The first quarter of 2024 zipped by in a flash. My planner--a Kate Spade little beauty--was working okay for my weekly needs. But in February, my schedule got really busy, and I couldn't see the big picture of everything. Naturally, I bought a new planner. It would fix everything. The…
Last weekend was glorious. I worked late Friday night to give myself Saturday and Sunday off. We got the nasty winter weather--single digits or negative temps and snow--and I didn't care. After several busy weekends in a row, I needed a brain reset. I'm a better writer with breaks. In…
There's a tug-of-war within me all summer long. You know, the one that says, "Get to work!" while the other says, "Get out there and have fun!" It's especially bad right now. Since it's the middle of July, I'm hoping my reluctance to stick with my schedule has peaked. I…
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.
This post was originally published on November 28, 2011 at https://jillkemerer.blogspot.com/. I recently read a novel but struggled to get into the story. Each time I put it down, I had no desire to pick it back up. Tempted to stop reading, I decided to forge ahead and figure out…
My brain is covered in a thick fog as I do the final polish of my manuscript. I apologize to everyone in my life. I'm scattered and self-absorbed. I will be myself again soon--I promise! Writers, you know what I'm talking about. It's very difficult to turn off the world…
I'm writing a first draft right now. I'm excited about the story. I know the main characters, know the main plot points. Usually, I can estimate a word count goal for the day (depending on what I have going on) and meet it in a set amount of time. Not…
Are you making your list and checking it twice? No, I'm not talking about your Christmas list--I'm talking about your writer's wish list! And you can make one whether you're naughty or nice. *wink* As we reach the end of another year, I like to take inventory of the practical…
How often do you find a quiet spot and let your imagination play? Part of the writer's life is exploring ideas. For a long time, I neglected carving out an hour to sit with a notebook and just explore. But I overhauled my approach to my workweek and now have…