Tag Archives: writing life

When I…

27 Thursday Jul 2017

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I’m the kind of person whose head is always stuck in the future.

When we pay this off, then we’ll be able to…

When I finish this manuscript, I have to work on…

One of these days, I’m going to achieve ____, and then I’ll have arrived.

But I’ve noticed that the arrival never happens. After each project, there is another one. Even financially, there is always another goal ahead of the one we achieve. Pay off this, save up for that. When I reach one milestone, I start aiming at the next. I’m the teensiest bit Type A. Had you noticed? 😉

Then I came across this thought on Glennon Doyle’s Facebook page, and it gave me pause.

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I’ve often said that you’ll never be able to be a writer unless you love the process. And I don’t use the word “love” lightly. Unless you thoroughly enjoy all the different stages, you’ll quit. There’s no way you could keep going… and I’m truly grateful that I do love the the process!

But every now and then, I have to let go of all my goals, all my “when I do this” thoughts, and just enjoy the moment. Because while achieving is important to me, it’s actually about the writing. I love the writing.

When I pay off this, then I’ll be able to… continue writing.

When I finish this manuscript…. I’ll be a writer working on edits.

One of these days, I’ll win an award or hit the New York Times Bestsellers list, or, or, or… and THEN… I’ll sit down and write the next book.

It’s so simple. No matter how far I go, or how much I achieve, I’m a writer because I love writing. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. And even if you gave me $1 million dollars, the very next day I’d sit down and continue on whatever manuscript I was working on. Because I’m a writer. It’s in my blood.

Stopping to enjoy the moment isn’t a bad thing, because this moment, right here, is the fun part!

Perspective. ❤

 

 

 

The summer search for writing time

13 Thursday Jul 2017

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I love the summer–the warm weather, the thunderstorms, the days that don’t have to revolve around school schedules… I really like to wear pretty dresses, and I wear them all summer long. Once the September chill hits the air, though, I’m all about warmth and coziness, so I have to make the most of the dress season I have it.

I do love the summer! I feel like I have to defend that a little bit. But being two weeks in, I have to tell you… I miss time alone. I don’t write well with my family around. They talk to me. (Imagine!) They ask for things. (Snacks, conversation, where things are.) And they treat the summer like it’s vacation time. Which it is, for them, but not for me!

So I have to find places where I can write alone, and summer turns into this quest for silent writing space. Or if not silent, uninterrupted writing space.

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The above picture is of me writing at our local indoor pool–or beside it, rather–while my husband and son swam. I have a personal deadline that is looming.

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And here I am at my favorite spot–the local library’s silent room. I have to sneak to get to it, because I run across all sorts of people I know at the library, and I end up stopping for a quick chat. But with my family at home, I have limited time in that sterile, silent space, so I have to turn off the internet and make the most of it.

Writing books really is a full time job! At least the way I do it. And I’m lucky that I get to work from home and schedule my own time. So I’m not complaining–I do love this!

But there’s something to be said for September, too, when I get that silent time back again. 😉

 

The method behind the madness

17 Wednesday Feb 2016

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I thought I’d give you a little peek into what it’s like being a full time writer… I do have some method to my madness.

  1. There is a lot of planning.
    I need to know when my contracted manuscripts are due, but I also need to know when I have down time to work on other things besides first drafts. I keep a constant list of dates on my desktop of various deadlines.
  2. Use the time when you have it!
    Basically, I don’t put things off until later, because later I might get the flu. I can’t shuffle my work off onto anyone else’s desk, so if I have some “free” time, I’d better get a head start on the next job.
  3. Work on proposals for new book contracts well ahead of time.
    That way, when I’ve submitted the last manuscript and I’m mentally drained, I don’t have to start thinking of new ideas then… they’re already ready to go! I just need to send the email, and while I’m letting my brain recover, my editor is considering my next ideas. That keeps me from wasting a month or two in putting together a proposal, and then waiting another 6 weeks to hear back.
  4. Guard your office hours.
    If I’m not working during my office hours, I should feel guilty! But once those office hours are over, it’s time to rest with my family. Everyone needs rest.

This is the realistic view of my days as a full-time writer. It isn’t terribly romantic, I’m afraid. Not a lot of coffee shops with spiral bound notebooks. But my method works, and it’s more fun that it looks! 😉 You might just have to trust me on that.

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A blog about nothing ;)

19 Thursday Nov 2015

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I’ve been writing like crazy the last week or so. I’m trying to finish the rough draft of a novel that I’m absolutely loving, and it won’t let go of me.

This also means that by the time I’m finished my office hours for the day, I’m absolutely wiped, and I don’t have too many clever blogging ideas.

So while I feel ridiculous blogging to tell you that I have nothing to blog about, that’s the gist of it, and I refuse to apologize, because I’ll make it up to you in novels. (Details to come…) That’s a promise I can keep!

 

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Writing update

25 Friday Sep 2015

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Today, I heard from both my editors, and I have more projects lined up to work on. This is part of the drill if you’re a writer–you are in charge of your own time, which means that if you want to be writing, you have to get your work lined up yourself. There is no boss breathing down your neck, just you and your gumption.

So, for the next few weeks, this what I’ll be up to:

  1. I’m editing a proposal for one editor so that I can incorporate her notes and send it back in.
  2. I have the go ahead to start on another book!

That means I’m staying productive while I wait for some official contracts, because just sitting while I wait is simply not an option. I might grumble. I might pace. I might start a whole new book for a whole new line. But I just can’t sit.

I’m always a little bit afraid of boring you all to tears with my writing updates, but it really is the biggest part of my life! I mean, my family, of course, holds the biggest part of my heart, but my work hours–that big gap during the day between dropping my son off at school and picking him back up again–is all writing. Boring to watch, perhaps even boring to hear about, but fascinating if you’re the one doing the writing! 😉

I hope to have some covers to share with you soon for my 2016 releases, and until then, I’ll be fingers to keyboard.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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