With that stated....
What is that I really want out of this career?
I want to see my name on a book. I want people who send me letters or stop me on the street to let me know how much they enjoy what I've written. I want to sell out of my entire inventory whenever I do a public signing. And yes, I want to be able to support myself 'when I grow up'.
How can you make that happen?
Keep writing books; promote myself online and in person; I will participate in blog hops/interviews/chats;
How much time are you going to devote to the "job" each day/week?
A few hours each morning for social networking; more in the evening if able. Writing in the afternoon.
How will you make yourself accountable?
I just wrote these goals on a public blog. If I slack off, I know my readers and friends will figuratively poke me if they see me (ie: send me an email) and say "Hey....whatcha doing?"
How much time do you want to give yourself to accomplish these goals?
I'm already off to a good start. I've got seven published books, with four more due out this year (or only three), and I need to get off this apathy I feel toward promotion. I seriously spent more time promoting myself when I only had ONE book out! What the heck is going on with me?
Back to the question at hand: I figure I've got another twenty years before finances become an issue again; maybe fifteen. I'm 46, and the rest of my AU series should be out by the time I hit fifty. And by then, I will have hoped to accomplish some name recognition, plus built up a solid readership under both pen names.
What are you going to do when you reach a goal?
Celebrate!
Drink wine; go out for a nice meal. Sing karaoke. I know how to 'pamper' myself!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Saturday's Stupid Sayings
Warning label on a Roll-A-Hose garden hose:
May Cause Cancer In California
I guess people in the other 49 states are safe?
Happy Easter; today we're coloring eggs and I need to double check the supplies for all six baskets and go get anything else I need.
Plus, laundry; finding a place for all the canned goods we bought yesterday; and working on edits. I'm singing tonight at the 9pm service, then have to turn around on Sunday morning and sing at the 8am service! And will probably have to sit through the 11am service with the family.....(*head desk*)
Have a good weekend!
May Cause Cancer In California
I guess people in the other 49 states are safe?
Happy Easter; today we're coloring eggs and I need to double check the supplies for all six baskets and go get anything else I need.
Plus, laundry; finding a place for all the canned goods we bought yesterday; and working on edits. I'm singing tonight at the 9pm service, then have to turn around on Sunday morning and sing at the 8am service! And will probably have to sit through the 11am service with the family.....(*head desk*)
Have a good weekend!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Productive vs Unproductive
Currently Reading: Symbiosis by Tracy DeVore. An interesting 'what if' tale that explains Ancient Egypt:) And Recommended Read: Maiden's Promise, Tracy's Regency I told you about earlier in the week. Go pick this one up!
(Admit it; you've missed this segment of my blog! LOL:)
I'm beginning to think 'productivity' is a state of mind.
I felt 'unproductive' yesterday when 5pm rolled around and I realized I'd not been near a computer since 10am. But if you look at everything I did, it WAS a productive day. Just not how I wanted to spend my time.
The daughter's dental appointment was supposed to last 90 minutes, and I thought I'd taken enough reading material with me. But I was so caught up in the story, I finished it PLUS next week's TV Guide in an hour. Great; I'm now stuck with watching the rest of Price Is Right, the noon news, and what little I can stomach of Y&R without getting sucked into to 'WTF is going on in Genoa City?' Fortunately, daughter appeared during the commercial break after the 'teaser' and opening credits. I don't care about who's conspiring against Victor or if so-and-so will take Jack and Jabo's offer....I really don't!
Then since it was too late to take daughter to school, we went home and picked up the spouse, who then drove us to Ft. Branch. Good; I was able to nap a bit. Thirty seconds after we arrive, I'm back in the car, and we notice gas is ten cents cheaper. We fill up the tank.
Next stop, Sonic. I love their bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate malts. We eat, then head for the youngling's school; we are barely on time. I drop in to see the nurse and sign the paperwork, then head down to the classroom. I tell her we're going back to the meds he was on in Feb; she exclaims 'Hallelujia!', then we talk about his progress. And yes; it looks as if retaining him will be in his best interests. And yes, he can have her again, so she can more effectively chart his progress.
SU picks me up; we go find out which pharmacy will have his meds. An hour and 3 pharmacies later, I'm home. I cook the chicken for dinner, check FB and emails, and then toddle off for a thirty minute nap. Yes; I'm tired.
Forty-five minutes later, I'm rudely jolted from my slumber by the SU exclaiming 'We forgot about his shot!'
I jump up, grab his standing order and a book, and we take off for the hospital. Too late to check him in at the usual spot, so we head over to the ER and check him in that way. Another half an hour passes. As soon as youngling receives his shot, I get the okay to walk over to the church for choir practice. I call the daughter, who informs me dinner is already waiting for us. I tell the spouse; kiss youngling, and head over to church.
9:30pm: Choir practice runs over, since I've missed a crucial song we need to practice. And since this is the first time I've sung it, our choir leader is thrilled when I tell her I know the notes I'm supposed to be singing by the 3rd verse. Now if I can remember them again when we sing it.....:) I head home, again on foot. I warm up the rest of dinner, then the daughter reveals she wants to go shopping. And the youngling's meds haven't been picked up yet. So I drag myself out the door and she drives us first to the pharmacy, then to the store.
We're home by eleven-thirty, and all I want to do is kick my shoes off and fall into bed. But first I scroll through FB again, and clean out my mail. Then I relinquish the laptop to the daughter and go fall into bed.
So.....was I productive or not? From a writer's standpoint, no. A reader's standpoint, yes. And as a parent, yes.
So maybe there are days I'm strictly in parent "Taxi Mom' mode, and others, like today, I can put on my writer's hat?
Let's face it; if I could afford to give up sleeping altogether, I'd be able to get everything done!
But I value my 'pillow time'. So what about you? Are there days when you feel 'unproductive', but in reality you're just wearing another hat?
(Admit it; you've missed this segment of my blog! LOL:)
I'm beginning to think 'productivity' is a state of mind.
I felt 'unproductive' yesterday when 5pm rolled around and I realized I'd not been near a computer since 10am. But if you look at everything I did, it WAS a productive day. Just not how I wanted to spend my time.
The daughter's dental appointment was supposed to last 90 minutes, and I thought I'd taken enough reading material with me. But I was so caught up in the story, I finished it PLUS next week's TV Guide in an hour. Great; I'm now stuck with watching the rest of Price Is Right, the noon news, and what little I can stomach of Y&R without getting sucked into to 'WTF is going on in Genoa City?' Fortunately, daughter appeared during the commercial break after the 'teaser' and opening credits. I don't care about who's conspiring against Victor or if so-and-so will take Jack and Jabo's offer....I really don't!
Then since it was too late to take daughter to school, we went home and picked up the spouse, who then drove us to Ft. Branch. Good; I was able to nap a bit. Thirty seconds after we arrive, I'm back in the car, and we notice gas is ten cents cheaper. We fill up the tank.
Next stop, Sonic. I love their bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate malts. We eat, then head for the youngling's school; we are barely on time. I drop in to see the nurse and sign the paperwork, then head down to the classroom. I tell her we're going back to the meds he was on in Feb; she exclaims 'Hallelujia!', then we talk about his progress. And yes; it looks as if retaining him will be in his best interests. And yes, he can have her again, so she can more effectively chart his progress.
SU picks me up; we go find out which pharmacy will have his meds. An hour and 3 pharmacies later, I'm home. I cook the chicken for dinner, check FB and emails, and then toddle off for a thirty minute nap. Yes; I'm tired.
Forty-five minutes later, I'm rudely jolted from my slumber by the SU exclaiming 'We forgot about his shot!'
I jump up, grab his standing order and a book, and we take off for the hospital. Too late to check him in at the usual spot, so we head over to the ER and check him in that way. Another half an hour passes. As soon as youngling receives his shot, I get the okay to walk over to the church for choir practice. I call the daughter, who informs me dinner is already waiting for us. I tell the spouse; kiss youngling, and head over to church.
9:30pm: Choir practice runs over, since I've missed a crucial song we need to practice. And since this is the first time I've sung it, our choir leader is thrilled when I tell her I know the notes I'm supposed to be singing by the 3rd verse. Now if I can remember them again when we sing it.....:) I head home, again on foot. I warm up the rest of dinner, then the daughter reveals she wants to go shopping. And the youngling's meds haven't been picked up yet. So I drag myself out the door and she drives us first to the pharmacy, then to the store.
We're home by eleven-thirty, and all I want to do is kick my shoes off and fall into bed. But first I scroll through FB again, and clean out my mail. Then I relinquish the laptop to the daughter and go fall into bed.
So.....was I productive or not? From a writer's standpoint, no. A reader's standpoint, yes. And as a parent, yes.
So maybe there are days I'm strictly in parent "Taxi Mom' mode, and others, like today, I can put on my writer's hat?
Let's face it; if I could afford to give up sleeping altogether, I'd be able to get everything done!
But I value my 'pillow time'. So what about you? Are there days when you feel 'unproductive', but in reality you're just wearing another hat?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Busy Week Continues.....
Currently Reading: Still reading Tracy's Maiden's Promise, and had to force myself to put it down last night. I think I'm up to ch 6 or 7. Very enjoyable!
Enjoyed watching Moulin Rouge with the girls last night:) Next week, we'll be watching Repo Man.
Today the daughter has another dentist appointment; she's getting two teeth filled. Then it's off to the youngling's doctor to pick up his prescription; the current medication isn't working at all. We'll also get to stop by Sonic and eat lunch:) Then I meet with W's teacher at 3; I suspect this will be the 'retain or pass' conference. If he has to be retained this year, I'm good with it, esp if he can keep his teacher. She's done wonders with him this past year, and he's caught up a LOT from last year. Then it's off to choir practice after dinner.
I DID make it to page 30 last night, so my goal is another 30 or so pages.
And got a thrill when I opened my March sales report; I was a bit worried, because I didn't promote a great deal. It's hard when drama interferes....but I'm VERY HAPPY with my quarterly sales total:) It means readers are finding me and buying:)
Now if they would only let me know if they like my books.....I've not heard anything negative, so I can only assume I'm doing something right. Right?
Last night on Anny's chat, Dawn threw out the question, What Song Title Best Describes Your Life? I joked mine would be Stop The World And Let Me Off...or whatever the title of 'I'll stop the world and melt with you...'
This morning, the only song title I can think of is "Running On Empty" by Jackson Brown. I'm creatively blocked; I'm having trouble adding words to my edits; I haven't written anything original (fiction-new wip-wise) since last fall.
What song best describes YOUR life? If I think of another appropriate one, I'll post it.
In the meantime, have a great day!
Enjoyed watching Moulin Rouge with the girls last night:) Next week, we'll be watching Repo Man.
Today the daughter has another dentist appointment; she's getting two teeth filled. Then it's off to the youngling's doctor to pick up his prescription; the current medication isn't working at all. We'll also get to stop by Sonic and eat lunch:) Then I meet with W's teacher at 3; I suspect this will be the 'retain or pass' conference. If he has to be retained this year, I'm good with it, esp if he can keep his teacher. She's done wonders with him this past year, and he's caught up a LOT from last year. Then it's off to choir practice after dinner.
I DID make it to page 30 last night, so my goal is another 30 or so pages.
And got a thrill when I opened my March sales report; I was a bit worried, because I didn't promote a great deal. It's hard when drama interferes....but I'm VERY HAPPY with my quarterly sales total:) It means readers are finding me and buying:)
Now if they would only let me know if they like my books.....I've not heard anything negative, so I can only assume I'm doing something right. Right?
Last night on Anny's chat, Dawn threw out the question, What Song Title Best Describes Your Life? I joked mine would be Stop The World And Let Me Off...or whatever the title of 'I'll stop the world and melt with you...'
This morning, the only song title I can think of is "Running On Empty" by Jackson Brown. I'm creatively blocked; I'm having trouble adding words to my edits; I haven't written anything original (fiction-new wip-wise) since last fall.
What song best describes YOUR life? If I think of another appropriate one, I'll post it.
In the meantime, have a great day!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Busiest Day Of The Week
Tuesdays, if you haven't guessed by now, are cram-packed. Daughter has a standing appointment at 11am; I have my writer's group from 5-7 (or later:); youngling has scouts from 6:30-8. And now baseball season is upon us, and guess when batting practice is? Every Tuesday at 7pm. And since tonight he's supposed to earn his swimming belt loop, I'm not sure how the SU plans to work both into his schedule. Be late for batting practice? Re-schedule a swim time? Who knows?
And I've also been invited to another Movie Night with friends Billie and Melissa. Right now, it's still undecided if I'll go or not. The spouse is a little cranky, so I'll have to wait for a 'good' time.
On the high point last night, Kentucky WON!!! Score was 67-59, not as close as I thought it would be. And only had to nosh pistachios the 2nd half; during the 1st half, Kansas was doing very well, so I stopped and Kentucky pulled ahead. But the 2nd half....yeah, go ahead and call me superstitious. But it worked!
Caught up on my Celebrity Apprentice yesterday, and what's up with Aubrey? When she was on the women's team, yeah; she's creative and seems to have a handle on what to do. But she and Arsenio clash like oil and water, and I can see his point. She DOES come across as a spoiled brat. And I agree; she and Lisa's ideas are good, but they still lost...until they were separated. And I think Lou should have been fired instead of Dee on the second task.
The first task, a fund-raising project, I felt sorry for Arsenio and his blank check from Jay Leno getting tied up in traffic. But it turned out to be a non-issue; the men won by $14. And the Blue Men Group's stunt? Good in theory, but not on a busy NY street. Of COURSE people are going to be grabbing money popping out of balloons! But the men still won, and as Penn said, "If anyone grabbed the money and ran off, that's still charity in my eyes." And I don't care if Dayana won when she was project manager; she DID cause some headaches for the graphic artist, even though their book was better than the men's. So was it right Debbie was fired instead? I'm undecided. $14 difference....it should have been a draw. Esp since it looks as if Aubrey's walking away. We'll find out next week if she comes back.
What Am I Reading?
Finished Fracas.....and my fave story is still BC's.
I'm nearly finished with The Hunger Games; can't wait to see what happens next.
I'm on Ch 2 of Tracy DeVore's Regency, Maiden's Promise. And I found this humorous; if you're a Spartacus fan, you know Asher was killed. Well, he's popped up on the cover of Tracy's book:) So I'll forever have Asher's face on my bookshelf:) (Yes, I'm aware it's not the same man...but I can dream, can't I? LOL!)
Still working on edits for Balancing Act. Last week, I managed to buckle down and finish; hoping I can at least get halfway through. I've been asked to 'spice up' my scene endings. Apparently some of them are too 'flat'. And it's causing minor headaches. Ah, the things we do all in the name of 'polish'! This book wasn't nearly as torturous to write as it is to edit, lol! And anyone who knows me KNOWS I have a very low pain threshold, lol.....uh-oh, I feel an Uncle Remus moment arriving....
"You can pull out my ears, whack off my tail, but pleeeeaaaase don't throw me in dat briar patch (make me change a thing in this book)!"
There; now that's out of my system, on with my day!
And I've also been invited to another Movie Night with friends Billie and Melissa. Right now, it's still undecided if I'll go or not. The spouse is a little cranky, so I'll have to wait for a 'good' time.
On the high point last night, Kentucky WON!!! Score was 67-59, not as close as I thought it would be. And only had to nosh pistachios the 2nd half; during the 1st half, Kansas was doing very well, so I stopped and Kentucky pulled ahead. But the 2nd half....yeah, go ahead and call me superstitious. But it worked!
Caught up on my Celebrity Apprentice yesterday, and what's up with Aubrey? When she was on the women's team, yeah; she's creative and seems to have a handle on what to do. But she and Arsenio clash like oil and water, and I can see his point. She DOES come across as a spoiled brat. And I agree; she and Lisa's ideas are good, but they still lost...until they were separated. And I think Lou should have been fired instead of Dee on the second task.
The first task, a fund-raising project, I felt sorry for Arsenio and his blank check from Jay Leno getting tied up in traffic. But it turned out to be a non-issue; the men won by $14. And the Blue Men Group's stunt? Good in theory, but not on a busy NY street. Of COURSE people are going to be grabbing money popping out of balloons! But the men still won, and as Penn said, "If anyone grabbed the money and ran off, that's still charity in my eyes." And I don't care if Dayana won when she was project manager; she DID cause some headaches for the graphic artist, even though their book was better than the men's. So was it right Debbie was fired instead? I'm undecided. $14 difference....it should have been a draw. Esp since it looks as if Aubrey's walking away. We'll find out next week if she comes back.
What Am I Reading?
Finished Fracas.....and my fave story is still BC's.
I'm nearly finished with The Hunger Games; can't wait to see what happens next.
I'm on Ch 2 of Tracy DeVore's Regency, Maiden's Promise. And I found this humorous; if you're a Spartacus fan, you know Asher was killed. Well, he's popped up on the cover of Tracy's book:) So I'll forever have Asher's face on my bookshelf:) (Yes, I'm aware it's not the same man...but I can dream, can't I? LOL!)
Still working on edits for Balancing Act. Last week, I managed to buckle down and finish; hoping I can at least get halfway through. I've been asked to 'spice up' my scene endings. Apparently some of them are too 'flat'. And it's causing minor headaches. Ah, the things we do all in the name of 'polish'! This book wasn't nearly as torturous to write as it is to edit, lol! And anyone who knows me KNOWS I have a very low pain threshold, lol.....uh-oh, I feel an Uncle Remus moment arriving....
"You can pull out my ears, whack off my tail, but pleeeeaaaase don't throw me in dat briar patch (make me change a thing in this book)!"
There; now that's out of my system, on with my day!
Monday, April 2, 2012
When Are You Most Likely To Write?
Had an eye-opener over the weekend. Previously I thought my writing habits were dictated by the muse; if my characters were speaking to me, then I'd write. If I went for a long period without writing a word, then one day my fingertips would overflow with my latest idea.
Turns out that's not the case; at at least, not in the past few years.
Thanks to a blog post by the observant BC Brown, I'm the most prolific when my life is moving along in calm waters. But thrust me into the angry storm of LIFE, with the force of a Category 5 hurricane, and my creativity shuts down faster than you can say 'Batten down the hatches!'
Which is weird, considering writing can be used to escape chaos; it helps restore order when one's life is out of control. I am the Master of this Universe; I can make my enemies beg for mercy; I can make sure the star athlete notices and ultimately falls in love with the Nobody. Or that the star cheerleader sees beneath the surface of the Math Nerd who's tutoring her.
But apparently, that's no longer the case.
Or maybe I'm just experiencing a bit of Dream-Come-True-Apathy? After all, I've wanted to be published for over twenty years now, and my alter-ego got me in the door three years ago. And now book #4 is being polished, yet I'm dragging my heels ala petulant child.
LIFE is becoming stable again, at least financial-wise. On the home front, I'm still dealing with a daughter whose due date is getting closer; my college kid who is facing a tough choice; and my youngling, whose meds seem to have stopped working. Plus, we still have to deal with our housing; I need to quit procrastinating and fill out that application.
Plus, take a look at what the summer holds and decide if I can indeed promote myself at a few festivals. There are at least two this year where I'd love to set up; I've not been at either one since 2005. And that was seven books ago. Okay; to be fair.....five books ago.
Time to quit contemplating and get to work on the edits.
What Have I Been Reading?
Hard to get through. I'll put it away and maybe try to read it again at some point.
Excellent! A Definite Recommended Read, if you like true stories of abuse.
My friends Travis, BC, James, and Joe all have stories in this one. Some are a little tough, if you get squeamish reading violence. But the beauty of this book is that it showcases many authors. So you might find at least one story in this collection! I'm halfway through this one, as well as halfway through Hunger Games. The SU and daughter saw the movie over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I'll probably have to wait until it arrives on DVD, but hey....that's normal for me:)
Have a great day!
Turns out that's not the case; at at least, not in the past few years.
Thanks to a blog post by the observant BC Brown, I'm the most prolific when my life is moving along in calm waters. But thrust me into the angry storm of LIFE, with the force of a Category 5 hurricane, and my creativity shuts down faster than you can say 'Batten down the hatches!'
Which is weird, considering writing can be used to escape chaos; it helps restore order when one's life is out of control. I am the Master of this Universe; I can make my enemies beg for mercy; I can make sure the star athlete notices and ultimately falls in love with the Nobody. Or that the star cheerleader sees beneath the surface of the Math Nerd who's tutoring her.
But apparently, that's no longer the case.
Or maybe I'm just experiencing a bit of Dream-Come-True-Apathy? After all, I've wanted to be published for over twenty years now, and my alter-ego got me in the door three years ago. And now book #4 is being polished, yet I'm dragging my heels ala petulant child.
LIFE is becoming stable again, at least financial-wise. On the home front, I'm still dealing with a daughter whose due date is getting closer; my college kid who is facing a tough choice; and my youngling, whose meds seem to have stopped working. Plus, we still have to deal with our housing; I need to quit procrastinating and fill out that application.
Plus, take a look at what the summer holds and decide if I can indeed promote myself at a few festivals. There are at least two this year where I'd love to set up; I've not been at either one since 2005. And that was seven books ago. Okay; to be fair.....five books ago.
Time to quit contemplating and get to work on the edits.
What Have I Been Reading?
Hard to get through. I'll put it away and maybe try to read it again at some point.
Excellent! A Definite Recommended Read, if you like true stories of abuse.
My friends Travis, BC, James, and Joe all have stories in this one. Some are a little tough, if you get squeamish reading violence. But the beauty of this book is that it showcases many authors. So you might find at least one story in this collection! I'm halfway through this one, as well as halfway through Hunger Games. The SU and daughter saw the movie over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I'll probably have to wait until it arrives on DVD, but hey....that's normal for me:)
Have a great day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)