaNoWriMo's official website has an amazing assortment of helpful tools and advice for their participants from famous authors to NaNoWriMo champions. I wish I had the time to check it all out. I've noticed that once I get started on something that time flies by and I look up to realize I've been at it for hours. I get lost in the world I am building and don't come up for air unless some outside necessity makes itself know. Truthfully, sometimes coming back to the real world is a jolt, as I am my protagonist, and my heroine is just another reflection of me.

On another note, I have switched books for my novel, instead continuing to work on Lost Lady for this month, though I have started on the Knave and the Rose. The reason for the switch was that I realized that out of all of my outlines for the Chronicles of Odde series(Nine Books), The Knave and the Rose was the book that I had the least idea about. It made sense to change gears and focus on something else while I let the plot unfold a bit more in my head. Along those lines I am editing what I have on book two, The Lost Prince. I am about 3/4ths of the way done on that novel which was my last NaNoWriMo project. Still have some plot bunnies to work out there. Editing will help me get my thoughts in order before moving forward.  

Since the weather has finally made a turn and a chill is in the air, you would expect that I sit down to my computer with a cup of hot coco or even coffee, though I am not a coffee drinker. Hot tea of any variety sounds lovely as I write this, but no, I am an iced tea girl. Sweet Tea or Regular I drink it year round, and find nothing more enjoyable than a good iced tea. Many fast food chains make it easy to pick up a good drink while I'm out and about, but there are also some places that I never return too. There iced tea tastes as if it were some powdered monstrosity sold by the barrel. A good Iced tea is my reward for going out and getting stuff done! I only mention it here, because I have two iced tea cups sitting at my elbow, and I wonder if other people have a beverage of choice, or maybe a snack food that helps their creative flow.

While editing I like to print out copies of my work, usually Via Staples. My reward points came in and they have a good coupon this month on presentations. I like my draft double-sided spiral bound with had vinyl covers, and this time I added tabbed pages that tell my were each chapter is for easy reference. The extra page will also give me some space for notes as I decided to forgo double spacing and did single space to save money. We'll see how it goes...

 Printing is also a time that I back up my drafts. I usually send emails to friends and tell them to save my drafts. They are most obliging. I would burn cds of my files but I have noticed that I never really keep track of them. The cds get relegated to a bin, and then eventually end up in my shed were I store all of the stuff that is too good to be donated or thrown away. I have commented on this tendency before and will not do so again, but realizing this about myself, having the copies out in the cloud or internet seems a much better idea.

I have no advice that is unique or extremely motivating to give to my fellow writers other than to quote the famous Nike add, "Just do it!"

I wish you all the best of luck, and inspiration in all its forms and fancies. Write On!

New Ideas and Moving Forward

I am still here! I have been working on Lost Lady for some time. It is the novel that I am most motivated to work on so that is where my focus has been. My goal is to get the first draft completed, or at least very close to completion by the end of this month. There were some days off, and some days of hard writing where I knocked it out of the park!! I am extremely happy with my progress. I need to save my draft's more often. I am very familiar with the tragedy of computer errors.

I am using a method I don't usually do for this novel. I made plot cards. Each scene that I had a distinct plan for I put on a blank 3x5 index card and then I put them in order. As I write I move the cards from my to-do pile, to my done pile. I like this a bit better than a traditional outline because I have a brief idea of the scene already in front of me and I don't have to shuffle between word docs which causes me to lose my place and my  train of thought.

I'm also gearing up for NaNoWriMo. Mostly I am trying to get some of The Chronicles of Odde stuff panned out. I know a lot about the first few books, and some things about of the end ones, since I brain-stormed them rather recently, but the middle ones, starting with my next NaNoWriMo project, The Knave and the Rose, is still very vague.  I think I will start with more plot cards. I have a 150 word description that I uploaded to the NaNoWriMo website, but little more than that.

Here is the series blurb if you were interested:

The Chronicles of Odde tell of the Great Convergence. It is a time when the doors to another world are open.

Pulled from their mundane lives, these young woman are called to a new world full of magic and the unknown: The Kingdoms of  Odde. Here they must fend for themselves, and if they are brave enough and clever enough, an extraordinary destiny awaits.

Not too bad, but kind of vague. I still like it.

So on other fronts, my sister is working her way through the FINAL edit of The Beast of the Ruin. I just hope I gave her the most recent edit, and not some earlier edition. I hate to think of her running through all of that for nothing. She has also said that she will update the cover on that novel and my one officially published work, Ties of Fate: The Lost Continent.

Cover design is hard, but my sister makes it look easy with her Photoshop skills. The hardest part right now is trying to come up with an idea that we love, and not settling for something we like. The original cover for Ties of Fate is missing, so she made me a new one, which is in the same vein, but we both agree that it is not as good as the first. Now, we think that the idea of a sailing ship, while relevant to the book, is not exactly where we want to be for a young adult novel. The book is not so much about ships as a young princess's voyage. While very beautifully done, we think that there are some better ideas out there that will appeal more to my audience, and hopefully promote sales.

Question: Do you have an idea of the cover while your write? Do you look at popular novels and get ideas for you own  cover? Are there any tricks you use to choose your cover design?

 

Well, that's all for today, my friends! Write On!

What's on My Mind

If I were a rich  girl, nanananananaah! That's a lyric from a Gwen Stefani song, if you didn't know. It is rather ridiculous, the things that are taking up my time lately. For instance, I was thinking about all the things I would do if I won the lottery, or Publisher's Clearing House. I made a list. I made a list back when I was about 16, and truth be told, it hasn't changed much though I seem to want less stuff. Not that I would want a big party and blow all the money... No. I am rather frugal and practical. I would probably blow a large portion on books and movies. I do love both of those.

I'd like to think I would be very generous with my time and money, and I would probably buy a lot of things for other people, but not so for myself. Sigh. I'd be rather stingy. Anyway...

I have been working on real things as well. I am writing Lost Lady. Some parts I love, some parts are okay, and others didn't turn out quite like I had imagined them. Not that they are bad, only that they need some work. Then again, I am a perfectionist, though I am keenly aware of my own limitations.  I do believe my writing is getting better. I'm not sure if its "good," though some people have enjoyed reading my work. I can't say that they aren't more than a little biased.

I am thinking of a plot for my next NaNoWriMo project, the next book in the Chronicles of Odde Series. It's called The Knave and the Rose. I know that I should probably finish the last one before beginning something new, but I distract myself with new projects and that often helps when I am stuck on something else. If only writing would make money, some of my RL problems would be answered!

The reality now is that I need a job. Not want, or would like, but NEED. We are sinking further in debt, and I don't know how we can get out. Other people have stay at home jobs and are getting stuff done with some side income. How does that work? Where can I sign up? Stuff like that never seems to work for me. Am I looking in the wrong places? Obviously!

Being an adult really sucks some times. More often than not I want to go back to nap time, story time, and went someone else would cut the crusts off my sandwiches. What happened to all the plans and dreams I had? Not just in my childhood, but just out of high school, when the future was full of possibilities.  What happened to the promise of the open road, the blank page? Are they still there? Perhaps it's because I've come to see a lot of things as chores, or things I want but can't do because of arbitrary reasons. Maybe they are all still there, waiting for me to see them again, in the light of possibility. With Hope.

I'm rambling again. This post isn't really what I had planned, but I don't feel like making a new one, so here you go internet. Have at thee!

Good Luck, Good Night, and Write ON!

Long Time No See

Long time no see, readers! Yet again I have fallen off the wagon, broken my promise to myself and let this blog go unwritten day after day, after day. I'd like to say I have some really good excuses. And I do! I'd like to say that RL is so busy right now that I just didn't have the time, and who would know the difference, but in truth, I am lazy.

I've spent a week binging on romantic Korean dramas. I've spent countless hours on Pinterest and Facebook. I've had family come to visit and done a mad dash deep clean of my house to prove that I am a responsible adult, if only for the week that they are here.

I'd like to say that I have been working diligently on my writing, i.e. plotting, outlining, doodling at least, but that would be a lie. Just look at the statements above.

My sister, on the other hand, has obviously been reading the updates from NaNoWriMo and has started to get her notes together, to organize her random pieces of paper and prepare for November. I looked at her and felt a twinge. I am not sure if it is pride, envy, or laughter. Her writing style and methods are so far from my own that I wouldn't know where to begin. She is organized, in depth and well read on the topics she is including in her novel, a paranormal detective series. I am so proud of her, and yes, more than a little jealous. I love her bunches, but she seriously kicks my butt in this category.

My stories come out of my head and require little to no research, while my twin has spent countless hours reading about police procedures, FBI protocols, and medical practices. I would be surprised if she wasn't on some government list after everything that she's been looking up on the internet. She has completed book one and is currently outlining books two and three. I, on the other hand, have been ignoring my to-do lists and sleeping... a lot.

As anyone who reads this blog would know, I am currently taking care of my grandmother who had been ill and bedridden for over a year now. My sister and I take care of her; we are a team... Though unfortunately, not paid for our endeavors, we are living off my grandmothers income.. or should I say mooching. For someone with no job, and an extraordinary amount of free time on their hands, I get very little done; other than making a mess that is.

Depression set in a while ago, and while I am not in fear of my life, I am in fear of the future. I am in debt, tied to my home, with no income of my own except for a few part-time jobs. And writing stories that no one seems to want to read. I fear I am a failure at life. My 31st birthday is quickly approaching and I have very little to show for it. I have to constantly remind myself that there is still more to do, still more to my life. I am a day-dream, always have been and always will be. That skill has helped me imagine the worlds I write about, but I sometimes fear that my secret escape is eating up too much of my life.

Anyway, I seem to be turning this blog into my personal diary, which isn't what I intended it for whoever cathartic I might find the experience.

With this post I am starting something new. I am changing focus, kicking it into gear, and trying to reorganize my life, by organizing my days. Step one is to make goals. Step two, start making changes, step three is building habits, and after that who knows.

Wish me luck, Pray that everything goes well! And I will do the same for whoever is reading this post.

I know things get in the way, that we get side tracked and for one reason or another, getting back on the wagon seems too hard, but it's not impossible. I seem to spent more time trying to get back to my goals then actually working towards them, but I keep trying and that is what really matters. Small steps, little changes, and one more push! That's really all it takes.

To my fellow writers, to my readers, whoever you are, God Bless and Write On!