Yes, summer is here! I’ve been waiting for a long time to say those words. It seems like the year flew by until May hit. Then everything slowed to a snails pace and drug out every agonizing second of the multitude of things we had to squeeze into the month. Thank goodness it’s a long month.
Thursday was the kids last day of school. So far so good on the not being bored. Right now all they are concerned about is sleeping late and vegging out in front of the television. Why? Because they can!
I give it a few more days and then the whining is going to start. “Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing to do. It’s hot. I’m hungry.” Oh, my I could go on and on. So I’m devising a plan right now to stop this before it starts. At the first sign of fidgeting or drooping lips I’m swooshing them out the door. The following is a list of places we are going to visit. Even if it kills them!
Library
Zoo
Pool
Tennis courts
Walking trails
Biking trails
Any kind of trails
Grocery store – The idea is to have my girls plan a meal, buy all the ingredients and then cook it! (That should be an interesting blog topic all by itself)
Garden center
Etc…
Here’s to a Great Summer!! :)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Stop! I Need a Vacation!
What day is it? Is it morning, noon or night? I'm running on fumes here! LOL
April hit and the chaos went spiraling out of control. Thank goodness for our awesome RWA Chapter meeting this month. Kathryn Lorenzen is a creativity coach and her workshop helped me keep from losing my sanity this month. And the month's only getting started!
Seriously, though. If you've never considered what a creativity coach has to offer, it might be worth checking it out. I have a writing friend who loves her and has become so much more productive in her writing. For me, the timing is not right. But I'll be saving some pennies and hopefully in the near future I can benefit from some one on one time with Kathryn. ;)
A great quote from the workshop:
"Focus is Power!"
April hit and the chaos went spiraling out of control. Thank goodness for our awesome RWA Chapter meeting this month. Kathryn Lorenzen is a creativity coach and her workshop helped me keep from losing my sanity this month. And the month's only getting started!
Seriously, though. If you've never considered what a creativity coach has to offer, it might be worth checking it out. I have a writing friend who loves her and has become so much more productive in her writing. For me, the timing is not right. But I'll be saving some pennies and hopefully in the near future I can benefit from some one on one time with Kathryn. ;)
A great quote from the workshop:
"Focus is Power!"
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Distractions
Distractions, interruptions, commotion, whatever you want to call it must be dealt with with a firm hand. Or maybe just by using better organization skills. LOL As a writer, I find even the smallest thing can distract me. Like a phone call, or the mailman. So throw something big at me like a lost hamster for instance and we have major chaos not to mention complete and total mental shut down. No more muse. No more writing. No more anything, but searching and pleading for the little guy to "come out, come out where ever you are," and go back into his cozy cage.
After hours of searching, a restless night of getting up to check and see if he'd made it back to his cage so I could close the door before he got out again, and lots of strategy today I finally found him. Poor little guy had apparently entered an opened drawer on the bottom of my son's dresser and once the door was shut he was trapped. Boy was he happy to see me. LOL Probably not as happy as I was to see him. Oh, there is the tear factor to consider with my heartbroken son over the loss of his beloved pet. But all I could think of was this little critter getting stuck in my walls and what a smelly problem that could turn out to be.
All is well again in the house and I can finally sit back down and get busy finishing up my submission packet. yeah! :)
The joys of motherhood and writing. You know, I should write a book about that! LOL
After hours of searching, a restless night of getting up to check and see if he'd made it back to his cage so I could close the door before he got out again, and lots of strategy today I finally found him. Poor little guy had apparently entered an opened drawer on the bottom of my son's dresser and once the door was shut he was trapped. Boy was he happy to see me. LOL Probably not as happy as I was to see him. Oh, there is the tear factor to consider with my heartbroken son over the loss of his beloved pet. But all I could think of was this little critter getting stuck in my walls and what a smelly problem that could turn out to be.
All is well again in the house and I can finally sit back down and get busy finishing up my submission packet. yeah! :)
The joys of motherhood and writing. You know, I should write a book about that! LOL
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Moving Right Along
Finished up the synopsis and first three chapters for my submission and now working on a query letter. It is so much easier to write a 300 page story than to sit down and try to compress the entire plot into a one sentence blurb or five page summary. Book reports back in school were easier than this. I have no idea why. I should and do know my story so much better than one I've read for enjoyment. Maybe that's why it is so hard. I know way too much! LOL
But at least it is looking really good for me to meet my goal on getting it sent out. Yeah! This feels so good! :)
"There is nothing to fear but fear itself!"
Say this over and over enough times and it really starts to work!
But at least it is looking really good for me to meet my goal on getting it sent out. Yeah! This feels so good! :)
"There is nothing to fear but fear itself!"
Say this over and over enough times and it really starts to work!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Nola Stars Conference
A few of my Everybody Needs A Little Romance Blogging Buddies!
What an amazing experience! From the moment I stepped into the lobby of the hotel to the time I left, I was surrounded by warm and friendly faces. I've decided that these smaller conferences might be better for me. The entire atmosphere was so much different from the National conference I attended in Dallas back in 2007. Instead of the hustle and bustle of hundreds of writers rushing around to find the next workshop or their pitch session, it was calm, inspiring and at almost every turn there was someone I knew. It felt more like a family reunion. LOL And what a great place to meet new friends.
It may have to do with the fact that the conference in Dallas was my first one and I'd only joined RWA that January. So needless to say, I was clueless about what to expect. Don't get me wrong, the one in Dallas was awesome as well and I learned more there than I had over the entire time I'd been writing on my own. But for me, being an introvert and shy on top of that, the smaller cozier conference made me feel more at home in my own skin. So much so, that my pitches went better than I could have hoped for. A big thanks to my new friend, Betsy St. Amant. Her support and encouragement before I pitched was the icing on the cake. Be sure and check out her books!
http://www.betsystamant.com/.
I had two pitches. One with an agent and one with an editor. Both requested to see more material. What more could I ask for! :) Oh, and I won a great critique package too!
Working hard to finish up my synopsis and polish those chapters till they sparkle and then I'll be sending out my baby. Gulp....I wonder if this part will ever get easier? :)
It may have to do with the fact that the conference in Dallas was my first one and I'd only joined RWA that January. So needless to say, I was clueless about what to expect. Don't get me wrong, the one in Dallas was awesome as well and I learned more there than I had over the entire time I'd been writing on my own. But for me, being an introvert and shy on top of that, the smaller cozier conference made me feel more at home in my own skin. So much so, that my pitches went better than I could have hoped for. A big thanks to my new friend, Betsy St. Amant. Her support and encouragement before I pitched was the icing on the cake. Be sure and check out her books!
http://www.betsystamant.com/.
I had two pitches. One with an agent and one with an editor. Both requested to see more material. What more could I ask for! :) Oh, and I won a great critique package too!
Working hard to finish up my synopsis and polish those chapters till they sparkle and then I'll be sending out my baby. Gulp....I wonder if this part will ever get easier? :)
Betsy St. AmantNew Friends!
Kaye Dacus
Friday, February 26, 2010
Back on Track
2010! That doesn't sound possible. Where has all the time gone? LOL
My kids are growing up faster than I can keep up and I don't like it one bit. But this is life. We all grow up and older and have to make the best out of every second given to us. When I was younger, I couldn't imagine being where I am today. Mom of two teenagers and my baby on his way to middle school? With each new year comes new challenges. The mommy kind and the career kind. Where and how to merge these two so that everyone is kept happy has been a struggle over the years. Even more so now that the kids are older. But miraculously I'm squeezing time to write in there among the daily chores, tournaments and other school activities that seem to pop up out of nowhere.
Time to get back on track. I'm excited about my WIP. I wrote it several years ago, but picked it up again in August to see if it would catch my interest. It did. And now I'm almost done with the edits. I'm loving the way the story is growing and expanding. I think this might just be "the one." Yikes!
I'll be attending a great conference in Louisiana this March and hope to gain some interest from either an agent or an editor. Fingers crossed!
Be sure to stop and enjoy the special moments as well as the everyday moments in your life. Once they're gone. They're gone for good. :)
My kids are growing up faster than I can keep up and I don't like it one bit. But this is life. We all grow up and older and have to make the best out of every second given to us. When I was younger, I couldn't imagine being where I am today. Mom of two teenagers and my baby on his way to middle school? With each new year comes new challenges. The mommy kind and the career kind. Where and how to merge these two so that everyone is kept happy has been a struggle over the years. Even more so now that the kids are older. But miraculously I'm squeezing time to write in there among the daily chores, tournaments and other school activities that seem to pop up out of nowhere.
Time to get back on track. I'm excited about my WIP. I wrote it several years ago, but picked it up again in August to see if it would catch my interest. It did. And now I'm almost done with the edits. I'm loving the way the story is growing and expanding. I think this might just be "the one." Yikes!
I'll be attending a great conference in Louisiana this March and hope to gain some interest from either an agent or an editor. Fingers crossed!
Be sure to stop and enjoy the special moments as well as the everyday moments in your life. Once they're gone. They're gone for good. :)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Focus!
For the past several November’s, I have participated in NaNoWriMo. What’s this? Well, it’s National Novel Writing Month. You take the entire month of November, turn off your internal editor and dedicate every second possible to churning out a story of 50,000 words. The goal is to get the story down start to finish and not worry about editing a single line. You can’t fix what you don’t have on paper, right?
I have always written like this. No plotting. No real planning. Just an idea floating in my head with characters and a good start. My first novel took me about a year and a half to complete. I didn’t write non-stop or even day-to-day. Shoot. I went weeks at a time without writing a single word. But in the end, I had a 100,000-word manuscript with characters that I fell in love with and a storyline that often shocked the socks off me. The writing is my favorite part. No boundaries. No second-guessing. No sitting for hours trying to find that one special word to tie that sentence into a tight but emotionally packed bow.
To date, I have five finished manuscripts this way. One has been polished to death and as of just recently is being sent out to agents and editors. I’m struggling to figure out when it’s time to move on. When do you put that beloved story away and work on the next one? I don’t want my characters to disappear. But at some point I have to face reality and give one of these other stories my attention and their shot. Several haven’t even seen the light of day since I typed THE END.
Focus in my downfall. I’m happiest when I have several different stories going at once. But talk about added stress and confusion. It’s not easy to keep them from blending together, especially when you’re not a plotter.
So I searched for ideas on how to keep focused. Hey, I’m up for anything at this point.
Eliminate Distractions - Okay. Yeah, in a perfect world without kids one might do this. LOL
Clear your desk. (Suggested putting it on the floor to deal with later. Huh?)
No internet or computer programs open that are not necessary. (Does this include Facebook!?)
No TV or Radio unless you find it productive. (Okay, music works)
No noise. (Got it covered. Headphones with ipod.)
No phone. (Nope. This won’t work for me. Gotta be available for my kids.)
No email or feed reader. (Don’t know what a feed reader is, but I can do without email for a little bit. LOL)
Just my project and me. (Heaven!)
Visualize – Yes. I can do this. Do this all the time. :)
Take five to ten minutes and picture your project and what you need or want to do overall for the day.
Planning – Okay this is where I’m going to start pulling my hair out.
Write out a plan and the major steps from start to finish in a basic outline format. (I could be writing!)
Write out the steps it would take and approximate time. (I have to set a time to finish it in? To structured!)
Breaks and Rewards - Now this sounds like something I can live with. :)
Use a timer to stay on track. Plan a reward for meeting your goals.
Take Action - This is where I struggle. Get bottom in chair. Put fingers on keys. Type!!!
Keep moving forward. If you find yourself distracted go back and review your plan. Be strict with yourself to keep distractions from creeping into your writing time. (Ah! Strict! I’m not even strict with my kids!!)
Don’t be afraid of a first draft - You can always edit it into a masterpiece. (Yes! Just what I wanted to hear!!)
Some of these I can use. Others would just kill my creativity all together. It all boils down to finding and using that magical plan that works for you. The minute it turns out to be more work than fun, I feel like it’s just not worth it anymore.
How about you? How do you focus in today’s chaotic world?
I have always written like this. No plotting. No real planning. Just an idea floating in my head with characters and a good start. My first novel took me about a year and a half to complete. I didn’t write non-stop or even day-to-day. Shoot. I went weeks at a time without writing a single word. But in the end, I had a 100,000-word manuscript with characters that I fell in love with and a storyline that often shocked the socks off me. The writing is my favorite part. No boundaries. No second-guessing. No sitting for hours trying to find that one special word to tie that sentence into a tight but emotionally packed bow.
To date, I have five finished manuscripts this way. One has been polished to death and as of just recently is being sent out to agents and editors. I’m struggling to figure out when it’s time to move on. When do you put that beloved story away and work on the next one? I don’t want my characters to disappear. But at some point I have to face reality and give one of these other stories my attention and their shot. Several haven’t even seen the light of day since I typed THE END.
Focus in my downfall. I’m happiest when I have several different stories going at once. But talk about added stress and confusion. It’s not easy to keep them from blending together, especially when you’re not a plotter.
So I searched for ideas on how to keep focused. Hey, I’m up for anything at this point.
Eliminate Distractions - Okay. Yeah, in a perfect world without kids one might do this. LOL
Clear your desk. (Suggested putting it on the floor to deal with later. Huh?)
No internet or computer programs open that are not necessary. (Does this include Facebook!?)
No TV or Radio unless you find it productive. (Okay, music works)
No noise. (Got it covered. Headphones with ipod.)
No phone. (Nope. This won’t work for me. Gotta be available for my kids.)
No email or feed reader. (Don’t know what a feed reader is, but I can do without email for a little bit. LOL)
Just my project and me. (Heaven!)
Visualize – Yes. I can do this. Do this all the time. :)
Take five to ten minutes and picture your project and what you need or want to do overall for the day.
Planning – Okay this is where I’m going to start pulling my hair out.
Write out a plan and the major steps from start to finish in a basic outline format. (I could be writing!)
Write out the steps it would take and approximate time. (I have to set a time to finish it in? To structured!)
Breaks and Rewards - Now this sounds like something I can live with. :)
Use a timer to stay on track. Plan a reward for meeting your goals.
Take Action - This is where I struggle. Get bottom in chair. Put fingers on keys. Type!!!
Keep moving forward. If you find yourself distracted go back and review your plan. Be strict with yourself to keep distractions from creeping into your writing time. (Ah! Strict! I’m not even strict with my kids!!)
Don’t be afraid of a first draft - You can always edit it into a masterpiece. (Yes! Just what I wanted to hear!!)
Some of these I can use. Others would just kill my creativity all together. It all boils down to finding and using that magical plan that works for you. The minute it turns out to be more work than fun, I feel like it’s just not worth it anymore.
How about you? How do you focus in today’s chaotic world?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What to Write
How many times have you heard the phrase “Write what you know?” For me the times are too numerous to count. I was thinking about this the other day after reading an article on how to put more adventure into your life and came to the realization that just sitting in front of my computer and trying to “write what I knew” wasn’t going to get me very far. Let’s face it; our imagination only goes so far. We need real life situations and experiences to work off of sometimes. Adventures to fuel the passion we have to write.
My family and I just returned home from a great mini vacation in Austin, Texas. I’ve got so many new ideas floating around in my head now, I can’t wait to write them down. As the article pointed out, I needed to get reconnected with my body and quit letting my brain have all the fun. LOL I get it. So this is the reason for my procrastination and poor productivity. Never thought of it like that, but I have to agree. After a few days by the pool, fun with the kids, and a tour of our states capital I’ve got one heck of an endorphin boost and my head is so clear and ready to play again. It must have something to do with the fresh air and getting oxygen to those tired cells up there. :)
From now on, I’m promising myself to schedule more time for these little outings. Writing is about creating after all. What better way than to experience all the wonders of nature or discover new and intriguing characteristics of “real” people. You know the ones. Those who inspire us because they are not afraid to let their personalities shine.
Now I’m not saying I’m ready to go skydiving or test my endurance by running a marathon or anything like that. But I do intend to start trying new things and quit letting the fear of the unknown control my actions. I’m ready to be inspired on a weekly basis. The feeling is just too amazing to let slip by.
My family and I just returned home from a great mini vacation in Austin, Texas. I’ve got so many new ideas floating around in my head now, I can’t wait to write them down. As the article pointed out, I needed to get reconnected with my body and quit letting my brain have all the fun. LOL I get it. So this is the reason for my procrastination and poor productivity. Never thought of it like that, but I have to agree. After a few days by the pool, fun with the kids, and a tour of our states capital I’ve got one heck of an endorphin boost and my head is so clear and ready to play again. It must have something to do with the fresh air and getting oxygen to those tired cells up there. :)From now on, I’m promising myself to schedule more time for these little outings. Writing is about creating after all. What better way than to experience all the wonders of nature or discover new and intriguing characteristics of “real” people. You know the ones. Those who inspire us because they are not afraid to let their personalities shine.
Now I’m not saying I’m ready to go skydiving or test my endurance by running a marathon or anything like that. But I do intend to start trying new things and quit letting the fear of the unknown control my actions. I’m ready to be inspired on a weekly basis. The feeling is just too amazing to let slip by.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Luck
What is luck anyway? Here’s a definition I found. Luck is a chance happening, or that which happens beyond a person’s control. Luck can be good or bad. Did you know there are three different types of luck?
* Constitutional luck is luck where factors cannot be changed. Such as place of birth and hair color, eye color, etc.
* Circumstantial luck is brought on haphazardly. This would include accidents, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
* Ignorance luck deals with factors one is clueless about. You only find out about it after the fact. Maybe like winning the lottery! LOL
Finding my husband and having three healthy happy children is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without them. Wouldn’t trade them for anything. As far as being a lucky person and winning things though, I missed the memo on where to pick up my fair share. No luck at all. LOL I’m one of those who gets so darn close and then Wham! Sorry they drew another number, or shoot, the person in front of me or just behind me turns out to be the 100th customer and get the free TV.
Now my son on the other hand, he’s the luckiest person I’ve ever seen. If he says it’s going to rain, you better be taking an umbrella with you regardless of what the weatherman says. It’s the funniest thing. When the Kohl’s flyer comes in the mail, I let him peel off the sticker that reveals the discount I get to use in the store. 15%, 20% or 30%. If I even touch that darn thing it’s 15% every single time. Give it to him and it will be 30%. I’m not kidding. This kid has a sixth sense or something.
We were at his school Science fair back in January and needed to sign in before entering the library to look at all the cool projects. I walk up, find what I think is the shortest line and get in it. My son immediately grabs my hand and pulls me to another line. We wait, and wait, and then finally reach the table. I’m writing down my name on the sign in sheet and we hear. “Congratulations young man. Your map has the lucky yellow sticker on the back. You get to pick out a prize from the treasure store.” I just shook my head. If we had stayed in the line I picked, he probably would have ended up on the clean up crew or something. LOL We’ve yet to have him pick out lottery numbers. But I’m seriously considering it! Maybe I’ll have him lick the envelopes on my next queries! :)
* Constitutional luck is luck where factors cannot be changed. Such as place of birth and hair color, eye color, etc.
* Circumstantial luck is brought on haphazardly. This would include accidents, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
* Ignorance luck deals with factors one is clueless about. You only find out about it after the fact. Maybe like winning the lottery! LOL
Finding my husband and having three healthy happy children is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without them. Wouldn’t trade them for anything. As far as being a lucky person and winning things though, I missed the memo on where to pick up my fair share. No luck at all. LOL I’m one of those who gets so darn close and then Wham! Sorry they drew another number, or shoot, the person in front of me or just behind me turns out to be the 100th customer and get the free TV.
Now my son on the other hand, he’s the luckiest person I’ve ever seen. If he says it’s going to rain, you better be taking an umbrella with you regardless of what the weatherman says. It’s the funniest thing. When the Kohl’s flyer comes in the mail, I let him peel off the sticker that reveals the discount I get to use in the store. 15%, 20% or 30%. If I even touch that darn thing it’s 15% every single time. Give it to him and it will be 30%. I’m not kidding. This kid has a sixth sense or something.
We were at his school Science fair back in January and needed to sign in before entering the library to look at all the cool projects. I walk up, find what I think is the shortest line and get in it. My son immediately grabs my hand and pulls me to another line. We wait, and wait, and then finally reach the table. I’m writing down my name on the sign in sheet and we hear. “Congratulations young man. Your map has the lucky yellow sticker on the back. You get to pick out a prize from the treasure store.” I just shook my head. If we had stayed in the line I picked, he probably would have ended up on the clean up crew or something. LOL We’ve yet to have him pick out lottery numbers. But I’m seriously considering it! Maybe I’ll have him lick the envelopes on my next queries! :)
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