"So it Begins."

(Correction to the December 31st post.  The third sentence should read: It's a time to reflect on the year that has passed.)

***

There it is on the left.  The blank book of a new year, waiting to be filled, one day at a time.

For me, the first four days of this new year have gone by in a blur, mostly because family has been dealing with colds and flu.  Not a pretty way to start the year.  Now that the grandkids' holiday vacation is over, they're back in school.  In fact, yesterday was the first day in almost two weeks that has been close to normal.  Whatever "normal" is.

We spent New Year's Eve playing Wii Trivial Pursuit.  My thoughts were that it was slow and boring.  That pretty much described the turnover from 2012 to 2013, too, but then we're not a rowdy bunch and missed the (rerun) of the ball dropping at midnight.  Obviously, when it comes to celebrating and welcoming in the new year, we're not the most exciting group.  It doesn't matter to me.  I've said goodbye to many years and hello to the same amount of new ones.  It's not like it's something terribly exciting that only happens in hundreds of years or even when there's a blue moon.  No, once every 365/366 days, we add another number onto the year.

Why is it that we make such a big deal of the arrival of the New Year?  As far as I could tell, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between Monday, December 31, 2012 and Tuesday, January 1, 2013.  It's not much more than replacing the old calendar with a new one.  Nothing magical happened.  I didn't suddenly lose 30 pounds or win the lottery.  I didn't even find a penny on the ground.  But I wasn't expecting anything grand, so I wasn't disappointed.  See how that works?  It was as pleasant as any other family get-together, although we did have a very small bottle of champagne to share, almost half of which was poured down the drain.

I know I should be here blogging about progress made toward my goals for the year, but I'll be honest and admit that I haven't done much.  In fact, I'm trying to think of what I have done, and I'm coming up with nothing.  I'm going to blame that on yesterday being the first day and today the second day of "normalcy."  The truth is, I could use a swift kick in the backside to get me going.  I'm sure I'll soon regret not using this time wisely and making some kind of progress, even if bad.  That's pretty much a given.  Another truth is that I'm not sure what I want to do.  Or even need to do.  I'm in a state of limbo.

So instead of writing something pithy that will light a fire under us all---something I have no right to do at this point in time, considering---I'm going to share a couple of links.  The first is one I saved some time ago, but it has a lot of good information.  I have all these links of blogs and articles that I've saved, yet I don't get back to them nearly as often as I should.  I have a feeling I'm not the only one who does this.  But this particular blog post is about procrastination, and, being the Queen of Procrastination, I feel it's probably timely for those of us who are fully aware we should be making progress, but for some reason or other are dragging our feet.    Give What's Stopping You?, from the Happy Writer, a read.  You might discover a little of yourself in it.  I do.

The second link is new and came through my email today.  I enjoy reading Kristen Lamb's Blog, and today's post is another good one.  Writing Tip #2 - Writing is Pain, Learn to Take a Hit tells it as it is.  Writing isn't easy.  The business isn't sweet.  It takes hard work and tough skin, picking yourself up and dusting yourself off, and if you don't want to deal with any of those things, leave your dream of being a writer behind and find something easier.  Underwater shark wrestling is always an option.

And while I'm here, I might as well do a little shameless promotion.  My seventh Harlequin American book set in Desperation, Oklahoma, will be out in March.  I'll share a little bit about it as time grows nearer, and also about books of my friends that will be coming out around the same time.  Until then, have a wonderful weekend and smile at the fact that the first week of a brand new year is nearly gone, and we have the rest of the year to buckle down and get some words on paper.

Having used a J.R.R. Tolkien quote as the title of this blog post, it's only fitting to add another to end it.  And quite appropriate this one is.  Enjoy!

“It is the job that is never started that takes longest to finish.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

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

Buried in the To-Do List

Yes, that's how I feel at the moment and the reason this week's blogs are started but not finished.  There are other things taking precedence, including looming deadlines and the last few days of insanity before school starts.

I'll be back next Monday with motivation tips and again on Wednesday with a new writing tip, this time about Turning Points.  What are turning points?  Stop in next week and find out!

One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other. ~ Chinese Proverb

Swimming Through Mud

That's a picture of a painting of Robert Burns, the poet, on the left.  For anyone not familiar with him, think Auld Lang Syne.  He wrote the lyrics to that melancholy ditty we sing to say goodbye to the old year, as we welcome in the new.  He also wrote the poem To a Mouse.  It contains the (paraphrased) lines, The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry... (The original lines are below)


What do Robert Burns and swimming through mud have in common?  My weekend plans were to get the final scenes of a chapter finished, then move on to write a synopsis for a proposal to a new-to-me publishing line.  Instead, I spent Friday night and most of Saturday being sick, then most of Sunday glued to the keyboard finishing those scenes.  (11 pages worth)  By yesterday (Monday) my brain couldn't string three words together that made sense.  I did manage to write a page later last night, but it was like swimming through mud:  Difficult to move those arms and legs, and impossible to see where one is going.

Quite often, life doesn't go as planned, and the writing part of life is no different.  When that happens, we adjust and move forward.  Instead of beating myself up over writing only one crummy page, I decided to look at it as one page written, with more to follow.  I have no doubt that I'll do a lot of mud swimming in the future.  We all do, whether we're just stepping into the writing process or we've been at it for a while.  That's the writing ladder, with lots and lots of rungs.

It isn't easy, this writing life.  From the outside, it appears to be something many of us think will be easy.  This was brought home to me once again while reading Kristen Lamb's Blog this morning, because I missed reading it yesterday.  If you're a writer or even thinking about writing, but not following this blog, give it a read.  No matter where you are on that writing ladder, you can learn something or, if nothing else, be reminded of things.  Her blog yesterday, The Five Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors is a must-read, especially for those who've convinced themselves that writing a book and slapping it up on Amazon will make them an instant success.  For the rest of us it's a timely reminder of just how hard a writer must work to experience any degree of success.  It isn't easy.  Nothing good ever is.

Thanks to Kristen for sharing the video below.  I'm borrowing it. :)  It made me think.  It made me sigh.  It made me laugh.  I do love those little bears!

Don't miss Kristen's previous blog posts!  Keep current on what's going on in the writing and publishing world.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy! ~ Robert Burns

Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome

MOTIVATION MONDAYS


You may be asking, what is Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome.  There's a simple answer to that.

"I won't think about that now, I'll think about that tomorrow." 

Back in January of this year, I declared each Monday to be Motivational Monday here on the blog.  The reason was that I'd been procrastinating about all kinds of things, but mostly about things that needed to be done--some desperately needing to be done-- that I'd kept putting off.

I've been working on that problem and although I'd love to say I have it solved, that would be a lie.  Still, I've made some progress.  Most of the time, anyway.

If we tend to put many things off until later, it's probably a habit we formed long ago.  It can be changed, but it takes some work...which probably brings another round of procrastinating.  Definitely a vicious circle.  But it can be better, and a round of seeing a shrink isn't necessarily needed.  Sometimes it's best to just do than to study why it isn't done.

A friend and fellow writers group member blogged at Bits & Bytes on Thursday about her own procrastination. Because I'd been putting off the need to get some words on paper or work on revisions or do a few other things, her post was a painful reminder that I sometimes have that P word problem, too.  Let's face it.  At one time or another, we each will put off what needs to be done the most.

When it comes to writers, when procrastination becomes a normal part of the writing life, there's a chance it's because of one of two reasons:  Fear of Failure or Fear of Success.

Only the procrastinating writer can decided which fear has gained the power to immobilize.  And trying to determine it could end up being yet another tool in avoidance.  So what's a procrastinator to do?  Especially a writer with dreams of being published or a published writer who has fallen into a writing slump?

Here are a few suggestions to try that might break the stagnation and kick start some forward movement.

BEGIN NOW

• Stop beating yourself up.  You can make a change.  
• Stop complaining and whining (yes, we all do it), and form a plan.
• Make a fresh start.  There's nothing we can do to change what we did or didn't do in the past, so leave it behind.
• Set a goal.  Don't sabotage yourself before you begin, so make it small and attainable to begin with.  If your writing has become non-existent or almost non-existent, and you want to change that, set a weekly page or word count goal.  Keep it small.
• Make a new habit.  A GOOD one. ☺  Get up an hour early and devote it to writing or whatever it is you need to do.  Turn off the television for an hour or two in the evening.  If you're a writer, take a pad and pen or a laptop computer and go to a library or coffee shop or even to a park and write.  I've found that my morning walk clears the cobwebs from my brain and gets it working, so that by the time I'm  home again, I have an idea of what I'll be writing.
• Give yourself little rewards whenever you reach a goal.

ENLIST FRIENDS

• Ask a friend to help keep you on track.  Even if the two of you don't share the same goal, you can still  support and encourage each other.
• Find others who are dealing with or have dealt with the same problem and brainstorm some ideas that might help.
• Challenge someone who struggles with the same thing you do.  Remember that it's not who does it best, but that each of you are DOING.

Sometimes there's only one way and that's the Nike way.  "Just Do It"  We can make excuses until the end of time, but if we really want something, we have to take that first step.  After that, the road ahead doesn't look quite as daunting.

If procrastination is something you deal with and you find yourself going nowhere, or if you have some ideas that may help others, please feel free to share them here!


Thank you to Tammy, Reese, Pat, and Debo for the inspiration for this post, their always super ideas, and their friendship.


In the end of GWTW, the real Scarlett--- the strong, independent woman, who never let anyone or anything get her down---gives us all hope.

"Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day." - Scarlett O'Hara, the last lines of Gone With the Wind