Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

(The best prize is achieving your writing goals, but as an extra incentive, we will award gift cards from Powell's bookstore to the chapter member and the non-member who check in for the most weeks in 2012.)

Current Project: Finished my Anthology
Status: Trying to decide which book to edit.

Source: 500px.com via Tay on Pinterest

It seems there is not a common thread these last two weeks of blogging in January. I thought the picture appropriate considering the weather this week. I will try to link this post to writing but somehow I doubt if I can. Maybe if one looks at the summoner of storms as a paranormal figure.


However, this was not where I was panning on going. Looking at the pictures of Turner I wonder at anyones common sense. Even before the '96 flood everyone is talking about, I remember driving over the bridge to Turner on Delaney Rd. and watching Mill Creek rise. All around that bridge is a flood plain. I wonder at anyones sanity at building a subdivision here. Perhaps the people who bought, I feel so sorry for them, never had the opportunities to watch Mill Creek flood the area. I think all of downtown Turner and Aumsville are underwater.


Hmmm... now how to relate my little rant to writing. I suppose common sense could be the theme. Common sense can dictate many things. Hey, perhaps some of you out there can make sense of this. I know I can't. I've scheduled 6 blogs today on the Angels blog. Trying to get ahead of the game. And I think my mind is a bit foggy.


I did tell Deborah I would at least post a picture. 

HOW DO I KEEP TAKING THAT STEP EVERY DAY?

Current Project: LEGACY series
Status: Doing edits to book #4
Posted by: Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel

I am an impatient person in some ways. I want my story finished NOW! I want to be physically fit and sleek NOW! I want property for my doggies and me NOW!

As you might guess, none of these longer projects has happened NOW. 

So I've listened to other ways to accomplish these kinds of bigger goals, and heard the numbers of how taking one step forward every day can yield impressive results: 

--Barb is writing 1000 words per day and, at that rate, will have 365,000 words by the end of the year.

--A friend told me if I lose one pound a week, that's 52 pounds in a year.

--If I save one dollar or five dollars or however much a day, or put all my change in a cookie jar, it will add up nicely at the end of a year. 

Definitely impressive. However, sustaining new, healthy habits--or taking those daily steps--is many times the biggest challenge for me. Like making New Year's resolutions that have been trampled beneath everyday living before I turn the calendar to the next month. 

As I'm focusing on that one step every day, I'm also learning strategies to support these new habits in a holistic way: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Following that strategy, getting fit means eating healthy foods that are good fuel for my body and moving my body (the physical); releasing old emotions/habits/self-talk that weighs me down (the emotional);  and holding a vision of myself at a healthy, ideal weight (what I consider the spiritual or higher self). 

Probably even more valuable is I have given myself permission NOT to be perfect. Sometimes I want cheesecake. So I eat cheesecake with great enjoyment and don't feel guilty. And I continue with the rest of my steps toward getting fit. I don't use this "lapse" as an excuse to forget the entire goal. 

And I'm also starting to apply this holistic approach to writing and promotion, though the process has been bumpy at times. 

At least I have my goals:

--I'm making forward progress with my stories, but I want to be more productive. 

--I'm integrating promotion into my daily routine, but in balance with other things I want and need to do. 

Here are my steps from a physical angle:

--BICHOK: butt in chair; hands on keyboard

--Reclaim my priority of writing BEFORE the rest of the world claims my time with e-mails, blogs, errands, etc., etc., etc. 

From an emotional angle:

--Dig into what's holding me back, then get rid of that baggage.

--Give myself permission to not be Superwoman and maybe, just maybe, schedule some flexible time each day.

--Leave the "new, bright, shiny" alone! Schedule it on my very detailed database to do after my current priorities are met.

From a spiritual/higher self angle:

--Allow time to dream!

--Print out those book covers and envision them at the top of a best-seller list!

--Imagine cashing six-figure royalty checks and deciding how to spend them. :)

I have to tell you, though, I'm looking forward to progressing from shaky baby steps where I am now to giant strides toward impressive results. How about you? Are you in the baby steps stage toward your goals or are you striding forward with purpose?

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

(The best prize is achieving your writing goals, but as an extra incentive, we will award gift cards from Powell's bookstore to the chapter member and the non-member who check in for the most weeks in 2012.)

Adventures in Self-Publishing, Part 1

Back when dinosaurs walked the Earth, I won the Golden Heart in the Romantic Suspense category with In Deep Water, a sweet romance set at a lighthouse in the coastal village of Pajaro Bay.


Since every writer on Earth (and his brother) is now self-publishing books on the Kindle, I've been feeling left out of the fun.  So I have decided to publish my dear old first manuscript, In Deep Water, and use it as a learning experience to see how this self-publishing game is played.


I think it goes without saying that even if I'm doing this mostly for experience, and not expecting to become the next Amanda Hocking, I still want it to be my best work.  So I'll be revising the manuscript over the next month, working to update it and polish it up until it's the best story I can make it.


While I work on the text itself, I'm finding I have to learn how to:


•design book covers


•format text for the Kindle


•write my own blurbs, descriptions and sales copy


•figure out the bizarre world of pricing


•publicize my work


•put my book up for sale and then evaluate what happens over time, hopefully learning from my mistakes and deciding whether I want to do it all over again with another manuscript.


Whew.


So far I'm completely overwhelmed, but I'm also having loads of fun.  Creative control is a heady thing, and I can see how this could become addictive.


I'll let you know what I find out, and I welcome your advice and feedback as I play in this new (to me) playground.


In my next blog (Wednesday, January 25), I'll post what I've learned about cover design (pixels and image rights and display fonts, oh my!).

So are you self-publishing?  Or have you considered doing it? What do you think about this new part of the book market?

Barb
http://www.BarbaraCoolLee.com

It Takes More Than Talent

Current Project: Post-Apocalypse Fantasy/Romance
Status: Just Started Writing!

Have you ever read an amazing story or a thought-provoking essay or some other wonderfully crafted piece of writing that was written by someone with no desire to be published? Did you think: Why wouldn't that person tackle writing for publication? It's obvious he or she has the talent...

Let me tell you a little story. I was a competitive swimmer as a kid and it's kind of funny how it all started. I was nine years old and loved the water, but I didn't really know how to swim. Oh, I could float and paddle around and get by, but I didn't know how to do any of the competitive swimming strokes (freestyle/crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly). I was just happy playing in the water.

I spent the first two weeks of the summer when I was nine staying with family friends out of town. When I came home, my father told me he'd enrolled me in a swim school being run by my brother's high school football coach. I'd be able to learn how to swim properly and be taught by someone my folks trusted. Only—Dad had misunderstood. Coach wasn't running a swim school, he was coaching a summer league swim team.

My first "session" ended up being a one hour practice at the local high school pool. My very first time in the pool I was expected to line up behind the other kids my age and when it was my turn, to swim to the other end...25 very long yards away. There were two reasons I didn't freak out or just walk away right then and there. First, I wasn't afraid of the water, and second, I was in the swim lane next to the pool wall. I figured I could always grab the wall if I couldn't make it. My turn came and I jumped in and did my best. I grabbed the wall a couple of times, but I made it to the end. I learned later my dad walked along the edge of pool, just in case, but when he realized I wasn't giving up (or drowning), he went back to his seat on the spectator steps.

I thought I was done, but oh, no, that was just the beginning. We swam like that for an hour. Over the course of the next few weeks, I was taught to swim each of the four competitive strokes. It turned out I was decent at all of them and particularly good at freestyle and backstroke. I ended up competing in my age bracket at swim meets in the Individual Medley (all four strokes), the freestyle, the backstroke, the freestyle relay and the Medley relay, and I usually came away with ribbons of one sort or another.

For the next six years I swam competitively. I dutifully put in the two hour morning and two hour evening practices every day during the summer and then competed in the swim meets every weekend. And in the winter, I continued with the two hour evening practices Monday through Friday. I swam because I could, because it was expected of me, and because I'd committed to swimming for the team (and once committed, we never quit); I didn't swim because it was my passion. Still, I continued on until I couldn't stand the thought of one more race, and at the end of that swim season, when I was 14 years old, I retired from competition.

I believe I had the talent to take my swimming further—who knows, perhaps even to Olympic level competition (yeah, right :). But what I didn't have, though, was the desire. I was competitive enough for me, but I lacked that burning ambition—that need to excel and win at all costs—that an Olympic athlete must have in order to succeed. Talent wasn't enough. I swam with kids who weren't as coordinated as I was, but who wanted to win far more than I ever did and who continued to work hard and push for the next level of competition. Most of them were successful.

I don't regret a moment of my time in the pool. Nor do I regret not trying to be more competitive, because that just wasn't for me. My swimming experience did teach me a valuable lesson. Being talented is great, but even more important is having the desire to succeed at something. If you really want something—I mean, really want it—you're more likely to make the effort to put in the hard work required to attain your goal.

I think that's a lesson most successful writers learn at some point. Sure, there are those few writers who are innately talented, but there are so many more of us who struggle to tell our stories in precisely the way we envision them. I count myself among the later group. I firmly believe that if I continue to put in the hard work of improving my craft and putting my work out there, eventually I'll attain my goal: a career as a published writer. You might say it's what drives me.

 So, what drives you?

 Cheers!

Debbie
www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

(The best prize is achieving your writing goals, but as an extra incentive, we will award gift cards from Powell's bookstore to the chapter member and the non-member who check in for the most weeks in 2012.)

I've Become a Workaholic

Current Project:  Ghost Dance
Status:  Waiting for edits


Push to promo, and I've learned so much. I have an extensive backlist that has never sold very well. I didn't know what to do to promote my books. Since retirement, last June, I have had the time to sit down at the computer and explore cyberspace. For all of you out there just beginning, realize you must take baby steps. No one can learn everything all at one time. Now I find I spend way too much time with blogs than I do on writing. I'm trying to become a bit more left brain and start scheduling my time. Unfortunately when one works with photo shop and other on line whatever... one hour can easily turn into three.


I love the new lending library at amazon and I am diligently trying to find out more about it. I understand one must be a certain type of member (prime?) to use it. And I understand one has to pay extra for it. Books can be sold for free on this site and they are put there by the author. Books are not automatically put there.


Paty, is that what you did for your Christmas novella? And what is it called?


As with Genene I plan on putting my two novellas on this site for free. The one from the valentines Day Anthology is called The Gift and is set during the War Between the State. This is one of my 
favorite times in history.

The Gift

Star Crossed is the name of my novella in A St. Patrick's Day Tale. It is set in Ireland in 1813. The story came from a tale my mom used to tell me about how my great grandfather used to be friends with every one during the week but Sunday after church the protestant boys and the catholic boys would gather and have a good round of fisticuffs. 

This cover is still a work in progress:

Star Crossed

NEW YEAR'S JUMP START!

Current Project: Promoting Valentine's and St. Patrick's Anthologies
and editing LEGACY series
Status: Zooming!
Posted by: Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel

I didn't make resolutions or set goals with the turning of the New Year. I did that a few months back to save what little was left of my sanity. My first three novels were re-issued back to back in a month's time at special prices. 

Great promotion move, but an incredible increase in my workload. Because the promotion for those books paused only slightly before sliding into promotion for  Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day anthologies, which wrap up as I'm deep in promotion for my new LEGACY series. 

So I set my goals for the upcoming two years back in October. Yeah, I'm not doing anything by the "rules" for setting New Year's goals and resolutions. However, my series of at least nine books will be released every two months beginning March 2012. So until the end of 2014--or later--most of my life will revolve around writing, editing and promoting my LEGACY series. 

And keeping myself and my doggies happy and healthy. :)

So setting goals for one year beginning in January didn't work for me. 

And instead of just writing down a list of goals on a cocktail napkin, I set up a database with a detailed schedule. (I did tell you I wasn't following the New Year's rules. :)

So I'm about three months into my goals/resolutions. I'm meeting most of my goal deadlines, have survived the holidays, and am adapting to surprises. One of those surprises was coming up with covers for my novellas that were published in the anthologies I mentioned above. 

The cover for "St. Batzy & the Time Machine" was drafted and just needed to be finaled. However, I loved the style of that cover so much, I completed three versions of a cover for "Chasing Rainbows" before I came up with one I loved as much as "St. Batzy." (Just had to share, so they are posted here--hopefully without the spacing going completely weird. :) 

Now those are done, I'm getting back on track with edits and other projects that are on my "to do" database. 

Most people probably don't go as detailed as I've done with goal setting. But do you make New Year's resolutions and set goals? And how do you keep yourself on track with keeping those resolutions and meeting your goals?

P.S. That's one of my dogs on the cover of "St. Batzy & the Time Machine." And, yes, if I had a time machine in my back yard, I think he would really be traveling back and forth through history, and digging up all kinds of mischief!

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

(The best prize is achieving your writing goals, but as an extra incentive, we will award gift cards from Powell's bookstore to the chapter member and the non-member who check in for the most weeks in 2012.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Mid-Willamette Valley Romance Writers of America® would like to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year for 2012!

The publishing industry is experiencing rapid changes and the future may look bright or bleak depending on how you view it. Speaking only for myself, I believe there are more changes to come and that those changes will mean more opportunities in publishing than ever before. BUT--those opportunities are only as good as the book you write. That's the bottom line, isn't it? Without a book that people want to read, the rest doesn't much matter.

If you've always wanted to write a book, or if you've written a book, but don't know what to do next, or if you're an experienced writer and published author, think about joining Romance Writers of America®. "Romance Writers of America® is dedicated to advancing the professional interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy."*

If you're already a member of RWA--or are in the process of joining--please consider joining the Mid-Willamette Valley Chapter of RWA. We're located in Salem, Oregon, but we have remote members from as far away as the Monterey Bay area of California. Living close enough to attend monthly meetings is a plus, but MWV-RWA offers much more--online workshops (free for members; workshops are currently being planned for 2012), a chapter-members only online discussion group, and participation in our Chapter blog.

New members are welcome to attend a free meeting before joining. You must be an RWA member to join the Mid-Willamette Valley Chapter. Membership runs from January-December, and annual dues are $25. For more information about the Chapter, see our website at www.MidWillametteValleyRWA.com and read about How to Join.

Cheers!

Deborah Wright
President, Mid-Willamette Valley RWA

www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright

*Description from the www.RWA.org website

'Twas the Night Before New Year's

Current Project: revisions
Status: moving along
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE NEW YEAR'S

(with apologies to Henry Livingston, Charles Dickens and Dr. Seuss)

‘Twas the night before New Year’s, and all through my home,

There was no one awake; I was up all alone.

My husband reclined with the cat on his lap,

Dog dozed on the hearth near the fire’s pop and snap.

I curled on the couch, read romance on my Kindle

And hoped that my horrible funk would soon dwindle.

I munched on dark chocolate, drank peppermint tea,

And mourned opportunities now lost to me.

When out on the deck someone pounded the wood,

I shivered and wondered who’s up to no good?

On my way to the kitchen I shook like a leaf,

Afraid I’d discover a big scary thief.

The rain-soaked boards glistened in the porch light,

Shadows danced gracefully through the black night.

Then what to my sleep-deprived eyes did appear,

But a wizened old man sporting two pointy ears!

He was dressed all in brown, wore a cape of gold feathers,

His angelic smile split a face of tanned leather.

I instantly recognized Old FatherTime,

He waved a bright wand and then sang out this rhyme:

 

Fee, fie, foe, fum!

It’s New Year’s Eve; Why so glum?

You’ve blessings a-plenty to celebrate

And time to re-live them—it’s just half past eight!

Then, dancing a jig, he crossed the red rug

And grabbed my cold fingers and gave a hard tug.

When magic exploded like fireworks around us,

I couldn’t believe the next place that I found us!

Intensive Care Nursery, babe wrapped in fleece,

Doctor-signed papers that gave her release.

My tiniest granddaughter would be okay,

My heart swelled to bursting with joy on that day.

In dribbles and drabs,

In bits and in bites,

Father Time showed me blessings

The rest of the night.

 

I’ve family closer, good friends within reach,

Trips to the desert, the plains, and the beach.

Living my passion for words as I age,

Entwined with my husband, my heroic sage.

So many hours later back home by the fire,

My spirits could not have been lifted much higher.

I gave Time a hug to express my elation

And thanked him for spiritual recalibration.

“You are welcome,” he said. “But now I must fly!

Then, in the magical blink of an eye

He was gone and I gazed at the clock on a shelf

And I laughed when I saw it in spite of myself.

‘Twas the morning of New Year’s; cat stretched and dog yawned,

I told my dear husband the old year was gone.

“But the new! Oh, the New Year has come, full of promise!”

A toast and a tumble in bed paid it homage.

So to all you sad people I say, “Never fear!”

Contemplate, meditate, celebrate the New Year!


© Sarah Raplee, 2011. All rights reserved.

Quote of the Day

More quotes about concentrating amid distractions:

"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." --Goethe

"The best advice I ever came across on the subject of concentration is: Wherever you are, be there. When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't mix the two." --Jim Rohn

"It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny." --Anthony Robbins

And, lastly,

"You can always find a distraction if you're looking for one." --Tom Kite 

Dealing With Holiday Stress

Current Project: Plotting Stage
Status: Just about ready to start writing!

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful holiday season. This time of year is a distraction in itself, isn't it? So many things to do: decorating, shopping, parties, special dinners, and more. And so much external pressure to do more, buy more, be perfect. It's no wonder so many people feel so stressed at the end of the year.

There are myriad ways to cope with the stresses and distractions of the holidays, but only one way that's right for you. I can only tell you how I cope. I used to spend hours in the shops looking for that perfect gift for family and friends. Then I began working in High Tech and with each promotion/change of job, my work life became more and more stressful and time consuming. Where I used to look forward to Christmas shopping, the idea of spending hours of my precious time outside work wandering around stores now depressed me. Getting into the holiday spirit became more difficult with each passing year.

A few years ago I decided I'd had enough. Mr. W was just as stressed as I was and, really, there was no reason for it. We don't have little kids to shop for (and I know that makes a huge difference, believe me) and we certainly had more than enough stuff ourselves--and so did our extended families. What was the point of all the shopping or thinking everything had to be perfect? We made a pact that we'd only exchange a small gift or two and that we'd limit the family shopping to gift cards or the occasional special item (but only if we happened to see something--we wouldn't go out on shopping excursions). It's amazing how little stress I feel now at Christmas.

The same thing goes for decorating. Some years I feel like putting up a lot of decorations, other years...not so much. I think last year all I put up was the porcelain tea light nativity. This year? We had a sleigh and reindeer on our front lawn, a wreath on our door, a small fake tree in a pot (the cats ignore it, where they'd feel compelled to climb a real one) and my Dicken's Village scene on the coffee table. Oh, and the nativity, of course. The house felt very festive without a lot of fuss.

And then there's New Year's Eve. Many years ago we also decided to stop accepting invitations to New Year's Eve parties, because we never ended up going--and then we just feel bad. We both hate driving on New Year's Eve--too many amateurs on the road--and the weather is invariably crappy. We much prefer celebrating together in our cozy home with our choice of champagne and hors d'oeuvres and watching our choice of entertainment (The choice this year? Top Gear (UK)!). It isn't that we're anti-social, we're just happier not dealing with the hassle on this particular night. If the night is clear, we have fun going out on our front porch and counting the number of fireworks displays we can see. The record count was last year -- it was so clear, we saw 9 different displays (I claimed 11, but Mr. W didn't see the other two)!

Obviously, I'm not saying that this is the way everyone should approach the holidays. It's just what works for me. Do I miss all the fuss? Honestly? Not really. We still watch Christmas movies and have a nice dinner, usually a steak of some kind. And we exchange our small gifts, because it's still fun to open a present on Christmas morning. Maybe it's just a change in my attitude, when it comes right down to it. I don't believe everything has to be perfect at Christmas. After all, some of my best memories are of things that didn't quite go as planned.

What are your strategies for dealing with the stresses of the holiday season? Do you pull out all the stops and love it? Or do you prefer a simpler holiday--or maybe something in between?

Deborah Wright
www.Deborah-Wright.com
Twitter: @DeborahBWright

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Distractions Can Be Fun!

Current Project:  Umm...that's a toughy. Reissue of my Highland Series
Status:  The last of the three books will published today. Highland Song should be seen on amazon in a day or two.

Source: fridgedoor.com via Karsen on Pinterest

For me distractions come packaged as grandchildren, my youngest and her husband who are here visiting, exercise and my blogs. Oh...did I forget cityville? Yeah, I hate to admit it but I did. 


I was astonished to see Genene's lists and--and--my gosh it is like her plotting. My idea of lists is usually on a scrap piece of paper which I inevitably lose before I finish the items listed. LOL, but I have a way of keeping most everything I need to do in my head. The most important at the forefront. If it is not that important, sometimes it never gets done.


I have embarked on a VBT using goddessfish as my promoter. At first I had a terrible time keeping track of everything. I managed to get all my interviews and articles answered and sent back to goddessfish. I have to say the process has been invaluable and I've learned a lot about my writing style and my methods of plotting, tracking as well as avoiding distractions. There were things pointed out by my commenters that truly surprised me. 


Now both rogues angels and my personal blogs are hosts of other VBTs. I've had to make folders, and more folders for each author. At first, until I found a way to keep everything straight I was losing interviews or not sending them. Now I finally think I have all figured out.


Somehow I digressed from distractions. sigh...


Maybe my worst distraction is my digression...food for thought.

TURNING DISTRACTIONS INTO PRODUCTIVITY

Current Project: LEGACY series
Status: Editing fourth book
Posted by: Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel

If distractions are pulling you under for the third time, Paty's post yesterday has some great advice: focus and limit. 

FOCUS your attention on what you want to get done and LIMIT the time available for what distracts you. 

Of course, this might not work as well if your "distractions" are small children or dependent family members. :)

With this post, I'm going one step further than Paty's advice and show you a tool I use to be productive: my "to do" list that grew into a database. 

If your eyes are rolling back in your head because you don't even write a grocery list, I'll just say Happy Holidays before you quit reading. :)

However, if you're detail oriented or would like to get more organized, this might help. As always, please feel free to adapt the pieces that are helpful and ignore the rest. 

First, a bit of background. I've been working on my LEGACY series of at least nine books for several years. I knew I wanted them released close together so people didn't forget about them or grow tired of waiting for the next book. In addition to having most of the writing done on these books, it meant a steady stream of promotion. 

I wasn't going to have time for tempting distractions, and I wasn't going to drive myself into exhaustion like I'd seen a number of authors do when promoting their books. 

I had the opportunity to practice writing and promoting at the same time when my first three books were re-issued two weeks apart. A good promotion move, but a bit of a shock to me, as I'd been out of the promotion game for most of the past two years. 

But I lined up some blog stops and signed up to be part of an online party that ran for four days, 24 hours a day. I set up a database to keep me on task. When were my blog posts due? What day was I blogging so I could be available to respond to comments? And was it time to feed my doggies yet? Yes, "real life" does continue with all its expectations even though you're writing and promoting.

I set up a database so I didn't forget any blogging dates. It was really very simple. Just a few headings with the info for each blog filled in below. (You probably can't read these unless you magnify your screen view a lot, but hopefully this will give you a general idea of how I set up my database. And it doesn't have to be complex. Mine has a lot on it because I have a lot going on right now.)

I was delighted when I realized this database was keeping me on track. 

Soon other projects ended up on the database. Then important family events that would take a chunk of time out of my day. Now, most of my life is on the database. If it's not on the database, it probably won't get done. LOL!

Of course, color crept in. Pale green to separate the weeks. Then purple to separate each day. Big projects had their own color. Urgent pieces to do were highlighted in bright pink. Projects waiting for someone to get back to me were pale yellow. 

A bonus is I've been moving completed projects to the end of the database, so if I ever wonder how I'm spending my time, I can look at that list and know I'm being productive.

This level of organization isn't for everyone. However, if you sometimes feel overwhelmed and need some help focusing, a database could help you empty your head of all the competing ideas and look at one day at a time. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and giving in to distractions, be productive and reward yourself by allowing some time for a bright, shiny distraction!

And if you made it all the way to the end of this blog post, I'd love to hear what your favorite distraction is. Go ahead--indulge!

Current Project: Logger in Petticoats
Status: The End- doing final edits 

Yes, I've learned over the years I am my biggest distraction.  If I'm researching I can get off in a whole different direction not even related to the story I'm working on. 


New ideas for books come to me and I have trouble staying focused on the book I'm writing. I've learned to use an hour a day to work on the new shiny project and use it as a carrot to keep me moving the other book forward because I can't play with new shiny until the project I'm on is finished and ready to be published.


I can also  use the excuse of waiting for a reply from someone to keep checking e-mails rather than writing. But then I make myself a pact that I can only check e-mails first thing in the morning during my hour and a half e-mail and promotion time, at noon when I take a writing break or in the evening. If I stay on this structure I get more writing done.


Then there's Tink. When she needs outside I get up from my desk, walk down the stairs, and let her out. But on the way I can usually find something that needs done that distracts me long enough for her to come back in or I lose my train of thought and when I sit back down at the computer I have to reread the scene and get my brain running again. 


Or there could be deer or calves on my lawn that I sit and stare at. Or the cows, or just the sun shining on the mountains, the sunset, the sunrise, the blue sky....As you see if I want a distraction I can find one. That's why it's in my best interest to remember a book doesn't write its self. I have to sit my butt in the chair and tap the letters on the keyboard for a story to appear so I have to fight the distractions and write the book. 


So the best way to avoid distractions is to focus and don't get up until you've hit a set amount of words each day. Keep the focus and the words will come. I guarantee. 




Merry Christmas Everyone!!


www.patyjager.net
www.patyjager.blogspot.com

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Welcome Distractions on the Journey?

Current Project: Revisions
Status: Slow Progress

I've come to the conclusion that some distractions aren't distractions at all, but gifts that fill my 'emotional bucket' and make me a better writer.  Time with family, travel, having adventures, learning new skills, meeting interesting people, reading - all of these fill my bucket and help me to grow as a person and a writer.

For me, writing is a Journey, not a Destination. Every journey is achieved step-by-step. As long as there's progress, you're still on the journey. That's the way I see things.

In order to be happy on the journey, the key is to enjoy what you're doing and try to find balance. 

May your journey be filled with both!

Quote of the Day

Today's quotes are about focusing on our work despite the distractions so common at this time of year:

"When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools." --Michael Leboeuf

"Our thoughts create our reality, where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go." --Peter McWilliams

"A man of sense is never discouraged by difficulties; he redoubles his industry and his diligence, he perseveres and infallibly prevails at last." --Lord Chesterfield

But, alas,

"Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short." --Adam Hochschild 

Major Distraction or Daily Motivator?

I tackled a major distraction over the weekend: I cleaned my office! Technically it wasn't something that interrupted me per se, but it was something that distracted me on a continuing basis. Over the last few months, as I put all my concentration into finishing the book, my office gradually disappeared. It got to the point where even the cats had a difficult time finding a path to the window. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but it was close. Understand, I only seem to have this problem with my office. The rest of the house is neat and tidy.

The process of drowning in a sea of clutter was a gradual one. First there was the accumulation of paper littering the desk, all related to the book, of course -- research notes, character info, plot ideas, maps, snippets of dialogue, and more. I like the physical feel of pen on paper, so I jot and I doodle and I scribble. I rarely get around to transferring any of my handwritten stuff to the computer until I actually use it in a scene, and then I usually don't stop to throw away the paper (assuming it isn't buried under a mountain of *other* notes).

Then there was the floor. That started with a good intention. Bring up a couple of plastic bins from the garage, I thought, and throw all the paper from the desk into them. You can go through the bins later, but in the meantime, the desk clutter will be gone. That bright idea was 9 months ago.

Yeah. You can see it coming, can't you? Pretty soon, I had stacks of plastic bins, full of stuff, covering the floor in front of my desk. I was beginning to feel like George Carlin.* Yet somehow my desk just kept on accumulating stuff on top of it.

None of this interfered with my ability to work on my computer; none of it interrupted me. It did, however, distract me. I'd look at my office every morning and long to clean it up, but I knew it would take days to do it right. And the thought of devoting days to a task that wasn't writing the book was something I just couldn't make myself do. I know I was playing a psychological game with myself, but it felt like if I prioritized cleaning the office over writing, I'd be giving up, somehow. I'd be telling myself I wasn't going to finish, so what did it matter. I know it isn't logical, but it's how I felt.

What finally sent me over the edge, though, was inheriting 6 boxes of more stuff as the incoming Chapter President for Mid-Willamette Valley RWA. Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful to our outgoing President--the boxes are neat and organized. It was just...6 more boxes in my office! I wanted to cry. I made a pact with myself that when I finished the book (I was very close) I would clean my office before I started another project.

I did finish the book by the end of November, thanks to NaNoWriMo. Maybe, in the long run, I should consider my messy office as the final motivator to finish the book! I took a few days off, but this last weekend, I did it--I cleaned my office. So, there are still a couple of things on the floor and those 6 boxes are under the desk, and there are a couple of short stacks of paper on the desk, but it's manageable. And I feel energized and ready to start my next project--without the distraction of a messy and cluttered office. Whew!

How about you--do you find that a messy workspace is a distraction? Or, maybe you manage somehow to keep your work area tidy and never have to face this problem (if you do, I envy you).

Deborah Wright

www.Deborah-Wright.com

* George Carlin's classic routine about "Stuff" -- boy, can I relate! :-)

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Ah, Distractions

Current Project: Editing Highland Song
Status: Haven't started but will soon

Source: Uploaded by user via Chris on Pinterest

I am fortunate that I no longer have little children or older children to find other things for me to do. I babysit my granddaughter twice a week and I plan on not accomplishing anything those days. So, if I'm able during nap time to blog, write, or otherwise become productive I count that as a plus. 


So what is a distraction? I think blogging detours me from my writing but unfortunately if I wish to make some money from my books, I have to promote which means getting my name out there in cyber space. I have learned a lot by seeing other peoples blogs. Gosh one I was on recently had over one thousand followers. Whew... how on earth did she accomplish this? Time, creativity and promotion I would assume. 


I wish I could be as organized as Paty. I can't seem to say this time is for this and this hour is for that etc. If I could do this, I know I would be more productive. I believe one of my distractions is my exercise program. When I run in the morning, I'm so exhausted I can't seem to sit at the computer and put words down.


So my question to all of you is---drum roll please--what distracts you from writing? And what puts the fireworks into it?

DISTRACTIONS--CAN WE USE THEM TO OUR ADVANTAGE?

Current Project: LEGACY series
Status: Editing finished on book #3; time to edit book #4!
Posted by: Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel

I think most people have heard the quote, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results."

I've become more aware of this cycle in my own life recently, and am trying to change what I'm doing or at least how I'm thinking.

How can this apply to distractions?

Like Paty mentioned in Wednesday's blog post, I also have trouble saying "no" to family. Yet if I didn't set parameters, I'd get very little done. So I've hit a time limit compromise with family (and other distractions) by saying "I'll be writing for an hour, then we can go do…"

This can also work for distractions like e-mail or checking blogs--big distractions for me. I limit the time spent on e-mail to, say, half an hour, then switch over to writing. This has also made me faster at checking e-mail and less likely to follow links and get distracted on the Internet with what could be endless articles or videos.

Promotion is also a big distraction for me. Yes, I need to let readers know my books are available. However, if I don't take the time to write another good book, I won't have readers for long. So this distraction has taught me to become even more organized and to find a balance between writing and promotion. 

To paraphrase another familiar saying, distractions don't have to be problems, they can be opportunities!

Man can I relate...

Current Project: Logger in Petticoats
Status: 48,000+ words

To the topic this month: Writing with distractions. Holy cow!  I have had them in spades this year. And next year isn't looking any more promising.  My daughter from Alaska and her three will be returning in January until the end of March.  I love them and enjoy spending time with them but they drastically cut into my writing time. They don't mean to, but with an open air loft that I write in and three small kids playing. quarreling, and having to see what Grams is doing really makes it hard to write.


Then there's the part of me that can't say "no." I tend to do more things than I should. But I'm getting better at saying the "N" word. It's easier to do than shut out family. 


From now until Christmas my goal is to write hopefully two chapters a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. I have to finish this book. I want it ready to do final revisions and editing the first week of January. Which means I have to get 30,000 more words written between now and then.


So wish me luck... and quit distracting me! ;)


Paty


www.patyjager.net
www.patyjager.blogspot.com


*Note: Those are not caged animals they are my grandchildren. Who really do need a cage.  8^)

Weekly Progress Check-In

Welcome!  This is the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter's weekly progress check-in.

Did you meet your writing goals last week?  What do you plan to accomplish this week?

Distractions Getting You Down? What Are You Afraid Of?

Current Project: Revisions Blindsight
Status: 25% complete

I’ve come to the conclusion that distractions are in the eye, ear, mind, etc., of the beholder.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that insisting on a ‘perfect’ environment for writing is one way to not write. We often view obstacles as roadblocks when we are afraid. After we work through our fears, we view obstacles as problems to be solved. 

Then we find solutions.

So if you find yourself distracted to the point of non-progress, take a step back. What are you afraid of?

Although I can tune out visual distractions fairly easily (like a messy desk), I have a hard time tuning out auditory distractions when they reach a certain decibel level. Since my husband’s hearing is deteriorating, but he likes to watch TV and hates closed captioning, this has been problematic. I don’t like to isolate myself in my office when he’s home in the evenings, but that’s when I write blog posts, catch up on email, etc. 

All summer, while I felt overwhelmed by visiting grandchildren and by the revisions waiting to be done on two manuscripts, I kept asking my DH to turn down the volume, although I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear and would have to turn it up again. Then a few weeks ago I realized that if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got. 

Why was I stuck in a ridiculous rut? Why was writing a chore instead of a joy?

Fear. I was afraid that I’d never get the revisions done. I’d missed several deadlines already.

I gave myself permission to take ‘as long as necessary’ to polish my manuscripts. As an unpublished writer, I can do that. So what if I pitched my book at a conference and got a request before it was polished? At least I had a good premise and presented it well.

My sister and I partnered to help us both get our writing back on track. We meet online most mornings for a couple of hours and report our progress to each other. We’ve both made steady progress and our production has increased over time. I’m on track to finish one manuscript by the end of the year.

Writing is a joy again. I’m feeling happier than I have in months.

And, guess what? A few days ago, I bought noise-cancelling headphones to wear when I work at night in the living room. 

(Bonus: they’re great for webinars, too!  And my DH, God bless him, has made an appointment to see if hearing aids have progressed enough to help his unusual pattern of hearing loss. Ten years ago, they hadn’t. But technology has come a long ways in ten years.)