Today I have the pleasure of welcoming my dear friend and fantastic author, Jessica R. Patch! Jessica has a new novella (the next installment in the Honeyhaven Series) out just in time for the holidays. More on Honey for the Holidays below!
She’s graciously agreed to share a tool she recently started using to stay on track of her writing goals. I’m intrigued by it and figured you would be too. Take it away, Jessica!
I’m writing this on October 13, 2020. My mini-dachshund, Sophie, is curled up next to me on the couch. Yes, I brought my laptop down from my office to write this post. Late afternoon sunlight spills onto the furniture in patches, and I need to start making dinner. Like now!
I finished writing sample chapters (this is the first three chapters, or roughly 50 pages) of a new book around lunchtime. Usually I get up, have some coffee, read the Bible and pray. Then I exercise, get ready quick and head straight to my office for a full day of work. Today was different, though.
I’m big on setting monthly goals. By listing them and breaking them down into manageable chunks, I accomplish more than I think possible. My process is to set monthly goals, then at the beginning of each week, I create daily goals that will work within my current schedule.
Each month I share how I did the previous month as well as my new goals. Let’s get to it!
New Release!! My new book, The Cowboy’s Christmas Blessings, is in stores today!
This is the third book in the WYOMING SWEETHEARTS series, and book 4 releases in February 2021.
Here’s a teaser:
I signed a 6-book contract with Love Inspired! Aaaahhh!!!
Yes, this means more cowboys (a LOT more cowboys) are coming your way starting in the fall of 2021. All six books will be set in fictional Sunrise Bend, Wyoming. You might remember the town from my novella, A Merry Wyoming Christmas, in the 2-for-1 Western novella collection, WESTERN CHRISTMAS WISHES, with Brenda Minton last year. If you haven’t read it, purchase links and more information can be found HERE.
In the meantime, the third book in my Wyoming Sweethearts series releases next Tuesday! Yay!! And I still have a fun giveaway going on. You can read about it and enter it at https://jillkemerer.com/books/western-christmas-wishes/!
It’s almost time for my new book to release, and I’m celebrating early! That’s right, I want to share the love by offering a gift package to one blessed winner.
You can enter from September 9, 2020 (6am EST) until September 28, 2020 (9pm EST). Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years and older.
I’ll be offering digital copies of The Cowboy’s Christmas Blessings as prizes on my social media sites later this month, so be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram (my accounts are linked).
I’m big on setting monthly goals. By listing them and breaking them down into manageable chunks, I accomplish more than I think possible. My process is to set monthly goals, then at the beginning of each week, I create daily goals that will work within my current schedule.
Each month I share how I did the previous month as well as my new goals. Let’s get to it!
I’m so excited to be taking part in the birthday celebrations for Alexis A. Goring’s God is Love Blog! Ten years–woohoo!!
Alexis A. Goring, MFA, is the founder of “God is Love” blog (http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com/). She invites you to celebrate her blog’s 10th birthday this August 2020! Every day in August, author friends who have been featured on her blog over the past 10 years will give away one or more copies of their books. These may include signed paperback copies or e-books for your Kindle! Visit “God is Love” blog on August 1 through August 31 to join in on the fun.
Giveaway contests will end on Sept. 2, 2020 and winners will be notified via email.
Click HERE to head over for a chance to win a copy of my book, THE COWBOY’S SECRET!
I’m big on setting monthly goals. By listing them and breaking them down into manageable chunks, I accomplish more than I think possible. My process is to set monthly goals, then at the beginning of each week, I create daily goals that will work within my current schedule.
Each month I share how I did the previous month as well as my new goals. Let’s get to it!
As the seasons change, our writing habits change, too. It’s human nature. We’re not robots! Plus, where I live, the short, frozen days of winter stretch into long days full of sunshine and heat. I want to be out in all that sun!
Back in April it seemed reasonable to set difficult goals for June, July and August. But I’ve got a dozen years of writing under my belt, and I wasn’t falling for my overly-optimistic silliness this time. You see, I’ve made my share of mistakes planning out my summer writing schedule, and I’ve learned from them.
Let’s look at these more in depth.
While June through August technically has thirteen weeks, those thirteen weeks are not equal to the ones in the fall, winter or spring. Yes, technically the hours add up the same, but we all know summer is different. You’ll have weddings and graduation parties to attend. Weekend adventures and farmer’s markets will distract you. Maybe you’ll get away for a vacation or two. Then there will be family time. An outing to pick blueberries. You might have children at home. Whatever your situation, summer brings wonderful things we SHOULD enjoy. So go ahead, set some goals, but don’t overestimate what you can get done.
Unless you’re deliberately taking time off–a week, a month, or the entire summer–you’ll want to continue working on your book. Be careful not to let day after day go by without working on your project at all. You’ll be left with a nagging sense of guilt and you won’t want to get back into it. Even if you snatch fifteen minutes here and thirty minutes there, you’ll be better off than neglecting it completely.
I’m guilty of this every year! That’s why I keep my phone’s calendar and my day planner handy when I’m sketching out each month’s goals. I often allot extra vacation time each month on the off-chance something fun comes up I won’t want to miss. To do this, I increase my daily goals (higher word count when writing, higher page count when revising). This helps me to stay on track with my projects and enjoy the summer.
Not everyone can or should write during the summer. But if you’re reading this post, you’re probably working on a book right now. In that case, ask yourself how you’ll feel if you have very little to show for your writing when September rolls around. If you go into each day believing writing is essential, you’ll be amazed at what you get done by the end of summer. But if it’s another “optional” item on your daily to-do list, you’ll be disappointed in the fall.
From September through May, I LOVE my block schedule. It works for me. It makes sense. And it allows me to work on multiple projects every day while putting the most effort into my top priority.
But then summer comes around, and in the morning, I want to enjoy my coffee and watch the birds for a while. By late afternoon, I’m ready to stretch out on a lounge chair and soak in the rays. I have no desire to work on multiple projects throughout the week. I want to focus on the most important one and forget all the others.
So that’s what I do.
I purposely shorten my days to work fewer hours in the summer. This allows me to truly enjoy all that summer offers and still meet my deadlines. Then in the fall, I get excited to resume my more hard-core schedule. It’s nice to have a break from it for three months!
Have a terrific day!