From the Writer's Desk - Mid-September Check In

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by.  It's hard to believe that next week it will be officially fall, never mind that Pumpkin Spice, Carmel Apple, and Apple Cider everything are out and about.  Along with Halloween decorations. This is my favorite season.  I finished Write by Karen Peterson and am reading The Write Type by her.  I've adapted some of her exercises to my own use.  I may go back and follow the exercises exactly, but I'm not sure at this point.

I had hesitated to add dailies to my bullet journal, because I have a day job Monday through Friday with a schedule that doesn't change.  But, recently I started adding them along with my weeklies, so that I can keep track of my writing time better and any other tasks I want to get done.  I don't add a time line, because at the moment I don't see the need.

My weekly goal is to spend 7 hours on writing or writing related tasks.

The first week of September - 4th - 10th -- I wrote sentences for 2 hours, people watched for 1.5 hours, and worked on my website for 8 hours.

The 2nd week of September -- 11th -- 17th -- I wrote for 4 hours, researched a variety of things for 7 hours, and worked on my website for 8 hours.

So, for both weeks, I met my goal! Which makes me really happy.

I'm going to continue with my daily tracking, because I have to check in with myself daily on whether I made a goal or not. If not, what did I do and why.  There were a couple of days when nothing got done because I was either taking care of family or self-care was more important.

 

Every morning after I complete my Miracle Morning Routine, I set a goal for the day. Most of the time it is to write 1 hour on Behind the Masque, because I want it finished and I keep missing my self imposed deadlines.  I also write down my mood at that moment.  And a reward. Right now, I'm on a stitching kick, so that is my reward if I make my goal. Although, honestly, I may stitch even if I don't make my goal.  Then at night I write down what I actually did, my mood, and where I was. The section under that is what I read for the day.   You can see on this day, I did write, but not on what I wanted to, so I didn't make my goal, but it does count on my tracker.

My goal this week is to write 7 hours on either Marked or Behind the Masque.  I also want to read for 30 minutes a day and to go through one box stacked in my office.  My big goal is to have my house completely de-cluttered by Halloween.

What are your goals for the week? What do you want to accomplish this week? This Season?

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Solar Eclipse and Update

Hard to believe we are entering the last half of August. The summer and this year have really flown by. School will be starting in a couple of weeks and for the first time in four years I didn't have to worry about marching band, I can make plans without having to worry about a band conflict. I do need to write down the home games, because I still plan on attending the games and competitions that I can.  R will be starting college, but aside from helping here and there, I don't have a lot to do. Which is kind of nice. Very weird. I'll learn to live with it. :)  It does make me want to attend a writing retreat - I attended some fantastic ones in the past, but haven't in a few years.

The solar eclipse occurs today - I hope I can see at least part of it.

I have new glasses finally! It took a couple of days to get used to them, but I love them. I can sit at my computer for more than five minutes. I can do a lot of things now. I still like writing long hand and enjoyed reading more. I'm still battling with myself over sitting my butt down and writing, while giving myself permission to do non-writing things like read or research. Or if none of the non-writing writing related tasks work - a free day. Guilt free.

I've spent more days not writing this month than I have writing. However, I've managed to write about 2 hours this past week, so I'm feeling good about that. My goal for this week - Monday through next Sunday - is to write 7 hours. I like the time better than the numbers. Because some times I can write 1000+ words in an hour (15-minutes at a time) and others I struggle to get 250 in that same hour. But, if I'm there for an hour, I have the reward of trying without the guilt of failing to hit a word count. It definitely helps to go to Barnes and Noble for a couple of hours, especially since there is usually people - teenagers - R and R's friends- at my house.

I finished the special project my brother asked for:

Goals this week:
7 hours of writing as defined here
Read 30 minutes a day.

Blessings,
Simone.

From The Writer's Desk - Seven Days In and No Writing Yet

Technically, we are 7 days into August, today. It's arguable that there have only been 6 days of writing/work so far, because it's early Monday morning. Except, I'm supposed to be getting up at 4. I haven't done that in a couple of weeks, and I haven't written anything story related since last Monday.

I know some of the issues.

I still don't have new glasses, but I haven't been writing by hand either. There is a lawn mower in my office area along with an assortment of boxes, because I don't have a shed to store them in. And I don't know when that is going to happen. There is a guest over every day. They are here when I get home and until 30 minutes before I'm supposed to be in bed. Until a few days ago there was also a smaller guest who thought they needed to be entertained by me all day/evening long.  Then there are a variety of doctors appointments for the last two weeks and the next two along with college orientation.  Then to add to the mix, my hot water heater died. It's under warranty. Shipping for the parts is not. The labor and service call. Also not under warranty. All of which means, I haven't felt like writing. I haven't felt like dealing with anything else.

But, I want the book done, so I have to figure something out. Because really, the guest will probably be around for a while. Although, school starts soon. Thankfully. There is a write-in tonight for the group that was formed during NaNoWriMo one year and continues to grow and adjust with new and leaving members. But, I may just go to Barnes and Noble, where I can have a whole table to myself.

It's interesting, the quirks you uncover as a writer. It sounds nit-picky. I need this and this and this. The book I'm reading put some reason to it. Some writers need absolutely no distractions, others need everything exactly so, and for some others we need to FEEL safe. That's where I fall. I need to feel safe, to feel in control of things. I have certain idiosyncrasies when it comes to writing - I need the book's playlist going in either iTunes or YouTube. A new project always needs a title before I can start writing it - no matter how developed the story and characters are - and place holders like Untitled Fantasy won't work. But, the other part is feeling like I have some control, some balance, some safety in my life.

So, I will probably take myself to Barnes and Noble for a while tonight and see if I can get rid of this stagnation and get back on track. I want the book finished by August 31st. It's doable.

My goal this week is to write 7 hours - at least one hour every day. Long hand or on the computer. But to write at least 1 hour every day.

I'm still reading Rebecca, but my brother asked me for a favor before his wedding next month, so I will be working on that for a while this week. It's stitching up fast, it's just a pain in the butt.

Blessings,

Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Into August

Tomorrow is the 1st of August. This year feels as though it has flown by.  A lot of the people I know have said the same thing. Some of it, I think, is that too many of us are always looking forward to the weekends, towards some future date or event. Some, I think, may be that age thing.

I have finally finished transcribing all of my handwritten pages. I revised as I added them, changing things or catching an inconsistency. I wrote further after I finished transcribing. My spreadsheet deal says I'm about 67% finished and I need to write 768 to finish Behind the Masque by August 31st. That is my deadline. Self-imposed, but a deadline all the same. There is a slight hiccup with those numbers though. When I entered the original word count goal - I figured 75,000 words should give me enough room to tell a story - it's contemporary, fairly straight forward.

Then my characters got involved.

I'm just over 50,000 words into it. I'm fairly certain this will hit 100,000 words. Or close to it. At least the first draft. Then I'll sit on it for a bit before revising it again - and submit it. It started out intended for one thing, but took a duck walk early on. So, I'll submit it. Hopefully it's liked and accepted.  I have more details to add when I start revising. Questions that I wrote in the margin of my manuscript that may or may not require research or rewriting depending on what happened at the end of the story.

My goals are time based instead of word count based. My focus WIP is Behind the Masque. My goal is to write at least 1 hour every day. To spend at least half of that actually writing sentences that belong in the story. But part of writing is also research, it's also character development and set design. There is a lot more to writing, then simply sitting down to the computer or notebook and writing. I had to give myself permission to do that. If you're writing a paranormal, sci-fi, or fantasy then there is a lot more that has to be done. Because worlds and cultures must be explored and created in addition to figure out where the characters are heading now, because they don't care what you as the writer wants. Not really. They don't even fake it.

In reading news, I'm reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which was not listed on the books (here) I was going to choose from.

So,7 hours of writing - 1 hour per day this week. My 30-day Writing Challenge is also supposed to kick off tomorrow, which is 1 hour of actually story writing, not any part of the writing process.

Happy Reading.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Closing in on Mid-July

It's almost mid-July, that doesn't seem to be possible to be honest. R is back from Orlando. Early. That was unplanned. And something I'm not completely happy about. For a multitude of reasons, but it is what it is.

32 days ago I began this Miracle Morning deal after starting to read the book, the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. 4 days later, 28 days ago, I recommitted to writing daily and since then I have written nearly every day and written more than I have in a long time. The last few days between R leaving and returning and being way more tired than anticipated, as well as eye strain (this is apparently cured by the use of bi-focals, which are now on their way. Insert dramatic sigh here.), I have written less than I have not written. So, time to change that.

I write in 15-minute  blocks. This is a good thing because that's about how long I can write before my eyes start doing this weird double vision/blurry vision deal. But, I'm challenging myself to write at least 1 hour every day. The 15-minute blocks will be good, but also, because I'm writing long-hand for the moment, I don't have to worry about bringing my laptop (which is still not doing real well).  So, the goal is to write at least 1 hour every day for the next 30 days. At the end of which, if I've made it, I get to buy a book or two. I need to establish a new habit, this will help. I also want to make it positive with something to look forward too.

I'm still working on Behind the Masque. I still want to finish it before the end of the month.

30 days of writing.
Finish Behind the Masque.

I can do this.

Blessing,
Simone.

Book Report - Goal Update and What I'm Reading Now

It's about half-way through the year, which still really doesn't seem possible. There are 3 days left in June. Sunday, not even a full week away, R leaves for Orlando for the month. When they get back it'll be time for College Orientation. That also doesn't seem possible, mostly though because I don't feel old enough to actually have a college student.

At the beginning of 2017 I set a series of Goals, things I wanted to accomplish this year. One of them was to read 26 books. 20 whatever, 3 Non-Fiction, 3 Classics. At the half-way point it stands to reason that I should have read approximately 13 books. I haven't. I've read 5.

I finished:

I have enjoyed every book I've read so far this year.


I'm in the process of reading:




I'm about two-thirds of the way finished with this. I'm learning a ton. It points out the good things about writing by the seat of your pants and how to take your stories to the next level.

 I've just started this, but I'm enjoying it.
































I have several books I want to read this year, plus I keep adding more. There are three or four self-improvement books I want to read this year in addition to my ever-growing to-be-read pile.

 I completely disconnected my cable, so that will give me time to read. Hopefully, I'll be finished with the books I'm reading now by the end of July and I can start on something else. I have books by Rick Reed, Charlie Cochet, and Rhys Ford to read.


I'm curious to know what everyone is reading, as there really aren't enough books to read.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk -- Trying Something New

It's mid-June, Summer Solstice is today. Twenty days ago my only child graduated from high school. In ten days I send them to Orlando for a month long visit with their Godparents. I have never had more than a week without R, so this will be an experience. One I know I am ready for.  It's hard to believe the year is half-way done.

I think everyone has a limit they reach and say that's it - I can't do this any more - whatever their 'this' might be. I hit that point about three months ago. And hung on longer without really knowing how. I had heard of a book, mostly in passing, without any real conversation on what it was, that piqued my interest. Enough that I went and looked at it time and again. Then I bought it. Started reading it the next day or a couple of days later. Now, I've finished the book and started it again.

What I needed was to change my way of thinking. I was going to ask my counselor for anti-depressants, as my stress, anxiety, and depression sky-rocketed. I decided to try this first.

The book -- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. I was about a third of the way through the book when I decided to try it out, mostly because I woke up to use the bathroom about an hour before my alarm clock should ring and decided to give a try.  Eleven days later, I haven't missed a day and it has been an exciting, eye-opening, sometimes painful few days. I love it. One of the things I realized is that I would rather give my most productive energy to my writing not to my day job. So, I decided I needed to write for an hour every morning, which means I need to be up earlier. That's what I've done. The only day I didn't write since I started was Sunday and on that day I was working on spreadsheets and websites and other writing related things before we had to leave for my step-sister's.

I'm getting used to waking up at 4 am, which a good friend of mind keeps telling me that no, I've got it all wrong 4 am is bed time.

So, I'm writing for an hour or there-abouts every day and am finding it easier to write, to figure out what is going to happen next. I have other ideas for more stories too.  I also happened across this book, which will be one my next investments...

The Miracle Morning for Writers.  It looks interesting. I enjoy the quiet part of the morning, it was also my favorite part of the night. But R is a night owl, so there is less quiet. And really, I wouldn't change that. I couldn't be prouder of my kid and the young adult they are becoming.

My goal is to finish BTM by the end of the summer, preferably by the end of July. I'm about half-way there, so that is doable. After that I have several books I want to write, but I have yet to decide on what will be next.

Weekly Goals - To write everyday and finish updating my website.

Wishing everyone a Blessed Summer.

Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Where did January Go?

The month is almost gone.  I swear that adage that time goes faster as you get older is true. Sort of. Honestly, I think that time flies, because we live for the weekend.  As in "I can't wait until the weekend so I can..." - go fishing, watch a movie, see my friends, stitch, sew, write, read, bake.  It's the weekend where we live. Many of us. But I don't want to live just on the weekend.  I want every day to be like that. For me, that comes with writing. I would rather be writing.  If I write for a living, which is my goal, then my non-writing hours are filled with other things I enjoy. None of it includes working in cube-farm. My best friend, she loves her day job, which is very linear and in a cube-farm.

I've spent most of January so far trying to find that balance between writing, the day job, and what I need to decompress. Some days, it's just finding time to write. Using the Bullet Journal has been a big help.

Everyone writes different, they have different rituals, different comforts, different environmental needs, different habits. And those change over time.

Sometimes what I need in the way of environment changes - one day it may be my desk, another at Barnes and Noble or a coffee shop. I always need something to drink, but sometimes eating doesn't happen at all, or I'll need chocolate or crunchy, or everything in sight. But, I've found while I like writing with people around - like during write-ins, or finding a corner during a conference to write with whoever sits down, I like my space. I don't like to be too crowded. And I write best in fifteen minute increments. So, even if I'm do a 1k in 1hr challenge, I still break it up into 15-minute increments. My friend Brynn Paulin shared this story about a prolific writer named Anthony Trollope who wrote in 15-minute increments for 3 hours before going to a day job. I find I can waste a lot of time if I have an hour to write. But, 15 minutes - I'm less likely to procrastinate. So, I may write for an hour, but I've done in 15-minute spurts.

With my Bullet Journal, I created a couple of different spreads - one is my Sprint Log

I use my Sprint Log to track the date I work on a specific project, the starting and ending word count of each round, and the difference. My goal is 250 words each round. I use the timer feature on my laptop to keep track. I like it, because it interrupts the music - either from iTunes or YouTube - I'm listening to.

Set up - top of Spread

 Both pages. I write the abbreviation for each title at the bottom.

 The other spread I have is a word count tracker. Coloring in the boxes feels like an accomplishment - that I'm one step closer to my Goal. Each of my active WIPS has a layout. Each square is 1,000 words, and each of the smaller squares inside it are 250 words.

Goals -

So, my goals the last time I posted them were 500 words per session, writing 5 times a week. Or 2,500 words in a week.  Carrying that from the week of the 9th over to the week of the 16th, that would be 5,000 words total. Now, I didn't write 5 times a week. I wrote 5 times total, BUT I did manage to write 7,018 words since the 9th.

My other goal was 2 hours of research and world building. Carrying that over from the 9th to the 16th, that would 4 hours. I totally didn't make that one. At all.

Goals this week are the same.
1. Write 500 words per session, 5 days a week.
2. 2 hours of Research/world building - Forbidden

It's always when I need to be doing something else that I feel the drive to write. I need to sit down and write even when I don't have the drive.

Blessings,
Simone.

Book Report - Book Haul and Reading Goals

My teenager bought me "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire and The Land of Stories #2 by Chris Colfer along with a new journal and a two new book marks for the holidays this year.  Our family drew names for a gift exchange and one of my nephews gave me a Gift Certificate from Barnes and Noble.  I can't wait to spend it!!

My Reading Goal this year is to read 26 books.  That's a little over two books a month.  I would love to get to one a week, but I usually stitch between the day job and writing, so there is less time to stitch.  I haven't tried Audible yet, although I've borrowed audio-books on CD from the Library.  The problem I have, and one of the reasons I haven't tried Audible yet, is because of my hearing. I'm hard of hearing, and there have been a lot of times I start to listen to a book, only to have to return it without listening to it because I couldn't hear it, even with the volume turned all the way up.  I don't want to pay for an audio-book I can't hear it.  That would be completely frustrating.

So, here is my  breakdown of the books I want to read:

3 Classics
3 Non-Fiction
20 Whatever - mostly fiction.
   I want to read at least one in each of the following genres - Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, and Mystery.


I have several classics on my shelf that I haven't read including Kidnapped and The Black Arrow. I also want to read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  (My high school AP English class read things like Jonathon Livingston Seagull, which was 80 pages, pictures on 40 with large print, so I missed a lot of the required reading books in school - and some I don't remember reading if I did.)

I'm reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien now, which has a good pace to it so far.

There is a book from a book club I'm in that I'm thinking about reading because I want to see if it matches my expectations.  It's romance - or at least it's supposed to be.

For Non-Fiction, I have several on my shelves to choose from, but I'm pretty sure one of them will be Prague Winter  by Madeleine Albright

I picked this one up when I was looking for cozy mystery series, but I'd read one that I thought was going to be interesting and it turned about to be too unbelievable, so I stopped reading them all together, I want to give this one a try. Different series. Different Author - it's Death By Darjeeling by Laura Child. 

I found this on one of center aisle racks at Barnes and Noble, and looks like it's going to be Urban Fantasy.  Hounded by Kevin Hearne.

 This is one of those -- that sounds interesting books -- then I found out it was a movie, and it was shelved.  But, it's one of those I want to read it and see how they handle Zombies.  World War Z by Max Brooks.

 

 Those are the books I want to read this year.  Some I chose because I'm excited to read them, others because I put them down before I could get into them before.  My Reading Bullet Journal has most of the books I want to read written in there - either by year, challenge, or author.  So, far there are books listed on 52 pages.  Some are full, others aren't.  It's still a lot of books.

I have a simple tracker in the Goals section of my Bullet Journal Planner and a section on my weekly page for what I'm reading.

 

Book Tracker in Goals Section

 

Weekly Layout 

Happy Reading,

Simone.