Ring Out the Old...

MOTIVATION MONDAY

This is it.  The last holiday...the last day...of 2012.  It's a time to reflect on the year that has past.  A time to remember our successes and and celebrate them.  It's also a time to look at those things that weren't a success and learn why.

I've said it here before, and I'm going to repeat it.  I don't make New Year's Resolutions.  Why?  Because like most people, the majority of those resolutions never see the light of day.  We have good intentions.  Excellent intentions, in fact.  But they lack what's needed to succeed.

Instead of making resolutions, I set goals.  Not only do I set a goal, but I also plan a path to reach it.  I try to make sure the goal can be achieved, because setting a goal that's impossible to attain is a waste of time and energy.

Did you set any goals for 2012?  Any kind of goal.  It could have been a writing goal, a self-improvement goal, or anything you felt you needed as a positive push in you life.  I set a writing goal, along with my fellow WARA members, and I'm happy to say I not only reached it, but surpassed it.  Later in the year, I set a goal to walk a mile or two at least five days a week.  I didn't do as well with that goal, once the really hot summer weather arrived...and stayed.  But for almost two months I worked on it, so it wasn't a complete fail.  Simply trying is a positive.

If you haven't given any thought to setting a goal for 2013, that's okay.  There's still time.  If not today and tonight, then over the next week or month or whenever you discover you need motivation to get you start and keep you going.  Working on the goals we set is motivation in action.

May 2013 be your year to shine!

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Final Friday

Have you set your goals for 2013?

It's Final Friday, the last Friday of 2012.  There are only four days left of this year to begin, work on, and finish the list of goals we'll be working toward next year.  This time next week, we'll be four days into the new year.

It's goal setting time!

It's hard to stay productive without knowing where and how you're going.  That's how goals help us.  My local writing group has been working on a goal all year.  Actually, we've each had our own word goal which is part of the overall word goal of the entire group.  We'll be talking about a new word count challenge at our January meeting and how we can make it more successful than this one.  We've all learned something this year about goals and writing, so next year can be even better.  The following are a few of those things I learned over the past few years when setting and trying to reach goals.

• Murphy's Law of Goals: When working on a goal, especially a year-long one, life will always intrude.  Try to build in extra time when setting your goal.  If it's early in the goal and you discover you're behind, there's still time to make up for lost ground.  Write an extra page or the equivalent word count of a page each day or twice a week.  Your odds for catching up are fairly good.  If it's later in your goal, just keep working and don't worry about the deficit.  Any progress, no matter how small, is PROGRESS.
• Never give up because you've fallen behind.  Dumping a goal is the worst thing you can do.  Giving up gets you nowhere, and you'll always wish you'd kept going.  Recognize why you're not staying on goal and try to correct it, if possible.  If not, keep going.  Sometimes miracles DO happen!
• Don't expect perfection.  Write first, polish later.  It's easy to write a few pages, then spend days, even weeks, going back over and fixing this little thing and that little thing, never making real progress. It's true that we can polish the shine out of anything we work to death.  Never surrender.  Write now.  Fix later.  Remember, you can't fix a blank page, except by putting words on it.
• Have a road map of where you're going.  Whether your goal is two pages a day or ten, having an idea of where your story is going and who your characters are will make the writing much easier.  This doesn't mean you have to have a complex plot, complete with twenty page synopsis.  It simply means that you need to have a solid idea of who the story is about, what's going to happen to him/her/them, and how the conflicts will be resolved.  Plan ahead.  If that means planning only a few scenes or chapters ahead, go for it.  Having an idea of what's going to happen when you sit down to write will be one step closer to getting words on paper.
• Celebrate each small goal you reach.  We all tend to be harder on ourselves than we should be.  When we don't reach a goal, we frown, grumble and brood.  When we do reach a goal, we too often don't give ourselves even something as simple as a pat on the back or a "Way to go!"  Reward yourself, even if it's nothing more than an hour reading, watching TV, napping, or spending extra time with family or friends.

What did I learn this year?  Taking a look at my stats-to-date, I see I need to make some changes.  I'm amazed that I surpassed the word count I'd set as my goal.  This past year, my word count total included both regular book writing and also blog writing.  In 2013, I plan to significantly raise my regular writing goal and keep the blog word count separate from it.  This year my word count goal will be 175,000 words.  Having learned that I can write more than I thought I could, there's no reason not to raise my goal.  

For those who set a goal for this year, but missed meeting it, don't give up.  A new year is just around the corner, and learning from our mistakes is a blessing.

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Soothing the Savage Pre-Holiday Insanity

If the weather hadn't suddenly decided to turn colder and yesterday hadn't dawned with snow (barely) covering the ground, the idea that Christmas is only a few days away would be either laughable or a total shock to the system.

Oh, we've been working toward the insanity of the holidays.  There was Thanksgiving...which is barely a misty memory.  And there's been the shopping.  Even last night Mallory and I were buying a few more mini-bows for packages.  The tree has been up and decorated since...well, whenever the Heisman Trophy winner was announced...and wasn't Collin Klein.

I admit I've lost track of time.  Deadlines are part of the problem.  The last was just a week ago.   And although I shouldn't admit it, I'm not a big holiday person.  I'm not sure why.  I loved holidays as a child...a teen...and even a young adult.  Somewhere along the line, something caused me to adopt a slight Scrooge-view of the winter holidays.  However, I do try.  In fact, I decided I needed to put on my jingle bells.

Music.  Christmas music.  From Trans-Siberian Orchestra's A Mad Russian's Christmas to Gene Autry's Frosty the Snowman to The Carpenter's Carol of the Bells and I'll Be Home for Christmas and back to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.  Those are my jingle bells.  This year it started later than usual, but only because I've been focused on so many other things.

Yesterday Mallory and I attended the program at the elementary school where the four oldest of the g-kids attend.  Kindergarten through fifth graders gathered in the gym-sized lunch room, along with tons of family and friends.  It was a real crush. ☺  Afterward over an hour of listening to their Christmas songs, we gathered the two boys to take them home, while the two girls went to their after-school activity.  To my surprise, I was given a stack of twenty thank-you cards from the third grade class where I gave a talk on writing last week.  I still smile when I think of those hand-drawn cards and hope I encouraged those who are sometimes too afraid to share their dreams and ideas on paper.  And gave them a tiny glimpse into the world of published writing.

All of this is a round-about way of saying that music can often make a huge difference.  Of course choosing the right music matters, but when it comes to Christmas music, it's really, really hard to keep the spirit of the season--no matter what the holiday and in spite of sunny, warm weather--while listening to favorites.  Ooooh!  Harry Connick, Jr singing Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.  What gets better than that?

Once the holidays have past, I'll be back on a regular blogging and writing schedule.  In fact, after Christmas we'll get started again on setting goals...because it's THAT time of the year again.

Countdown to Christmas

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

It doesn't seem possible, but two weeks from today is Christmas Day.  I don't know about the rest of you, but this year has flown by so fast, my head spins just thinking about it.  The reason for that could be that in February I put my head down to write two new books.  The second of those was finished three weeks ago, complete with the usual revisions.  But didn't stop there.  I'd already done some work on a follow-up book, so with deadlines met, I pulled out that new story, made some changes and finished the synopsis to go with the first three chapters.  That was accompanied by a four-page synopsis for a second book.  Both were sent to my agent last Wednesday.

Motivation hasn't been something I've had to hunt for over the past couple of months.  Deadlines will do that.  So will new characters begging to have their stories told.

But it's nearly time for Christmas, and I'm ready to sit back and enjoy the holidays.  As much as possible, anyway.  Most of my shopping, except some online purchases, is done.  My daughter put the tree up Saturday evening, while I put some lights in the windows.  I can't say we're decorated to the hilt--far from it--but at least we've done something.  For a while, we didn't do even that much.  Small grandchildren don't work well with decorations.

What I'd really like is some time to be like that cat in the picture above.

It seems motivation is taking a holiday.  And that's okay.  In addition to myself, I know many, many writers who have worked through holidays, sometimes year after year.  It can be done, although it obviously isn't the most popular way to spend "the most wonderful time of the year."  On the other hand, bills must be paid, so deadlines must be met.  For some, it wouldn't be Christmas without them.  Literally.

But deadlines, whether writing or holiday ones, we each need to remember to spend some quiet time with family, friends, and even ourselves.  Especially the latter, because if family is around, we'll forget that we need some time to ourselves, if only for a few minutes to catch our breath.  Deadlines and holidays are both stressful, so below are some links to some de-stressing tips.

• 10 Ways to De-Sress During the Holidays from the Charlestown Patch, Boston MA
• 12 Ways to Destress Amidst Holiday Madness Woman's Day Magazine - Destress tips that can be done 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, or 1 one minute segments
• 3 Easy Says to De-Stress Over the Holidays Shape Magazine 

Need more ideas?  Simply google/search using *tips to destress during the holidays* for many more.

'Tis the season to remind ourselves to take a break and relax.

“Just breathing can be such a luxury sometimes.” ― Walter Kirn, Up in the Air

Survival of the Fittest

WRITING WEDNESDAYS THURSDAY

Not only are Thanksgiving and Black Friday over for the year, but the 2012 edition of NaNoWriMo will end tomorrow.  In my mind, I see writers at their desks with their heads down as they race to the finish line to see how close they can each get to that 50,000 word goal.

Fifty thousand words written in a month.  Amazing.  Wonderful.  Exhausting.

I joke, but this is really serious stuff.  Anyone who even gave it a try this year is a winner.  Setting a goal and working toward it is something to be proud of, even if the goal isn't quite reached, participating in something like NaNo is an achievement that shouldn't be passed of as nothing.  It's something.   Just the act of trying is courageous.  But isn't a lot of life the same?

The old proverb, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," [1840 T. H. Palmer Teacher's Manual 223] holds true for everything in life.  Well, the good stuff, anyway.  We don't want to keep trying to be evil and mean and blackhearted.  What we do want is to be successful in the things we do, from being a good person, a good parent, and at least have a modicum of success in the things we choose to do.  While it's true that we can't always be highly successful in everything, sometimes we don't know our true worth until we reach for that brass ring.  Missing it isn't failing, because trying, itself, is positive forward motion.  Don't throw in the towel too soon.

Because writing is one of the arts, it takes time to hone the craft.  In honing, we often learn from our mistakes.  One of the things we can count on 99% of the time is that we our work will be rejected at least once. Please note that the WE is crossed out.  I did that for a reason, because while our work may be rejected, we as persons are not.  Granted, it hurts.  Yes, it can feel personal.  But the key to keep in mind is that a rejection is not just what some call "an invitation to resubmit" but a chance to learn something.  It can be the catalyst to dig a little deeper or try again for that spark that makes a story cry out in a sea of other stories.

Rejections aren't only for those trying to break into publishing, but for those who have a backlist.  Yes, published authors get rejections, too.  And they try again.  The proof is in the pudding.  My pudding.  In June last year (2011), I submitted two proposals for two new stories set in Desperation, OK.  They were rejected in July, with an invitation to revise and resubmit.  I revised, resubmitted (August) and was rejected (September) again.  Definitely a time to reconsider.  I decided to keep the heroine in one story, because she's been a minor character in the series, but to give her a new hero and story, then write a completely new story for the second, with a completely new hero & heroine.  I submitted those at the end of October.  They were rejected mid-December.

To say I was disappointed and questioning my ability to write anything beyond my name would be an understatement.  But I wasn't completely down quite yet.  I took a deep breath and wondered what to do.  I had two more story ideas with brother heroes that were left over from my Silhouette Romance days, so I quickly worked up proposals on them and sent them to my agent and editor in mid-January.  When they both were accepted, I breathed a big sigh of relief, patted myself on the back and immediately set to work writing them.  If I'd given up after those three rejections, A NANNY FOR THE COWBOY (March 2013) and DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY (June 2013) would be nothing but old story notes.

There are so many things to think about when writing a book, and it sometimes seems that the more we know, the harder the writing can be.  Unfettered writing, such as that done during NaNo, can sometimes unearth some of our best work, only because we're not questioning each word written.

Whether you're wrapping up NaNoWriMo for this year, or you're fearing another rejection, or even if you've recently stuck your toe in the dark but sparkling waters of writing, stay strong.  Work hard, grow that thick skin so your psyche and muse don't become too bruised by the journey, and be fit enough to survive.  To quote Spock, "Live long and prosper."

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. - Jimmy Dean, Actor, Singer and Businessman

'Tis the Season to Listen to Our Inner Silence

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

I'm one of those rare people who finds beauty in the starkness of winter.  While I love the brisk air and the scents and colors of autumn, it doesn't last long, and I'm left with something close to the picture on the left.  There are only a few remnants of the leaves that are still barely hanging on.  The year is doing much the same thing.  It's speeding right along to the end, ready to begin again on January 1.

It's a hectic time of year, these days between Halloween and New Year's Day.  Women, especially, are faced with the dilemma of finding enough time to do it all. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, that can be eased by using KISS and delegating.  This year, I discovered that there seemed to be only a blink of an eye between Halloween and Thanksgiving, when in reality it was a full two weeks.  I suspect I'll feel the same when looking back to Thanksgiving from Christmas.  As it is, life seems to move fast, and age makes it seem to go even faster.

Between now and the first of the year, we'll be running at top speed, hampering any thoughts other than those connected to menus, recipes gifts, decorations, cards, and all the rest of the trimmings of the holidays.  There are so many things on our lists of things to do that we forget to take a moment for ourselves or even to breathe.  But we can do something about that.  In fact, we need to do something.

• Turn off the TV that blares Buy This! every fifteen minutes.  Try it for 10 minutes.  Try it for 30.  
• Take a walk and let your mind wander to anything but the have to do's.
• Daydream.  And if you don't remember how, it's time to relearn.
• Put on some music, either soothing or upbeat, whichever makes you smile.
• Start a journal...or morning pages à la The Artist's Way.
• Start a Blessing Box or Thankful Jar.
• Meditate or learn how to meditate (There are free guided meditations online, just do a search for them.)
• Breathe  and breathe again.

We have a new dog, something I said I'd never do again, but this one desperately needed a new home.  So Max, the Pekingnese, has become part of our family.  Either my daughter or I take him outside several times a day.  One of the things I've noticed as I stand in the backyard is that I can hear the leaves falling.  Yes, really hear them drop from the trees and hit the ground beneath.  And yet I know that in the spring they'll be replaced by a new growth of buds that will begin the cycle of life, once again.  It's humbling.

Take some time to breathe and enjoy a few quiet moments of this special time of year.  Stop and listen to your inner silence.  Doing so will not only help you find peace in chaos, but possibly a moment of joyous illumination in your life.

We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly - spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order. ~ Susan Taylor

Hope & Thanks

With Thanksgiving only a day away and many people I know are finishing their 21 Days of Thankfulness, it seems only fitting to take a step back and remember the good things that have happened over the past year.  Complaining about what isn't good doesn't make it better.  Working toward making our lives better and believe that we can does.

I didn't participate in the 21 Days, because of a deadline that ended on Monday.  After four hours of sleep, I got out of bed, let the new dog out, and wrote an epilogue that may or may not make sense, then I sent the whole revised book so my editor via email. The rest of the day included walking through a fog of duh and the reason for not writing a blog post.  That's my excuse.

But I'm not going to use this space to opine on the good things that have happened to me this year.  I'm going to share a YouTube video that should be seen be everyone.  On Friday, I'll share another.

Blessings to all of you, your family and friends.

NaNoWriMo: When Word Count is Your Goal

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

If you haven't been paying attention for the past ten plus years, you might have missed hearing about National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo.  I admit that until a few years ago, I was clueless and had no idea what that "gibberish" meant.  Since then, I've become more enlightened and given quite a lot of thought to participating.  If I didn't seem to always fall in the middle of some kind of deadline, I would have jumped in last year or even the year before.  The same holds true for this year.  Unfortunately, revisions don't net 50,000 words, as a rule.  (I have managed to accrue a few thousand, though, so imagine what that means. ;) )

For anyone who thinks that writing 50,000 words in a month (NaNo runs each year from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30) is an easy task, it isn't.  Okay, back in the day when I first started writing towards the goal of being published, I could write a 50,000 word book in three weeks or less.  And some of those books written that fast weren't half bad.  They weren't always half good, either.  But let's face it.  A book written that quickly is basically nothing more than a first draft.  It takes me longer now to write that first draft.  To write a book from scratch via NaNo, I'd have to write more almost three times faster.  Oy vey!

There are tricks to writing a first draft that fast, and one of them is knowing who your characters are and where the story is going.  Trying to do it with no road map will probably net the writing a lot of rewriting in the future.  For those who enjoy rewriting and revising, this is a plus.  For Geminis like me who get easily bored with the SaMoSaMo, it's not so great, but for others who have polished and tweaked their process...WOW!

There are tricks to writing for NaNo or for any type of fast draft writing.  If word count really is your goal, but you want to have something to substantial to build on, have a plan and especially a system.  I encourage you to look around for hints and tips and the processes of others.  Then, as national bestselling author Anna DeStefano says:

"Listen to what I do, watch others, then figure out your own process and how best to improve how YOU write. So YOU can draft better and more productively and have what you need to rewrite something brilliant from those rough first words."

and check out her new blog post, How We Write: Drafting freedom.  You don't want to miss it!

Fourth Down and Too Long: When You Fall Short of Your Goal

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Yes, Football Fever is in full swing here with my beloved K-State in first place in the Big 12.  What better way to think of being behind on a goal than to look at it in terms of a football game?  You're not a football fan?  Okay, we'll leave the football analogy behind for a few minutes.

At the beginning of this year, members of my local writers' group decided to have a Word Count Challenge. Each of us who wanted to participate announced a goal for the year.  Those ranged from 10,000 words to over 309,000 words.  The total group word count goal is over 1 million words.

Each month we report how many words we've written on our WIP, blog, or other that's related to writing.  That number is totaled for the participant and also for the group.  It was decided that the winner would not be the person who wrote the most words, but the one closest to or farthest over her goal.  At the end of October, our group is at 75% of the combined goal.  Not bad!  We still have two months to go, so maybe we'll make it to that million. :)

But what if we don't meet that total goal?  We're coming up on fourth down (our last chance to move the ball down the field) and we aren't even close to the goal posts.  Is it time to give up?  Shall we just pack it up, get on the bus and go home?

Goals are one of the tools we use to motivate us to get something done.  They're also a measure of how far we've come and how far we have yet to go.  Looking back over the past 10 months of this year, I think most of the participants in our writers' group challenge have learned some things about goal setting.  I don't know how each chose her goal.  Some may have decided that a finished manuscript of XXXXXX number of words would be the goal.  Some may have decided that if they could get some words on paper, they'd be happy, so they went for the lower end.  (We did have a minimum number of 10,000 words.)  A few have reached the personal goal, while others are very close, and others have far to go.

If you set a goal, as we did, but see that you're falling behind, don't give up.  I always try to look at it as forward motion and feel good that I'm on the positive side, no matter how small that may be.  I like to tell myself that there's success in doing, not just finishing.

"Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful." ~ Brian Tracy

Deadlines and Insanity

The sign in the picture on the left probably makes no sense to the majority of people.  For those of us who dabble in astrology--for both fun and guidance--Mercury Retrograde is a period of time when we tend to obsess about backing up our computer, making sure our cellphone is charged, our car has been recently serviced, and anything else related to communications is in top notch condition.

That doesn't help much, does it?  Okay, Wikipedia has a good scientific explanation, but here's an astrological one.

Since learning about Mercury (which happens to be my ruling planet, astrologically speaking), I treat it as I do Kansas tornadoes.  I'm not afraid of them, but I have respect.  I've seen Mercury Retrograde periods that hit me hard, and I've experienced others that were hardly noticeable.  The current one, which will end on November 26, is of the former.  This one seems to want to slam me back against a wall and keep me there.  I should have known it would happen.  I'm on a revision deadline.

This retrograde period began this past Tuesday.  My week started going bad on Monday.  I made three trips to Walmart that morning between 7:30 and 9:30, and another trip that afternoon.  Only one of those to pick up cupcakes for my granddaughter's birthday to take to school was planned.  Tuesday my water heater went out.  Wednesday (yesterday) the guy who was putting in a new one had a heart attack.  (He's okay.)  I should be revising a chapter a day.  I started work on chapter 5 on Monday.  I finished it last night.  A new guy has taken over the water heater job as I type.  And to think that cupcakes and water heaters, lost shoes and coats has nothing to do with communication!  Ah, but they are all affecting my "communications" and my muse.

The urge to run away to a deserted island has been strong.  Unfortunately, that island probably wouldn't have internet or even electricity so I could use a computer of any kind.  Still, disappearing...and letting my family cope on their own...is more than tempting.  Too bad it isn't possible.

All that brings me to the fact that I didn't even realize I'd missed Motivation Monday and Writing Wednesday.  Let's face it.  We're all human, and life sometimes throws us curves.  Let's make that often throws us curves.  When it does, we do what we can to deal with them and keep moving on.  The moving might be slow, it might not be thorough, but it's movement.  Either than or insanity.

Here's hoping your experience with Mercury this month is an quiet and easy one.  As for me, I'll just keep trying to find minutes to steal, because I will meet my deadline.

Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you. - Denis Waitley 

Stop, Take a Breath, and Plan

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Please remember those in the eastern states who are dealing with the destruction from Hurricane Sandy.  

Halloween ushers in the beginning of our biggest holiday season.  From October 31 through January 1, most of us hit the ground running for the race to the end of the year.  For writers, this time can be even more difficult, especially if deadlines are involved.  There's nothing like looking at a bare Christmas tree for days, waiting to be decorated, while trying to reach a word count goal.  Or planning Thanksgiving dinner for twenty, while a story is begging to be written.

So what's a writer to do?  First, don't panic.  It's still early.  Thanksgiving is still three weeks away.  *YIKES!*

Let's take it one step at a time. 

• Stop worrying.  Nobody is perfect and the best memories of holidays are the ones that at the time were on the embarrassing side.  We managed to make it through those intact and hopefully with a giggle or laugh, even if years later.
• Take a deep breath.  The last thing you want to do is hyperventilate over a schedule.  Tell yourself you can do this.  Stay positive.
• Gather some simple supplies.  This includes a pad of paper, something to write with and a calendar.  A comfy place to sit is a great addition.  (I like to use MS Word's Calendar template and make my own blank calendar, but any calendar will do.)
• Make a list of important non-writing dates and goals.  These are things that can't be ignored. (hint: November 22 and December 24/25 should be on there, or any other pertinent holiday or celebration.)  If those aren't marked on your calendar, put them on.  In bold.
• Make a list of your deadlines and goals.  Anything in early January should be listed, too, because what we do in those weeks before is going to affect them.  If you don't have a deadline that must be met or a goal you're in the middle of reaching, be gentle with any of those splendid dreams you've been having of writing the Great American Novel between now and New Year's Day.  For those participating in NaNoWriMo, be sure it's on the list.  
• Mark those holiday things that can be done in advance.  Some baking projects can be done early and put in the freezer.
• Remove any unnecessary items from your lists.  Yeah, it's easy to think it can be done, but does it really need to be?
• Get the family to help.  If possible, let the kids, hubby, or any other able-bodied person in the household pitch in.  Simple things that won't require your total attention are best.  If deadlines are tight, loosen your expectations on the meals, holiday cards, gift wrapping, or decorating.  Why do we believe everything must be perfect?  There is no such thing.  And think how great it will be to see the pride shining in the eyes of those who did the work?  And how proud you'll be that they did!
• Make gift shopping easier.  This is a great time for gift cards.  Are you thinking they're too impersonal?  Forget that.  My daughters usually give gift cards for shopping and for meals.  It often means I can get something I want when I might not have had the extra to buy at the time, and it also means I'll get a nice dinner without paying anything more than the tip.  (I love Cracker Barrel.)  Neither pass up online shopping.  With so many companies doing this now, you'll quickly know if an item is available or not.  You also may get free shipping at some.
• Check that list again.  We're about to move into the actual scheduling and then the doing, so any whittling down of things-to-do gets one more chance.  Look at each item and ask yourself what will happen if you don't do it.  If the outcome isn't pure disaster, remove it from the list.
• Put those non-writing dates on the calendar.  If you're using a pen, change to a pencil.  You may be doing some moving around of times at some point.
• Add your deadline or final goal to the calendar.  Simple enough, right?
• Add any other personal or professional appointments to the calendar.

Now you have the basics of your calendar.  To proceed, break down your goals.  For instance, for holidays do the absolutely-musts first, along with dates of parties and gatherings you need to attend, then add the rest as time allows.  For writing deadlines and goals, break those down by chapters, scenes, pages, or words to write.  You'll want to divide whatever you choose by the time you have free.  Look at those absolute have-to-dos to know when you won't have the time to devote to writing, then don't count them as writing/revising/editing/whatever days.  Knowing how much you'll have to do on a regular basis to reach those deadlines and goals makes it easier to plan around those unexpected things that pop up.

Some things to keep in mind:

1. Someone or something will always come along and interrupt your schedule.  Instead of getting upset, tell yourself you can take care of it without it affecting everything.
2. Plan one day a week, if possible, to rest or enjoy the day.  When #1 happens, you can always use those resting days to catch up.
3. Try not to get off schedule unless absolutely necessary.  Catching up isn't always easy and 
4. Holidays should be happy times, not times when we wear ourselves out to the point of exhaustion.  Beat yourself up too many times, and you'll stop looking forward to some of the best times of your life.
5. Take a few minutes to smell the roses...or the cinnamon and peppermint, and have a wonderful holiday season!

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”  ~ Confucius

When Your Motivation and Creativity Need a Boost

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Life has been getting in the way lately, so I'm behind on blogging.  In fact, I nearly skipped today, but something came through in my email that caught my attention.

iVillage.com often has some great motivation tools for a variety of things in our lives.

• Need some decorating or storage ideas?  
• Need some motivation to exercise?  
• Need some tips on making your relationships better?  
• Need tips on healthy foods?

iVillage will send you an email on the latest tips and tricks for all that and more.

Today's topic is 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity, and here are the highlights:

1. Break Your Routine
2. Do It
3. Daydream
4. Brainstorm
5. Interact with People
6. Schedule It
7. Expand Your Experiences
8. Reflect
9. Relax
10. Change Your Space

Those are just the tip of the iceberg.  Use the link above or below to see it all.

# 10 is what I did this weekend.  I moved most of the furniture in my office.  With colder weather coming on, I decided my desk in front of a window might not be the best idea.  Too bad I didn't have time to do some painting!  Now I get to spend the rest of the week (and weeks to come) sorting through all the boxes and containers to throw out the things no longer needed or wanted.  I'm hopeful I can downsize, which in itself will mean less clutter and more room to CREATE!

Be sure to visit 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity at iVillage for more information on each of the 10 Ways listed above.

"You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club." ~ Jack London

The Uphill Climb

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Because it's a creative field, writing will always have its ups and downs.  As writers, we need to learn to accept this and go with the flow.  That last downhill to the finish is exhilarating, while the uphill is often stressful.  Enjoy the ride down, but try to enjoy the one up, too.

I'm currently working on revisions from my editor for  my July book, while still dealing with whatever this upper-respiratory thing is.  Not fun.  But life---and work---goes on.  Deadlines don't care.  So because of the crunch I'm in, I'm going to share some motivation links I've saved.  There are tons of them out there and can be found by simply searching the word *motivation*.  So whenever you feel that you don't know where to start to motivate yourself, remember that Google is your friend. ☺

• PICK THE BRAIN - Grow yourself   The current post here is about motivating self and others.  While at first glance we might think motivating others has nothing to do with our own motivation, getting someone (offspring or partner) to pick up the slack can give us the freedom to become more motivated.  (more PickTheBrain)
• MOTIVATION123  All kinds of goodies for motivation to choose from.
• MOTIVATIONAL WELLBEING - From the opening page: "This website contains tons of free motivational tools and resources such as quotes, videos, songs, poems, speeches, articles and much more to assist you in actively pursuing your goals. The goal here is to get you motivated to take action."
• PSYCHOLOGY TODAY Motivation  Psychology Today is always a good place to start when looking for information on anything related to mental energy and emotions.

If none of the above do the trick, take a look at Penny Rader's post at Bits & Bytes for more great links!

Whatever you find doesn't have to be a lifetime motivation.  If something gets you through the day, but not much longer, that's okay.  Keep working on it until you find something new.  Make a game of it.  Make it a treasure hunt!  Because it really can be a treasure.

That's it for today!  My motivation is a deadline, which I need to start working toward.

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.” - Wayne Dyer

Bring on the Tissues

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

If only the tissues were needed for a sad movie.  No, it doesn't work that way.

I woke up yesterday morning with a sore throat.   With no nose tickle warning of a cold coming on, but knowing I had a busy day ahead, I took my usual ward-off-a-cold meds.  Quite often I can nip a cold in the bud on the first day.  Not this time.  Today isn't any better---I woke up coughing---so I decided to take it easy.  The only problem is, there are things that need to be done.  Goals for the day need to be reached.  Motivation to do that needs to kick in.  That isn't happening.  I hate being sick.

It takes being motivated to choose a goal.  On the other hand, there needs to be a goal to be motivated to reach.  Seems to be something of a conundrum.  We're in an endless circle.  Without one, the other doesn't work.

A person needs a goal to be motivated to move/work toward a goal.

We start with an idea or a need that we hope leads to an idea.  Once we have one or the other, the next step is setting the goal.

I have the goal.

It wasn't all that difficult.  After reaching the goal of finishing the eighth book set in Desperation, OK, a few weeks ago, I gave myself a few days off.  That didn't last long, since I already knew that I needed to move on to the next two books, so that became my next goal.

GOAL=2-book proposal

I have the motivation.

I was eager to start on the story of the sister of the two previous heroes, so the motivation is there.  In fact, in this case, the motivation came before the goal and spurred me on to finish Dylan's story.  It doesn't always work that way.

MOTIVATION=Writing Erin's story, plus I'll need another that is yet undecided

Breaking the goal down into smaller goals.  

For a 2-book proposal, I need the first three chapters and a full synopsis (approximately 7-8 pages for me) of the first story and a short (two page or so) synopsis on the second story idea.

• First three chapters  

For a full synopsis, I have to have an idea of where the story is going after that third chapter, so, for me, I have to plot the story.  Those three chapters were finished almost a week ago, and I finished plotting on Saturday.

• Plot story

Once I have the story plotted, I can write the synopsis.  It's never easy, but with a road map to follow, it isn't as hard as it could be.  (And this is why I learned to plot!)

• Write synopsis

Now that the proposal for the first book is in the process of being written, the idea of the second book can be "cooking" in my subconscious.  I don't necessarily need as much information or plot for this one, but I do need to know the characters well, their GMCs, the main points of the story (opening, turning points, black moment and resolution).  The rest of the story will eventually fall into place while the first is being written.  It's amazing how ideas come along when focusing on something else. 

• Make notes on second book for short synopsis
• Write second synopsis

It may sound easy.  Of course it isn't, but when once it starts, it can often gain momentum.  There will be bumps and dips and curves, but the idea is to keep moving.

And then what?

I'll be doing revisions and edits and checking galleys on the two books that will be out next year.  While that time seems far away in one sense, March is only 5 months away.  Besides, we all know there is no rest for the wicked. 

This is how I do it...when I do it.  Each writer works out her or his own way.  I have friends who plot even more deeply than I do and others who have scene ideas, but don't actually plot.  Then there are some who plot as they go.  In the beginning, we have a goal and motivation.  In the end, we have a story that becomes a book.  Or we hope it will. :)

Find your way and go with it.  Tweak and make changes when needed.  Just remember that it all revolves around goals and motivation.

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Choosing Our Paths

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Last week's blog post is still sitting in draft.  After a few paragraphs written during a plague of interruptions, I decided to let it sit and simmer.  I'm glad I did.  Things happen for a reason.

Late last night I finished writing the first three chapters of a new book.  Those pages plus a synopsis will soon be a proposal that will be sent to my agent and then my editor.  Not that it's important, but mostly to set the stage for showing that, although our goals are quite often the same, the ways in which we get there can be very different.

I had a story idea.  I had the main characters.  The setting was already there.  What else did I need?

• Conflict? check
• Characters' backstories? check
• Opening? check
• Idea of what scenes 1-3 (first chapter) will involve? check
• 1st Turning Point? check
• Main Turning Point? check
• Black Moment? check
• Resolution aka HEA? check
• Story plotted?  Uh, not yet, so no check

That's the way I usually start.  Idea, characters (including their GMCs), bare bones plotting and an opening.  It's worked fairly well, but this is the first time I really thought about what I was doing.  I like it better when the plot simply falls into place when I first start to fill out my plotting board, but it didn't happen this time.  Other writers do it different ways.  Some are meticulous plotters, some are pansters and jump right in as soon as an idea strikes.  Others do it a little different each time.

DISCLAIMER:  Below is my method, the path I chose to take.  It is not the right path for everyone.  In fact, a few years ago it wouldn't have been the right path for me.  When I first started writing, it would have definitely NOT been my path.  We grow, we change, and we try new things.

The first chapter went fairly well, and the day after I finished it, I started the second chapter...only to realize chapter 1 need some changes.  Major changes.  All that plotting in my head that I'd done didn't gel when I moved on with the story.  What to do?

My choice at this point was to either go back and rewrite sections of the first chapter or to continue on with the first, keeping in mind what I'll need to change later.  I chose to wait until I finished the third chapter.

Let me say that I have many writing friends who revise and polish as they go.  They're pros at it.  It works well for them and they continue to make it work.  When I try it, I feel like I'm running a race on a treadmill.  I can't let go of the idea that I'm not moving forward.  That's merely a deception I haven't overcome.  Besides, I tell myself, it will have to be done at some point, so why not now?   Well, because I said so, I guess.

When I finished writing the second chapter (without revising anything in the first, but keeping in mind what I would change), I knew my characters much better.  They were letting me in their heads.  I was even jotting down snippets of dialogue to be used later that kept popping into my mind.  Those helped form more scene ideas, so I was able to add more scenes to my plotting board.  I was making headway. But as I opened my template to start chapter 3, I froze.  I was one chapter away from needing a solid plot.

Ideas come to us at the strangest times.  I've been working on making a new habit of taking a pad of paper with me each day when I go to pick up grandkids after school.  I go early for a good parking place, then sit. Prime time, if the brain cooperates.  The day after that third chapter freeze netted me all but three or four scenes for the rest of the book.  To be honest, I was amazed that they came to me so quickly and easily, but looking back, my subconscious was probably working on it all the time when my conscious mind was writing pages.

Last night's writing time took me to the end of chapter 3, so with all three chapters finished, except for the changes that I'll make in chapter one, I'm ready to finish plotting so I can write a seven to eight page synopsis.  Just knowing the main event (mini GMCs) of each scene is like having a road map of where the story is going and where it will end.  Sure, there will be some changes, especially those in the first chapter, but because I'm aware of it, I won't panic.  Or shouldn't, anyway. ☺

That's my path, but rest assured that it changes and morphs with each new story.  I love to hear about the paths of others, because there might be something in them that will be an asset in my mine.  Always remember, your path isn't set in stone.  Like the weather, it can changed in a moment's notice.  That's a good thing, because it means we're not only growing, but these small changes can help keep our writing process fresh.  Choose your path and make it uniquely yours!

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

When You Just Don't Feel Like It

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Yes, that's a picture of my crown.  My queenly crown.  My Queen of Procrastination crown.  It's on my head right now because I'm living up to my title.

For the past few days, I've been having trouble being motivated enough to get my work done.  It really needs to be done.  And I've been trying.  Really trying.  I'm getting words on paper, but I just don't seem to be making the headway I think I should.  I don't seem to be able to find the motivation I need.  I guess you could say that I'm demotivated.

We've all see the motivational posters and plaques that help us to keep going, even when the going gets rough.  I'm a sucker for them.  Pinterest abounds with them.  So does Facebook.  A day doesn't go by that several dozen of my "FB friends" haven't posted them there.  I've gotten to the point where I often scroll right through.  Some people post picture after picture, and since I'm a big sucker, I have to snag a few for my own use.  As if I actually use them.  They end up in my a folder on my computer, where they sit as I scroll by yet again.

But have you seen the demotivational posters?  Today is one of those days that I can really get behind them. The following text from the posters is found on a website called Despair.com.  These posters bear the name of Demotivators®.

• GET TO WORK You aren't paid to believe in the power of your dreams.
• WISHES When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true.  Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life.  Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for.  Unless it's death by meteor.
• BELIEVE IN YOURSELF Because the rest of us think you're an idiot.

Obviously my sense of humor has taken a left turn, but there's a plus to that.  I'm laughing.  It hasn't been much of a laughing day, but these did  it.

And now that there's a smile on my face (where did that come from?), I really should take the above demotivational quotes to heart.  I need to GET TO WORK  After all, you're I'm not paid to believe in the power of your my dreams.  Talk about a wake-up call!

Because goal setting is a part of getting motivated, my goal for this week is to write and finish chapter 3 of a new book.  20 pages, give or take a couple. 4000-5000 words.  I can do it.  And when I can't I'll think of this:

PROCRASTINATION Hard work often pays off after time, but laziness always pays off now.  (Demotivators®)

 Have a wonderful week!

Which Bird Are You?

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

Most of the time I don't know what I'll be blogging about until I start.  I'm sure that's easy to believe, considering how often I ramble.  But this morning was a little different.  Before I'd even thought about the blog, the topic magically presented itself to me.

Okay, there's no magic to it.  I had to make a fast trip to Walmart.  Because I'm there several times during the week---it's a seven minute walk, if need be, and my talent for shopping once every two weeks died some time ago---I'm familiar with and "know" several of the many clerks.  These are the ones who greet me with a smile and ask how I'm doing as if they really want to know and then chat with me while they scan and bag my items.  When greeted by one of these at the checkout this morning, my answer was that I was still trying to wake up.  (I'd been up for maybe fifteen minutes when I climbed in the car to drive over there.)  She said her daughter was a Night Owl (yes, capitalized on purpose), and I answered that so was I.

Ding! Ding! Ding!  We have a blog topic.

There have been many interesting studies done, both scientific and not-so-scientific, on the subject of sleep.  We tend to joke about it, but there really are differences in our sleep cycles that point to whether we're more productive in the morning and daytime (Larks/Early Birds) or evening and nighttime (Owls/Night Owls).  Because society as a whole has decided that we all get up in the morning to go to school, go to our job, clean our house or whatever, that's what we do.  Of course there are those odd ducks (to add to the bird mix) who work late and night shifts.  And shop at Walmart at 3 a.m..

Not sure which one you are?  Not sure it makes a difference?  Check out HUNCH - Early Birds vs. Night Owls: Are night owls really smarter? where you can discover which one you are.

We’re all familiar with the Benjamin Franklin aphorism, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” But sleep research from the London School of Economics concludes that people with higher IQs tend to be night owls who sleep in. Early risers may catch the worm, but could it be that they’re not the brightest birds in the nest?

Of course, being an early bird doesn’t mean you’re a dodo. Other research from the University of Bologna shows that people who go to bed earlier are more well-adjusted — more cooperative, considerate, and persistent. They cope better with deadlines and tend to do better in school. They’re less grouchy when they wake up. Meanwhile, night owls are less reliable, more moody, and often struggle with addiction. They’re more likely to drink, smoke, and have eating disorders. (What else is there to do in the wee-est hours)?

What does learning and knowing about your biological clock have to do with motivation?  If you're a Lark and are trying to do the brunt of you creative work at night, you're working against yourself.  The same is true for an Owl who tries to create when the sun is shining.  These biological clocks that tell our bodies when to sleep and wake have been with us since birth.  We can't change them.  Working against them is a poor choice.  Guess what?  I'm well known for making poor choices.

So what's a writer or anyone to do?  We each have to accept our internal rhythm and do whatever we can to work with it, instead of against it.  For instance, I know Larks who get up two or more hours before their family, just so they have a special, quiet time to write.  Me?  It takes me two our to wake up!  Besides, if I get up earlier, I have to go to bed earlier, and I lose that time at night.  There's not much sense in battling something you can't win.

As an Owl, I'd sleep until close to noon and stay up until the wee hours.  In fact, I've done that.  At one point is time, I worked a short shift of 6 to 11.  P.M.  I'd wake up late, sometimes after noon, then stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning to write.  It worked great at the time.  The reason I don't do that now is that the first of my g-kids arrive around 8 a.m., the others shortly after.  I have them at school by 8:30.  Sadly, I can't just slip back in under the covers for a few more hours of sleep.  For some reason, once I'm up, I'm up, although a short afternoon nap is a perk I take advantage of when I can.

Then comes the problem of not being able to think as clearly as the sun begins to set.  When biologically I should be getting ready to hit some of my peak hours, I'm starting to droop and the brain is beginning to shut down for the next cycle: sleep.  The article Life's Extremes: Early Birds vs. Nigh Owls at LIVE SCIENCE explains it well:

Right from birth, our personal biological clocks are already wound. Genetics establishes a person's "chronotype," which is pegged to when his or her body feels up and at 'em.

"People span the range of those who are very early risers to very late setters, and this is genetically determined," said Frederick Brown, a professor of psychology at Penn State.

To a certain extent, behavior and environment — say, routinely pumping iron in a well-lit gym toward midnight — can shift our built-in predispositions. But for those of us squarely in one chronotype camp or the other, in the end, the body is the boss.

"If you're a morning-type person, you can't become an evening type, and vice versa," said Brown.

Intellectually, we understand that we need to motivate ourselves to do things and especially to do those things well.  But if we're fighting our internal rhythms, we're having to virtually swim upstream, a real motivation killer.  Once you know if you're a Lark or an Owl, instead of trying to fight against it because of external things (jobs and/or family), discover a way to work with it.  The answers are there, if only you look for them.

“Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.” ― Allen Ginsberg

More Than Just Writing

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

If you haven't heard or noticed that the world of publishing has been changing at lightning speed, then you probably aren't a writer.  Or even a reader.  Or you live in a cave somewhere near Outer Mongolia.  More opportunities to find a home for your book---your baby or even baby-of-the-moment---keep opening up every day.

Those lightning-fast changes affect more than the Who and Where and even the How of our writing. There have always been additional things that are needed before a book hits the shelves. The MORES of writing are growing by leaps and bounds, too. They include the social media, the cover art, the revisions, the bios, the galleys, the promo, and the what-will-I-work-on-next, just to name a few.  For those who are self- or indie-publishing, there may be the formatting, the uploading, and the tricks of salesmanship to get on the Top Whatever list.

As writers, our main goal is to get our books, the stories of our heart, into the hands of readers---as many hands as fast as we can.  The two most significant reasons for that are:

• We want to share our dreams and tales with others
• We want to make money with our writing

SHARING

Even a baby wants attention and praise, and that's really what that sharing boils down to.  Sharing isn't necessarily altruistic.  We're human.  We want others to like us and like what we do.  Let's face it, if all we got from sharing was negative return, we wouldn't do it and we might very well give up writing...or at least keep our writing to ourselves.  (Diaries and journals, anyone?) 

MAKING MONEY

For most of us, writing is a business or we hope it will be.  While it may be true that in the beginning our writing was selfish and only for us to enjoy, the moment we give it to someone else, we're looking for a positive return.  For instance, I've been writing for as long as I've been able to string words together that made sense.  Diaries and journals at first, of course, which were not shared.  Not ever!  I wrote plays in grade school.  One look at my bio will tell you that I wanted to share those and how I went about it.  When I began writing later on in life, sharing or even selling a book wasn't my goal.  Not at first.  I wanted nothing more than to see if it was as much fun as I thought it might be and to prove to myself that I could actually write a complete book.  It didn't take long before I started wondering if there might be a miracle in my future.

THE MORES

So now we're writing.  We're hoping to share or we have moved on to sharing our gift with others.  And I say "gift" because that's what I believe it is.  I also believe everyone has a gift, but that's for a future blog. :)  Maybe we've sold or published our first book or even our tenth or our twentieth or even more.  We're writers and writing is what we do.  But it isn't the only thing we do.  Even before a book is finished, there are other things that must be done.

• Revisions & Galleys - None of us are perfect.  Even after going through a manuscript multiple times, there will be words and phrases that need to be changed, removed or simply cleaned up.  HINT:  Don't fall in love with your words too much.
• Covers and front matter - After the story, the cover of the book comes in a close second.  It's what readers see first, even before discovering what the book is about.  We want that cover to convey that story.  Some publishers ask for input.  Those who are self- and indie-published have more input, whether hiring someone to do the cover or doing it themselves.  Front matter is what goes inside the book aka your bio (see below), a dedication, a map, a genealogy chart, and whatever else is needed.  It's all as important as the book, so don's skimp on this and think it doesn't matter.  It does.  HINT:  Be thinking about this as you're writing the book.  Make notes, if needed.
• Promo - This can be anything from having bookmarks made to setting up book signings and speaking engagements. The signings and speaking engagements can be done alone or in a group.  Doing it with another author or a group of authors can be fun and helpful.   HINT:  If you're part of a writers' group and not sure if you want to get up in front of people, practice on the group.
• Bio -  Yes, readers want to know a little about you.  You're just as curious about the authors of books you read, too, aren't you?  But the big question is what do you include?  To answer it, think about what you want to know or enjoy reading in the bios of others.  If you're not sure of that, go read a few.  Be prepared to write bios of different lengths and keep them handy, in case you're asked for one.  Most bios in books are shorter, while bios on websites are longer and tell more.  Bios can be third person or first person, whichever fits your need and your style.  Some authors choose to be less specific about where they life and supply only the state or area.  There's nothing wrong with this, so decide what you're more comfortable sharing with strangers.  HINT:  Keep your bio(s) up to date!
• Social Media - It hasn't been that long ago that a simple website would suffice when it came to online  connections with readers.  Now we have more choices than colors in the rainbow.  It can get crazy out there in no time at all, so before you jump into the latest craze, give some thought to what your goal is when using any one of the many platforms to get your name out there.  In fact, revisiting this topic at a later date here on the blog is now penciled into my Help! What Can I Blog About file.  HINT: It probably wouldn't hurt to have your own Help! What Can I (fill in the blank) About file.

The above is only the tip of the MORES iceberg.  As publishing continues to change and morph, others will appear.  The trick is for each writer to find what works best, because each will find something to like and something to not like.  Each will have a specific strength and a weakness to go with it.  Other things will fall into the middle.  There are always deadlines lurking around every corner, whether publisher deadlines or self-inflicted ones.  And sometimes there simply isn't enough time to deal with everything, especially when that last of the MORES comes along = WHAT WILL I WORK ON NEXT?

Part of being sane, is being a little bit crazy. ~ Janet Long

From THE END to THE BEGINNING

MOTIVATION MONDAYS

One of the things that motivates me to get moving and start writing is when a new story idea is swirling through my head.  That usually happens during the last half of the current WIP, the least helpful time for new conversations to start up between new characters who have begun to take up residence in my head.  There are times when those newbies can get far too loud, drowning out the current characters, who stand in the corner, arms crossed, scowling.  (Yes, that's how they look in my head.  No, I'm not crazy.  I'm a writer.)

What's a writer to do when the new story takes over before the current one is finished?  Notes.  Copious notes.  Some can be salvaged and prove worthy, many won't.  It's a form of brainstorming without...well, without storming the brain. ☺  In fact, it's more like a dumping those maddening bits and pieces to make way for what needs to be attended to.

Yesterday was the official THE END to the writing of DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY.  Sure, there will be revisions.  That's pretty much a given.  And other small things will need to be attended to, such as a dedication and Dear Reader letter.  Those will come later.  For all intents and purposes, the book is finished, and I'm happy.  I like this book.  It's very emotional.  But then damaged heroes are like that.  Throw in a damaged heroine and...   I hope readers will like it, too.

It's all circular.  The end of one is the beginning of another, which eventually ends and another begins.  It's like George Carlin's joke about the spelling of his first name.  "G-E-O-R-G-E-O-R-G-E-O-R..."

Now that I'm done, I should be off on a vacation, right?  YES!  Uh, no.  But while a vacation isn't possible right now, I had planned to give myself a rest on the story/writing stuff for a few days, but it isn't happening.  Those characters are the next thing to yelling at me to get started.  Motivation for cleaning (and other life things) has been pushed aside, while Motivation (notice it's capitalized with a big M) for writing is cranked up to 12 on a scale of 1-10.  Let's face it.  I will be writing.  (Is there a Twitter # for that?)

Where does that motivation come from?  This time it came from one of the minor characters.  It's pretty obvious to me that this character needs her own story.  I hadn't planned it that way.  The heroes of A NANNY FOR THE COWBOY and DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY are brothers.  Simple enough.  Except they have an older sister who keeps butting in and helping them make their lives better, although they don't think so in the beginning.  My thought?  And the two heroes' thought, too.  The tables need to be turned.  She deserves her own story.  It's payback time.

Having a story idea is one of the best motivators to get a writer writing.  There will be times later when that motivation begins to wane, and we have to plant ourselves in a chair and make ourselves write, but for now, I'm eager to get going.  In fact, I started several weeks ago when those first ideas started pushing their way into my head.  For those who have lots of ideas, but the ideas seem to wimp out, long before they become a book, there are several things to help building ideas into a book and keep that motivation going.

• Find a friend and brainstorm
• Write something--anything--at least every-other day, no matter whether it's good or bad, short or long.
• Make a note of any idea, even if you think it isn't all that good.  Bad ideas can lead to aha! moments.
• While doing mindless chores, listen to the voices in your head.  (Just don't tell the family.)
• Play the What If game.
• Interview one of your characters.  Sometimes there's something in his or her past that will spark an idea of where to go next.
• Write scenes out of order.  Have an idea of what's going to happen a few chapters into the book?  Or near the end?  Or does the Black Moment keep getting in the way when you're writing Chapter 4?  Write it!  You don't have to worry that it's perfect or polished, just get it written down.  Save it as its own file for later, then go back to where you were.  You can pick up scene later.  You'll feel better because you made progress.
• Do ideas come to you at the worst times?  Get a voice recorder (or use the one on your cell phone, if it's equipped with one) and record those ideas and even conversations between characters.  Later you can put it into text.  It's great for when you're driving!  With people using Bluetooths (Blueteeth?) these days, no one will pay attention to you.

My best "idea" time is right after I settle in my bed for the night.  I'm sure anyone who thinks, much less writes, has turned on a light to jot something down.  I've been known once or twice to get out of bed, go into my office, pull up a new Word file, and start typing.  I recently went for my voice recorder and made notes that way, complete with the dialogue of three characters.  Be prepared with notepad, laptop, or voice recorder and let the the ideas roll.

Instead of wishing you had motivation, find it. When you find it, use it.  Don't just think about it, do it.  It only takes a little work to set you on the road and move on down it.

"When a man tells you he got rich through hard work, ask him: Whose?" — Don Marquis

Incentives and Rewards

WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Ask any child who has been in school for the past couple of decades what teachers did to get them to work.  Ask anyone whose livelihood depends on receiving a regular paycheck what gets them to work every day.  Ask anyone training for the Olympics or the Symphony or the stage what gets them to practice.

We all need a reason to do what we do, and many times that reason is that we'll receive something in exchange for doing it.

I didn't realize how much time had changed until my daughters started school and came home with something called Bonus Bucks or even a colorful pencil or handful of candy.  Teachers had learned that using incentives helped students try harder to get their work done so they could get a small reward.  I don't remember incentives other than good grades when I went to school.  My parents didn't pay me for my grades and, in turn, I didn't pay my children for them either.  The incentive wasn't tangible at the time and wouldn't be until I held a diploma aka reward in my hand.  That was the incentive and the reward for studying.  Either way, we had a reason to go to school and learn.

As writers, we, too, need incentives and rewards to keep at our craft, to put words on paper, to finish the book, to bite the bullet and send it to an editor or agent.  There's no reason to list the rewards.  Anyone who is seriously writing knows them as well as their own names.  It's the same for published authors as it is for those not yet published.  We all want a finished product to put in the hands of readers who will enjoy our words.

The longer we write, the more we forget about the little things that can help keep us going.  I'm as bad as anyone else about writing every day, even though I know it keeps my brain fresh and my fingers more nimble.  Or nimble, at least. :)  Since February, I've been working on deadlines for two books that will be available next year.  That's seven months of telling myself to write every day and making a schedule so I don't lose sight of where I am and where I need to be, when I'd rather be doing anything else but writing.  It's easy to procrastinate in the middle of a book.  Weeks have been spent writing, and weeks more are needed.  It's like standing in the middle of a tightrope.  Where we came from is the same distance as where we're going, and the best we can do is hope we don't lose our balance.

Over the past seven months I've learned a few lessons.  Although small, they're important.

• I should always...ALWAYS...count on something coming along to screw up the perfect schedule I created with lots of extra time built in.
• While I used to write at night, now I'm up early in the morning to take grandkids to school, so by the time 9 p.m. rolls around, it's as if my memory has dried up and blown away.  I'm lucky to remember my own name, much less the names of my current characters...or family.
• I can't always count on weekends for catching up on the writing that didn't get done during the week.  Someone or something will always come along and steal my time, whether it's an unexpected visit from one or more of the g-kids, an unplanned shopping excursion, or a car that won't start.
• Even when I think I'm almost done, I'm not.  There's always another story rattling around in my head before the first is finished.  To be honest, there should be.
• ....  Can we say brb?

Right.  I didn't finish that last one.  I forgot about an appointment and had to leave, so 5 1/2 hours later, I'm back and don't have a clue what that last one is.  See how that works?

Back to the topic...

Big rewards are good, but when looking at the goal from three months out, that reward dims in the light of day.  The cure?  Choose small, daily incentives with rewards to keep moving along.  That doesn't mean spending money.  There are many things that can be even more helpful to meet those small, daily goals.  It's the new fall season for TV, and what better time to set a goal and work to reach it before your favorite show comes on?  Or maybe a chapter of a book you want to read.  Or, like me, just being able to mark my progress on a calendar and word count table can give me a lift or be an incentive to do better the next time.

And for the rewards?  Something special, always.  Today I was able to put FINIS on my current work, so not only is the pressure off, but I have a few days to kick back and be free from writing.  Not much of a reward?  Maybe not, but Fall Renaissance Fair is this weekend, and I know of a special gift to get myself.  Then back to work on Monday and a fresh new start on a new story and new schedule.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!  Make your journey as joyous as your destination.

Call it what you will, incentives are what get people to work harder. ~ Nikita Khrushchev