Well, it’s Monday as I write this, and I already feel overwhelmed. My grocery order had some surprises I hadn’t anticipated. The fruit flies are out in force, and spiders are making their way into my home because they know winter is coming. I hate spiders.
When I look at my planner for this week, I swallow and it’s more like a gulp.
On the to-do list:
On October 26, 2021, my new series, WYOMING RANCHERS, launches with the first book hitting store shelves! And to celebrate, I’m hosting a month-long book giveaway featuring THE PRODIGAL’S HOLIDAY HOPE with some fun prizes!
When you’re in the middle of writing a book, it’s easy to get discouraged. You might not be sure what’s supposed to happen next. You certainly can’t remember what happened two chapters ago. The main characters you thought you knew so well seem wobbly, like you don’t know them at all.
This is when it gets tempting to avoid writing.
When everything inside you is screaming to do ANYTHING but write (hello, laundry! Why, yes, I need to scrub my stovetop right this minute…), extinguish those screams.
Sit down.
Write something.
Anything. Even if it’s ten words. Five.
I’m taking a blog break until mid-August! I hope you enjoy these summer days as much as I’m trying to!
I’ll be posting August’s goals on August 11th!
Happy summer!!
The busy summer has just begun, and I’m already loving it!
We’ve been able to spend time with both my hubby’s family and my family this month, which is practically unheard of outside the holidays. It was so great to see everyone.
We also celebrated our anniversary with a trip to the Toledo Zoo and a romantic dinner after. The zoo had baby tiger twins, and they were the cutest things. Plus, the otters were swimming and having a good old time. They are a lot of fun to watch. Here’s one below.
A little over two years ago, I read Cal Newport’s book, Digital Minimalism (#affiliatelink), and it made a huge impact on me. I immediately did a digital minimalism experiment by setting rules regarding my phone and laptop. In fact, I wrote about it in a blog post back in March 2019, “Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.”
Here’s a snippet:
“Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and various news sites often eat up precious evening hours. And I couldn’t tell you what I’ve gotten out of all the mindless scrolling! Another problem I have? If I’m working on my laptop and check in on Facebook, I feel anxiety over unanswered private messages (I don’t use Facebook Messenger on my phone and only get private messages from my laptop). Ditto for unanswered emails–even if I get them at 10pm!”
I also went on to describe the actions I was taking to combat the digital takeover of my free time.
My writer productivity skyrockets when I set monthly goals. At the beginning of each week I break them down into daily tasks that will work within my current schedule. Do you know how great it is to finish projects? Of course you do! For me, setting monthly goals makes it all possible.
Every month I share how I did the previous month as well as my new goals. Let’s get to it!
I’m currently writing the first draft of a new book. I’m working on one of those in-between chapters, and, needless to say, I’m distracted. How to fight distractions when writing?
Well, first let’s look at why I’m distracted.
I’ve reached a spot in the book where I’m not certain what will happen next or even what needs to happen. And instead of figuring it out, I avoid it.
I don’t even think I fight the distractions! Anything is better than the hard work of figuring out the best path forward with the plot.
My husband is off this week working on our deck, so I’m slowing down, too. It worked out perfectly since I have a lot of time before my next book is due.
I’m working on a nonfiction writing project I plan on indie publishing. If I get a chapter written, I’ll be happy. Besides that, I’m researching, baking, and hopefully, going birding.
Well, here in Northwest Ohio, birding is a big deal if you’re into that sort of thing. Unfortunately, The Biggest Week in American Birding will be taking place virtually this year, but since I’m within driving distance of some great spots to see warblers, I plan on taking a day to try to spot them.
This year I have a good camera and good binoculars! Last time I went (a few years ago), I had a $12 pair of binoculars from Walmart and my phone camera. Not the best equipment for birding, but it worked for me! I really enjoyed seeing different species of warblers along with native birds and bald eagles’ nests. They are huge!
So that’s my plan. Take it easy. See some birds. Write a bit.
Join me next week for GOALS! Woohoo!!
Way back when I submitted my first novel for publication, I was certain getting published would happen quickly–a year, tops. I believed talent would take me places.
Confidence is a good thing. It pushed me through a lot of hard times.
But reality came knocking quickly, and with it came humility.
When I realized getting published might take longer–much longer–than I thought, I questioned if I had any talent at all. Had I been lying to myself?