Looking Ahead - RP Closing

 In October, Resplendence Publishing announced that they were closing by the end of the year. I have received the rights back for all of my books published with Resplendence, my plan is to take the next few months and revise and re-release all of them. I do anticipate at least a couple of them undergoing extensive revisions in order to make them better stories.  Also, I hope to release at least one more book in the Bissari Confederation Series, hopefully two. Midsummer Dreaming was meant to be a trilogy and my goal is to complete that within the next year or two.

I have removed the links for my books from Resplendence Publishing from my website. As they become available again I will update my website.

1st Week at Camp NaNoWriMo

My first week participating in Camp NaNoWriMo has been less then stellar. I have written. Not daily, but I have gotten some writing done. This week I really need to bust my butt and get in gear. I've got a 4 day weekend coming up, so that will be fantastic. My aunt is taking R and I for pedicures with her on Friday and I promised R we would go to the humane society to see about a furbaby on Thursday. Other than that, my goal is to spend the time writing and relaxing, much the same way I would at a writer's retreat. 

My goal this week is to catch up on time with Camp NaNoWriMo and make significant headway with my WIP, if not completely finish it.

Camp NaNoWriMo

While I'm sure I've heard of Camp NaNoWriMo before, most likely it was mentioned in an article I read somewhere at some point in time, its not something I paid attention to before this year. When a friend's Facebook post mentioned it and that she was setting a goal in minutes and not words I decided to check it out and joined. I set myself a goal of 30 minutes a day. To challenge myself. My goal is to finish one story and get at least halfway through a second.

I've been assigned to a cabin randomly. I asked to be placed in an LGBTQ cabin, and have met some pretty nice people.

So far this month, I haven't written more than 6 minutes, which sucks. So, I will be writing at lunch time and will probably be going to Barnes and Noble or Biggby to write this evening after taking R to work.

From the Writer's Desk -- Summer's Here!

I can't believe I haven't been back here since April.  I got busy. And my computer screen decided to work intermittently, with long periods of not working. Then friends of mine bought me a round-trip ticket to Orlando for a long weekend. And...

If you miss too many days or times of doing something, it becomes infinitely easier to continue not doing it.

Time management has not been my friend the last few months. On the good side, summer is here, officially this week, and R has a job and has met new friends through the job. S/he is getting a ride home from work most nights. So, I have more time to myself.

I have been writing though. That's a good thing. I've been writing long hand -- I posted pictures on my Instagram (you can find me there as Simone.Anderson7 .)  I finally got it all transcribed this past Saturday, in thanks mostly to my writing group's write-in. But, it means that my 70K word book will be 100K words. There is no getting around it. And I'm not sure that 20K is enough to tell the rest of this story. I'll write it until ends then I plan on doing a quick revision before putting it aside for 3-4 weeks, then do a complete revision. I've been wanting this finished for months now, I really want it done by the end of this month. To do that, I have to write 1150 words a day. Completely doable. If I want it bad enough.  I'll continue to post my daily accountability pics on Instagram and will check in again next Monday on my progress.

In the meantime --

Goal:
     30/31 Writing Days
     450/465 Minutes -- 7.5/7.75 Hours
     7,500/7,750 Words (250/15 Minutes)

April's Numbers --
     20 Writing Days
     900 Minutes/15 Hours spent writing
     8,122 words written (the most so far this year)

May's Numbers--
     14 Writing Days
     315 Minutes/5.25 Hours
     2,755 Words

So - April overall was a win and May wasn't, but I made a huge amount of progress, so I'm thrilled.

So far in June, I've only written 7 days. So, there is room for improvement.

I can't wait to finish this story.  I want to submit it to my publisher this fall.

Blessings,
Simone.
 

Re-establishing My Writing Habit

It's not a routine. Not yet. Routines have set schedules and steps that are followed. But I'm firmly on the path of re-establishing my writing habit. And that is a huge deal!  I've been writing stories since I was 10.  I even wrote a letter to an editor of a publishing company, who actually wrote me back. I didn't intentionally stop writing, but I let it go by the wayside. It became less important, the thing I was willing to give up to do this or that. Because it was such a part of me, I didn't realize that I would have a difficult time writing habitually again.


I use my Bullet Journal to track my writing. After several weeks of inconsistency, I think it's starting to pay off, because now I DON'T WANT to write a 0 under minutes or miss coloring in a box. I may only write 15 minutes still, but I'm writing every day. That is important. It establishes or re-establishes a habit. That habit is what will help me attain my goal!



This is part of my monthly habit tracker. I like seeing all of the boxes colored in.It shows me that I'm doing what I feel I need to be doing.

This is part of my daily spread. Simple. Easy. Works for me.  I set up the week ahead of time. I go in daily and update my tasks and goals. At the end of the day, when I plan for the next day and fill in my logs and trackers, I fill in the number of minutes I wrote.

Yes, we went to see Black Panther yesterday. It was as good as everyone is saying it is.  I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so I can see the words I missed.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - March Wrap-up

March was an...interesting month. We'll go with interesting. I got a promotion at the day job. That brings more money in, which should lighten the financial stress enough to free my brain to do what it needs to do, which is write. But with the new job and a new boss (at the same time) means I'm doing double the work. I'm also working more hours. Which negates the whole extra money less stress part. For now.

At the end of March, technically, the middle. My birthday is on the 17th - St. Patrick's Day. That was the deadline I set to get Behind the Masque done, at least the first draft. It didn't happen. I knew at the beginning of the month it probably wasn't going to happen because of everything happening at work. But, on my birthday I decided I was going to write on my lunch period. Instead of cross-stitch. Which is relaxing, but not helping me get my book written.

My goal is always to write 15-minutes a day. I'm trying to re-establish my writing routine. Which is very hard when you've been away from it for any length of time. Writing at lunch gives 15-30 minutes to write. I write long-hand. Scribbling notes in the side and in my writing journal for things I need to take of or deal with when I go back to do revisions.

This weekend I finally transcribed my hand-written pages into typed pages. Doing some revising as I went, including adding an entire scene. It works for me. For now. Writing processes evolve over time and with need.

By The Numbers:

Goal --

15 minutes a day for 31 days (average should be 250 words per 15 minutes)
* 31 writing days
* 465 minutes or 7.75 hours
* 7,750 words

Actual:

* 7 writing days
* 285 minutes or 4.75 hours
* 3,702 words
 
I would really like to be at 1,000 words a day, which would put me at about 90,000 words for the first quarter. But, I didn't make it.

Quarterly Numbers:

Goals:
 
* 90 Writing days
* 1,350 minutes or 22.5 hours
* 22,500 words (ideally, 90,000)

Actual:

* 19 writing days
* 17 hours
* 12,065


It works. Not where I want to be, but I'm getting there.

Blessings,
Simone.



 

From The Writer's Desk - Time to Re-FOCUS

I love these old desks  with all of the cubby-holes and drawers and spaces. I would love to have one in my house. Although, I think I might prefer a reproduction so I won't be afraid to use it. The craftmanship on these is gorgeous.

I've allowed myself to get distracted with all of the shiny and the worry and the stress from everywhere else, which is affecting my writing and most importantly, my desire to write. It's hard enough to find the energy and desire to write with the venom and hatred that seems to be showing up every where without the added distraction of hobbies or day job stress.

I did manage to write 2. 25 hours - yeah, except, it was only on 2 days, not 15 minutes a day. The idea of a lower goal like 15 minutes a day is actually to help me re-establish my writing routines. Setting time aside during the week - like an appointment didn't seem to help this time. But, I'm going to try it again. Hopefully, it'll work. Or help.

GOAL MET! I did manage 2 hours of research for Behind the Masque. Yeah! There is more research and decisions to be made though. :)

This week's goals:

* Write 15 Minutes a Day.
* Spend 2 Hours on Research for Behind the Masque.

Do you have goals? Weekly? Monthly? How do you stick to them?

Blessings,
Simone.

From The Writer's Desk -- Almost March!

The temperatures are starting to warm up and stay up. It's still probably a little early, which mean summer could really suck this year. The warm weather means we've gotten rain instead of snow and the snow we did have has melted. The city has parts that are flooded because the rivers and creeks are over flowing.

So, over the last two weeks, I have written about 450 words. in 1.5 hours. I do have a section to add. And figure out how I'm going to do a couple of things. I may be rewriting part of a scene to make everything work before I continue on with the story. I have my notes for revisions when I begin those. Then it will be out to beta readers before submitting it to my publisher.

I had every intention of finishing my WIP by February 21st, because I want it done. It's taking me long enough to write. Oi. But, between having to work late and home stuff that simply didn't happen. Hopefully, in March I can take back my writing time. I liked writing on my lunch break, but sometimes I need to do something else because the stress level keep rising. My laptop also doesn't travel anymore. I don't mind writing long hand, it's a nice change, but some of the story on the computer and some in a notebook makes continuity more challenging.

So my goal for March is to Finish Behind the Masque.  

My goals for this week:
* Write 15 minutes a day
* Spend 2 hours on research for BTM.


I hope you're successful at your goals this week.

Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Is It Spring Yet?

I am so ready for spring! It's interesting. I don't have a diagnosis for Seasonal Affected Disorder (S.A.D). I know people who do, but I know this weekend I was definitely after some natural light.
The fact that 2 feet of snow fell in just about 24 hours sucked, but I don't think it had anything to do with needing natural light. 

I have crappy windows in my house that let the wind in, so every fall I cover them with plastic, then I hang blankets over them followed by curtains. So, for pretty much the entire winter, there is no natural light in my house.

Both on Saturday and Sunday, I threw the blankets over the curtain rods and opened the curtains. I at least got filtered natural light.

I had a long, productive weekend. Friday, I took the day off from the day job for appointments. I decided to teach myself to knit. Saturday, I spent cleaning and decluttering and helping R with Algebra homework. Sunday, I stitched and shoveled. Sunday night, I finally wrote.  I wrote 834 words in an hour and 15 minutes.  That was the extent of my writing and writing related activities for the week. Well, that and deciding I need my current WIP finished by February 21st, so I can submit it by my birthday in March.

My goals this week are unchanged, because I didn't meet them last week.

* Write 15 minutes EVERY day
* Work on the Smuggler's Cove Story Bible - 2 hours.

Whatever yours goals this week, I hope you are successful.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - January in Review

It is the first full week of February. By this time I should have February mapped out in my Bullet Journal, along with my review of January and my focus for February plus a couple of other things I need to write down - like gifts for people. I'm no where I need to be.  The last couple of weeks feel like a crappy mixture of the flu-cold combination crap trying to take over and stress.  At the day job we are going through a leadership change and staffing changes which is causing more work and stress for everyone. I haven't really felt like doing a whole lot of anything. Which really sucks because 2018 feels really promising. 

January Review:
My primary goals were:
+ Write 15 minutes everyday
+ Finish Behind the Masque
+ Work on the Story Bibles for Smuggler's Cove and Bissari Confederation.

What I Accomplished --

I didn't write 15 minutes everyday. In fact, I only wrote 7 days out of the whole month. Here is the interesting part though.  If I only wrote 15 minutes every day in January that equals 465 minutes or 7.75 hours (7 hours 45 minutes). However, 5 out of those 7 days, I wrote more than 15 minutes. I actually wrote 510 minutes or 8.5 hours. If you average 1000 words in an hour, that works out to be 250 words in 15 minutes. So, that would have a monthly total of  7,750 words. What I actually wrote was 6,230 words. That's because some of those 15 minutes I only managed 25 or 85 words, while others I hit 409. A quick scan through my log, shows I average probably 150-175 words every 15 minutes. That's not too bad. Not really. 

I didn't finish Behind the Masque. I thought I was closer to being done. My original word count goal is 7,000 words away. The story end is actually about 30,000 words away. Oh well. I will tell the story to it's completion then worry about word count. I do want to submit Behind the Masque to my publisher by my birthday, so that means I need to have the first draft finished by about the 21st of February. I need to put it up for a couple weeks before I start revising it. 

Working on the story bibles is nice and non-specific. I started them, so the goal is technically accomplished. But, I'm not finished. So, not really.

 Getting sick combined with stress from work definitely worked against me in January. So did I. There were too many days where I didn't feel like it or didn't have enough energy or had too many other things going on to sit down and write. Writing is a very solitary activity, but I really don't solitude. Sometimes I do. I like my own space and my own area. But, I don't have an office right now and I really do need to replace my desk top computer. I also don't meet up with writerly friends. Part of that is - I won't drive far in the wintertime - Michigan roads - especially the highways - can really suck - and be down right dangerous. The other part is money - I don't always have the ability to pay for an extra tank of gas or food if we are meeting someplace for lunch. I need to find a way to meet up with other writers though. I love being around writers and artists - they get it. Most are supportive and encouraging. 

Goals for February:

Finish Behind the Masque by February 21
Write 15 minutes Every Day
Finish the Story Bibles for Smuggler's Cove and Bissari Confederation. 

Goals for THIS WEEK: 

Write 15 minutes Every day
Spend 2 hours on the Smuggler's Cove Story Bible.

Blessings, 
Simone.

Finally Over Being Sick

For the record, getting sick sucks. Big Time. I had planned on finishing Behind the Masque this month. It needed to be finished this month because there are other things I want to write. Getting sick was not in the cards, because I couldn't write. The couple of days I took off from the day job were mostly spent sleeping and coughing. With a little bit of stitching, because dragging myself out to the computer wasn't happening.

Ursula LeGuin passed away yesterday. You can read the story here. Today, I'm starting A Wizard of Earthsea. I have several of her books in my To Be Read pile, but haven't read any of them. I also have Left Hand of Darkness that I intend on reading this year.

I did make progress towards my goals until I got sick, and I do intend to write at least 15 minutes a day for the rest of the week. Hopefully more than that. I missed writing.


Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - An Interesting Start

2018 is off to an interesting start. I'm still not sure what to make out of it. I still believe it is going to be a great year, but forming new habits is difficult and if it's not something that is done everyday, it's easy to forget. Especially achieving goals. 

I had an extended weekend from my day job to ring in the New Year. What I hadn't quite realized was the extent I needed that vacation or how close to burn-out I was. I did manage to write on Behind the Masque on Monday, the 1st. But that was the only day. I did write on Thursday and Friday of last week on Marked, a book that I'm writing longhand, generally at work, but it goes everywhere with me, so it's an anywhere sort of work in progress as my laptop is no longer portable. The screen has to be in just the right position so I can see what's on the monitor. I woke up late both Thursday and Friday and decided to forgo my normal morning routine. Again. It didn't bother me that I missed my routine, but I did notice that I wasn't as productive or focused on my goals, both the big picture and the monthly goals. I also had a headache that lasted from Wednesday when I woke up through Saturday, which meant writing would have been harder, but not impossible, it's not like I had a migraine or one of those extremely intense and painful headaches, this was more annoying - pain-wise, but added to the stress from work and it was an easy excuse to not write. Or do much of anything.  And that's bad, because it was an excuse to not do something hard in favor of something easy. Since I'm having to re-establish my writing routine, anything that I allow to distract me from that routine, because it's easier, less messy, less whatever, means my goal of being able to write full time is no longer my priority. 

I also didn't write over the weekend. I worked Saturday, then did laundry, which isn't bad, but I have to go to the laundromat and that seriously sucks. Sunday was a different story - furnace died sometime during the night on Saturday or early Sunday morning, and the pipes froze, which meant I didn't have heat or water. We had space heaters, but the furnace needed a part that the tech had to order. It was a long, cold day and night.

We should have heat today and the pipes should unthaw between the heat in the house and the heatwave - it's over freezing with extremely cold windchills (for Michigan). So,  I have an extra day off. R's second semester at college started today, so s/he couldn't miss that.

I plan on writing today. My word goal for the year is 365000 words, which is 1,000 words a day.  Writing in 15 minutes increments, with a daily goal of to only write 15 minutes a day, means on average, I may only write 250 words a day, which is a bit less than 1,000. But the 15 minute goal is really only a starting place. It's small enough that I'm not setting myself up to fail, but it also lets me challenge myself. So, if my word count for 15 minutes was only 87 words, then I've challenged myself to go again for another 15 minutes to get a more respectable word count. And by then, I'm at a point where I want to know what is going to happen. I'm a pantser, I have no idea what's going to happen before I write it.

This week's goals/tasks are:
+ Write 15 minutes everyday on Behind the Masque (working on Marked is fine, but doesn't go toward my goal because I want Behind the Masque finished by the end of January)
+ Work on my Series Bibles for Bissari Confederation and Smuggler's Cove. - I'm using One Note to create my Series Bibles, but I want to look into other options as I want to move Apple and I want something that I can use on that platform as well so I don't have to rebuild everything and I don't lose everything.


Blessings,
Simone.

Happy New Year - Looking Ahead to 2018

Happy New Year! I sincerely hope everyone's 2018 is better than their 2017. May you have a year of blessings, surrounded by people you love and who love you in return. Pursue your dreams. They can happen - become a reality. Set your goals and work every day toward them. Personally, I've been looking forward to 2018 since probably the middle of November. I took a hard look at my year, both professionally and personally.  I summed up the results below.

My favorite memories from 2017 include:

* R graduating from high school.
* Taking R for first a college visit then to get books after s/he was accepted to the local community college.
* Visiting with family and friends, especially my aunt and uncle from Texas.

The Positive:
* I made sense of money matters.
* I discovered the Miracle Morning
* I discovered the Writing Excuses Podcast
* Learning to deal create and update my own website.

The Negatives:
* Depression, PTSD, and Stress
* Lack of motivation
* I didn't finish, submit, or have anything published this year.


What held me back:
* Fear
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Lack of planning
* Lack of focus

What helped:
* Establishing a morning routine (Miracle Morning)
* Listening to the Writing Excuses Podcast - motivation
* Readjusting my goals so I'm setting myself up for success instead of failure. - Short, time based goals.
* Accountability - posting my word count update to Instagram.



My 2017 Goals were:


* Ideally, I want to write 12 books, my goal is 5. -- I didn't finish any

* Write 365,000 words -- which sounds like a lot until you realize it's only 1,000 words a day.  Some authors manage 6,000 - that's my goal, but I still have a day job and life stress, so, 1,000 it is.

1st Quarter - 14, 455
2nd Quarter - 12,049
3rd Quarter - 8,368
4th Quarter - 6,631

Total - 41, 503 words

Best month - January (7,303)
Worst month - October (79)

* Read 26 books
      3 Classics
      3 Non-Fiction
      20 - Whatever

 Read 12 - 
    3 Classics
    3 Non-Fiction
    6 Whatever - 
          5 fiction
          1 non-fiction

* Blog Weekly - nope.


In Review -

Numbers are nice, but without a point of reference or context, they're just numbers.  January as a high number makes sense, because I entered 2017 with tons of energy. October as the lowest number kind of surprised me. It's probably misleading a bit though. I wrote long-hand on a couple of stories - started them anyway, but those words aren't counted in the numbers above. It could be as much as 2500 words off, but I haven't counted and I'm not sure where I stuck either notebook to count. I figured I'd count them when I typed them in, but I haven't done that yet.

October and November are particularly busy at the day job, but this year there was a lot more stress, and it leaked over into December. All of it. The paycheck was nice, but I'm burnt out. It's taken about a week for me to start to feel normal again. I have a long weekend and because of the crappy weather, I haven't had to go out or do a whole lot. Which is nice. I stitched and read. Mostly stitched. But, I'm ready to get back to work. Not to my day job, but to writing. To the job I really really want to have.

One of the things I have to take into account going forward is the almost non-stop negativity and hatred that seems to be permeating everything. For me, it's draining. Mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It's more important that ever for me to find the joy in the every day things. In small things. Squirrels playing. Deer eating. Early morning undisturbed snow. The brilliant Full Moon tonight.  It will come in finding people and causes to support, that are worth spending the energy on.


Looking Ahead to 2018

I plan on continuing my short, time-based daily goal of  writing 15 minutes a day. I have to build the writing momentum back up, and it's hard to start again after not writing for a while. At least it is for me with all I've been dealing with.

One of the things I realized that I missed and am missing in my life is a writers group. More than just a writer's group, but to hang out and talk with other writers. I need to get out and meet new people period. But, I do need to find a critique group or start one and I'll rejoin RWA when my taxes come in.

I do have a word count goal I'd like to hit, but I would rather focus on finishing projects. So, I'll be tracking my word count in my Sprint Log and on my project trackers, but my focus is for 2018 is to really get back into a regular writing routine. I know I will need to deal with mental health issues occasionally, but hopefully they won't become debilitating.

I have broken my yearly goals down into quarterly goals and monthly goals. To me, goals should be in manageable chunks that don't set you up for failure, push you or motivate you, and can be measured accurately.  

For January my goals are:

Finish "Behind the Masque"
Write 15 minutes every day

I thought about saying I only have to write 5 times a week, but the idea is to re-build a habit. New habits take 30 days to form completely and solidly. So, every day. Because, I actually don't like my job. Not really. I love the mission of the organization, but it doesn't make me happy. Writing makes me happy. This is how I want to spend my days. My goal in 2018 is to myself on the path to being able to write full time. 

Happy New Year!!
Have a Blessed Year,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - Mid-December

I'm really not sure where 2017 went to. I do know that I've been looking forward to 2018 since the last couple of days in November.

I started Bullet Journaling sometime around September/October of 2016. I discovered it earlier in the summer, but wasn't sure how it would work for me. I have a day job and a teenager. Some things are routine and other things come out of left field. But it became tremendously helpful as R and I started planning for graduation and college. One of the Bullet Journaler's I follow is Boho Berry, one of the books she mentioned last year and again this was Lisa Jacobs - Best Year Ever 2017 and Best Year Ever 2018.  The idea sounds good - plan for business or life and how to improve them to get where you want to go. My goal is to be a better me, to be the writer I want to be, that I know I can be. So, I look for the books and the tools that will help me be the best me possible.

I hemmed and I hawwed,  then I decided to purchase the e-Book version of the Best Year Ever 2017, which was on clearance, to see if there were enough principles, enough ideas that I could use. And, there seems to be. Lisa's books are really meant for online entrepreneurs who have direct sale products. But, I think with some slight modifications the exercises will work for me. I'm still hammering out my 2018 goals and plans, when I do, I'll share. Because if I put it out to the world, then I'm responsible - accountable for those goals in a way that keeping them private doesn't make me do. I can fudge more, ignore them easier. Harder to ignore or fudge something when you talk about it with others.

Goals:

At the end of November I mentioned that I was changing my daily goal from an hour a day to 15 minutes a day. I started that November 27th. I think I've missed 4 days of writing since then. 3 of those were this past week - Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. One of the days I wrote for an hour and a half and wrote 1300 words. That is phenomenal for me. So, the 15 minutes a day works. For me. So, I'm going to continue it. 

I have been reading - not always daily, beyond my morning routine. I finished Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence, which is dark and interesting - fascinating. I can't wait to read the rest of the series/trilogies.


I started Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Which is SOOOOO different from the Movie, but it's an easy read. I started and finished Your Best Year 2017. I'm challenging myself to read more and different next year. I need to put a few more finishing touches before I mention that though.


I'm working longer hours at the day job, which I don't particularly like, but it's helping to pay my bills, which keeps my stress levels down, which means it's actually a bit easier to write. I write by the seat of my pants, but in my own life I work better when I have a plan - even a barely working one - that lets me deal with whatever issue is going on in my life.





This week, my goals are:

+ Write 15 minutes a day
+ Finish my Series Bibles
+ Finish purging the crap in my house.
+ Schedule an appointment to get a quote on the plumbing for my house.
+ Read 30 minutes a day.

 What are your goals for the New Year? Do you have a plan to succeed?

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - November Wrap-Up

I think it's safe to say that the goals I set at the beginning of November and my NaNoWriMo plans are a complete wash. I was so swamped at work, I'm still catching up with my normal job in addition to the mound of stuff that I was slammed with, that I didn't do much of anything outside of work, eat dinner, and sleep. That is a really crappy way to spend a month. I miss writing. I miss all of my friends that I've met through writing. I focused on self-care during this month, because of the stress and the high number of hours that I've been working that I don't normally work. It served to remind me that I would, actually, rather be writing. That is my goal. My dream.

We are smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, with the busiest part ahead of us. With the New Year, there are new Goals and resolutions that will be made - to lose weight, be healthier, be kinder, be richer, to travel more, to travel less, to buy a new house or car - or both. I am in the process of setting my goals for 2018, they aren't definitive yet. I will share those later. But, those goals revolve around my goal - my dream - of being a full time writer. Whatever your dream is, that is what you should be following - unless it's illegal/unethical/immoral - then there could be some issues.

As we enter the last week of November, my goals this week are fairly simple. I'm making them with the knowledge that finding the motivation to write every day is easy if you write every day, but it's extremely difficult and somewhat overwhelming if you stop - whatever the reason.  I found a podcast that I've been listening to on the way to and from work and when I walk - Writing Excuses - hosted by Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Dan Wells, and Mary Robinette Kowal  - in Season 11, Episode 4 - here - Mary mentioned that starting writing again was like going to the gym for the first time in a while - you have to start small.

Currently, my daily goal is to write for an hour every day, which doesn't seem overwhelming - it doesn't feel overwhelming to me - mentally or physically, yet I don't do it. So, with that in mind, and that I still have a fairly busy schedule at my day job for the next 2 weeks or so, I'm resetting my goals:

- Write 15 minutes every day

- Read 30 minutes a day

- Spend 15 minutes a day on the series bibles.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Blessings,
Simone.

From the Writer's Desk - It's November!!

NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month Started almost two weeks ago.  It's something I've participated in for years. I've yet to win -- completing 50,000 words in one month, but I always try. This year, I started. I have 63 words on new project. Not only am I stuck on it, I have been working a lot of over time this month at the day job. It's our busy season. So, my NaNo participation became - well, if I write - I write, if I don't - I don't. I'm sure there are those people out there who can work 10 to 12 hours a day plus a commute and deal with kids  - and probably a spouse - and come home and cook dinner and still have time to write - I'm not that person anymore. It's draining and I end up half-assing everything, which isn't good for anybody. So, self care comes first. If I can write, I do. If I can't, I don't. I still set a goal to write one hour every day or 7 hours a week.

This weekend, I did absolutely no writing, however, I did spend almost 6 hours working on my Series Bibles for several of the series I have in the works in addition to the 3 hours of research I did over the course of the week. So, that goal has been met, even if I didn't write a word towards NaNo.

My goal this week is to write 7 hours on the same writing project - either the NaNo project, Behind the Masque, or Marked.  I'm still working on my New Year Purge, I'm finding it very freeing to get rid of stuff, condense, and organize things.

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

Hard to believe that it's mid-October already. Two weeks until Halloween and NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - you can learn more about that here). This week is also GRL - GayRomLit, and while I wish I could be there, I know I'll get back there eventually and I have met some of the most amazing people there.

I plan on participating in NaNoWriMo, I hope to go to some of the write-ins, but I don't always make those, because there are days when it's hard to be around people or in confined/tight places. But, I enjoy writing with others. I miss the writers retreats I went on before I got super busy in the fall - R was in marching band in high school.

This past week, my goals were to spend 7 hours writing or on writing related tasks.

I spent 8 hours on writing related things - some writing, organizing, work on my website, and research. I spent 3 hours and 45 minutes writing. I spent another 10 hours on research and organization not related to writing. So, goal met, although, not nearly as much writing as I'd like to get done.

The second goal, was to tackle one declutter task a day. Sort of. I missed one day, but then I started a larger task and still haven't finished it. So, maybe not.

I finished "The Write Type" by Karen Peterson. It was pretty good. I learned some new things. Others were confirmed, and some of it didn't apply to me.

Goals this week are a lot like last week:

Spend 7 hours writing or on writing related tasks. - Aim for more writing than writing related tasks.

Tackle one declutter/purge task every day.

Blessings,
Simone. 

From the Writer's Desk - October Already!

I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that not only is October already - an

d the 2nd week at that - but my kid, R, turns 19 today. S/he was born two days late during Typhoon Zeb and has become an amazing young adult. Compassionate, kind, spirited, resilient, strong, considerate, courageous, and beautiful.

S/he also shares, which means s/he gave me  her/his two-day cold.  That combined with some sort of office ick, tried very very hard to turn into bronchitis. I'm over the coughing for the most part - love antibiotics - but my lungs haven't completely recovered. So, I'll head back to the doctor this week to see what's going on.

My friends Brynn and Dakota ran the Pumpkin run this year, and while talking to Brynn later I committed to walking the Color Run next summer. The surgeon who replaced my torn ACL, said no running. But walking is good. So is the elliptical. And maybe as I lose weight, I can start running. If not, that's okay. I'll walk. So, I'm walking the Color Run in the summer, and next fall, R and I plan on walking the VA's Suicide Awareness 5K.

In addition to my weekly goals, which don't really seem to vary a whole lot right now, I decided to set some monthly goals. I really really want to finish Behind the Masque this month - I've been wanting to finish it for most of the year.  In an ideal world, I could get it done in a week if I write 8 hours a day, or 2 weeks if I write  4 hours a day - which is probably more realistic of the two options. However, I do have a day job, so, hopefully by the end of the month.

As long as I make some progress on Marked, I'll be happy. I write that long hand at lunch and on my breaks at work. The notebook stays in my bag and goes everywhere with me, so I can either write or read depending on where I am and what I'm doing/waiting for.

Last year, a friend of mine did what she called a "New Year Purge" as Samhain marks the beginning of the Pagan New Year. This year my goal is to tackle every room in my house and declutter and purge everything that I don't need or doesn't have a valid reason for remaining. It does a couple of different things for me - cuts ties with my past, frees me from stuff, and will make moving easier when that happens. Which, could be sooner rather than later as the park has started to tear down the trailers on my street.  Rumor has it's either to bring new trailers in or because the airport wants the property - but there is a freight rail line between us and the  airport without any sort of natural hill or valley, so probably not. Either way, eventually I want to move. Into a real house.

I'm reading The Write Type by Karen Peterson and Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. The first is the second writing craft book Ms. Peterson has written, and I have found it insightful. The second is dark fantasy, and very interesting.  I'm hoping to finish both of these this month.

So, my weekly goals this week are to spend  7 hours writing or on writing related tasks and tackle one decluttering task everyday.

Accountability --

The week of September 18th -- I wrote 5 1/2 hours and spent 4 hours on research and 1 on character development.

The week of September 25th -- I wrote 1 1/2 hours and spent 7 hours researching.

The week of October 3rd -- I wrote for 1 hour. -- I got sick on the 29th.

I have today - Federal Holiday. My city renamed it Indigenous American day - I'm good with that.

Blessings,
Simone.

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 - Wrapping Up August

In about an hour I'm taking R to get her/his books for school. S/he starts college on the 5th. Where has the time gone? Not just summer, but the last 18, almost 19 years. Today also marks 12 years since my dad passed away.  One week ago R's father passed away. Time has a way of dulling the sharp edges of sorrow.

Last week, my goal was to write for 7 hours. Working on any type of writing or pre-writing task for a total of 7 hours during the week.
Great goal. I know I managed to write - actual in the seat, putting new sentences to story - writing for 2 hours.  The rest of it - I don't know, because I didn't track it. I didn't sit down at the end of the day and write down what I actually accomplished that day. So, poor planning on my part, means I have no way of knowing definitely if I made my goal or not. So, today I need to start tracking what I work on.

I also was going to read 30 minutes a day. This is in addition to the 10 minutes I read first thing in the morning as part of my Miracle Morning routine. I stitched this week more than I read. Again, that lack of tracking accurately is coming back to bite me. I didn't read every day. I need to.

So, my goals for this week are the same as last week.
Write 7 hours - equals 1 hour a day.
Read 30 minutes a day.
TRACK WHAT I WORK ON!!

I have a Bullet Journal, it's easy enough to create a log - maybe incorporate it into a weekly or daily spread - where I can track/log what I work on, what tasks, and what I read. I'll share what I come up with.

Blessings,
Simone.