The Writers Studio: Life

Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2021

TOP 3 - January 25

Well, not only am I coming in late today but last week was pretty much a wash to the list. Don't get me wrong. I got a lot accomplished but not from the list. This week I've adjusted my Top 3 based on what I must get done... not what I'd like to do.

As you probably saw from here, the blogs just did not get done last week. I'm not sure what the problem was other than trying to go too many different directions at once. This week, the blogs take first place.

I only got three ticklers written for June Faver's challenge. I have a problem coming up with blurbs without names. Sometimes the names come to me then I'm off. We are at Day 25 and I have 12. Hmmm If I can knock out 5 tonight with the girls I'll be thrilled, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.

Now that Bob will be home I want to reschedule the interview with the lady from the bakery in West Plains. I've waited for him to be home so that as soon as I do the interview, while everything is fresh in my brain I can go to my hotel room and scribble scenes while the information is fresh in my brain, not just on the recorder or in my notes. Also, if anything else comes to mind while I"m writing, I can stop back at the bakery for follow-ups.

Of course, right now a lot depends on weather when it comes to travel, and a dependable vehicle.

The thing that put me behind today was lack of sleep. I love a good thunderstorm and was awakened by one around 3 a.m. About the time the storm hit hard, i discovered not one but two leaks in my bedroom ceiling... right over my head!

I spent the next 2 hours, stripping the bed and moving the mattresses to a safe spot then putting pans in place to catch the drips. The drips only lasted about twenty minutes though it's still raining as I write this (almost 12 hours later!) We've had over 3" of rain - the majority of that in a 4 hour time span. I moved to the recliner for the rest of the night - or should I say mornign - so am working on very little sleep.

Words will be slow today but I'm making myself charge through and be productive!

What do you do to 'carry on' in spite of life's bumps? I'd love to hear. Inspire me!

All my best

~Angela

Monday, June 5, 2017

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 1

Twitter is one of those Social Media platforms... you either get it or you don't. I have to ask. Have you given Twitter a chance? Do you know how to use Twitter effectively? Speaking from personal experience, my music business grew exponentially within six months thanks to connections I made on this particular platform. Let's start with your page.

If you have a branding platform in place, this step is super easy. The header on your page should be your current release. The inset photo should be yours. You want to bring a personal approach to your page. Build your fan base while letting them get to know the face behind the author name.

The second is the information on your page. Cluttering the space up with #s is not effective marketing. Give a brief - I love writing sweet stories with happy endings. When not writing, I enjoy.... That's it. 20 words or less should be plenty.

The other thing you want is a website link. Give them a landing page to find out more about you, your bodies of work and however else you have your website/ blog configured.

That's it! Your Twitter page is complete. Well, almost. READ THIS before going any further in creating your Twitter page.

Twitter is going to ask to ADD everyone from your contact list. Don't Do This! This is a business page.. not a family reunion. Sure, you want some of your family and friends to follow you BUT you get to choose. Some of those people on your contact list were probably auto-added at some point or another and could care less.

This is your opportunity for a fresh start.

So, let's make friends.
First - People you want to network with
Authors
Publishers
Editors/ Agents
Organizations

Second - Do a search for people with similar interests. In the search bar type #(insert one of the interests from your introduction. You will get a HUGE list. Don't follow them all at once. Pick 4-5 then type in the next interest and repeat. If you follow too many at one time, Twitter will think you're spamming and could lock you out of your account for a set period of time. That's not how you want to start ;-)

Work on that this week. Next week we'll talk content.

Creative Blessings!
Angela

Monday, July 28, 2014

CURRENT PROJECT - Week of July 28

This is basically how my week will begin - as of tomorrow. After 21 days home, Bob will head back out to Chicago for 21 days for his job as a riverboat Captain. And I will become a hermit for most of the time he's gone. Occasionally, I leave the house to mail bills or go out to eat but for the most part I am happy right here.

I take my job as a writer seriously - most of the time. There are days where I just don't feel like working. But if I do want a day off, then I make sure to plan ahead - just as if I worked outside the home.

Most of the next week will be spent getting blog posts up and running for the month of August. Although I don't have to schedule them ahead, I found this month that having them scheduled made me less stressed. I didn't worry about something not getting done if the wind blew in a distraction I had no control over. I mean, face it, LIFE HAPPENS. Working from home means I have a very understanding boss - ME. But the 'boss' side of me also knows that if you fluff off a day, things still need to get done. Even if it means being up till 2 a.m. (which I've done but don't recommend) to get caught up.

Our tip on Thursday this week will be about Time Management. We're always looking for that one thing that works for us. Hopefully, this will be THE ONE.

Creative Blessings on your week!

Thursday, July 17, 2014

WRITER TIP THURSDAY - Time Management Part 2

Welcome back!
If you missed Part 1 - you can see it HERE.
I kept the same picture because I wanted to draw your attention to the journal in the center. That is a Documented Life Planner . The journal is just what the title says - Plan your life and document all the things you do on a daily basis. The original concept behind a DLP uses a Weekly Moleskin journal. Well, if you remember anything from my previous post then you know there is no way I'm fitting everything on a 'weekly' page. So I created my own using composition notebooks. I have 4 - 1 per quarter of the year and working on a DAILY system. Here's what an inside weekday page looks like:

I only use the left hand side of the page for business.

I have one daily schedule breakdown sheet adhered to the journal page with a colorful piece of Washi Tape (nothing says our journals have to be boring!). This is like a page within a page. I simply turn it back to keep my project notes underneath.

But that top piece is the SECRET INGREDIENT to how H. Reardon's book has changed how I move through my day.

SUCCESSFUL business people work in TIME BLOCKS. That's why most dayplanners are broke down into :30 min increments. This allows those highly motivated, successful people to account for every minute of their day.

I learned a long time ago that :30 min. increments are not for me. In fact, I didn't think they made sense at all for someone working from home. Boy, was I wrong... and why I never seemed to get on top of things.

So I started by looking at what I HAD to do in a work day and the best way to break down my time AND still allow time for family, fun, art, LIFE.

This is what I came up with:

You can click on the picture for a larger view but here's how I break my day down:

Up at 6:30 (note only a 1/2 hour earlier than I'd been getting up)

I use this time to boot up the computer, make the coffee, check on all the critters, etc.

7:00-8:00 I ENJOY my coffee and cruise sights like art boards and Pinterest - not to work but to ENJOY!

8-8:30 I exercise.

I use a variety of things from videos, to Wii Fit to just walking on the treadmill while I watch something on the DVR. Then a quick shower.

9 -10 All about the email.

This usually doesn't take an entire hour - for all 3 email accounts. 4 if I sign into Yahoo to do Groups

10 - Brunch

Sometimes in this hour I will also get outside for a bit but usually I am multi-tasking household chores

like doing dishes, hanging laundry, running the sweeper.

11 - You'll notice the exampled says Party List Part 1.

That's a Wednesday only thing. I have one blog post that must be on my music blog by 7 a.m. Thursday mornings for various radio stations. The post takes me all day on Wednesday to do.

The right hand side is for doodling and art work.

On other days I work on contest entries and critiques for other authors

1 - It's lunch time.

I'll also spend this hour multi-tasking around the house and walk down to get the mail

2-5 - I'm back on the Party List post (Wed.)

This part of the Wed post requires adding over 50 links to artist/ venue websites within the post before uploading. Sometimes I'll move to the sofa for this part and let a movie play in the background.

5 - Final check of email.

I respond to anything needing a response and take care of others. But no longer than an hour.

6 - Computer is shut down for a couple hours.

I fix and enjoy dinner, take clothes off the line and anything else I can do.

8 - I'm back to write fiction for a couple hours.

I do this by word sprinting with long-time writer buddies on Yahoo Instant Message.

Very productive time.

By 10 p.m. (sometimes 9) I am DONE for the day. I can sit on the sofa, put my feet up and enjoy some of my favorite shows - with or without Bob home. I'm not working til 11 p.m. or midnight AND I'm getting my projects done AND fiction time in.

That is my day when Bob is gone.

Now instead of working weekends (at the computer) I'm able to go out to music venues and meet new artists without fear of falling behind.

When Bob is home I try to limit my time to morning email, and 2 full days - Mon/ Wed. With the rest of the time spent with him.

I have explained to him that when he retires in 5 years that I will have to work more than 2 days a week. LOL but maybe I can work 1/2 days 4 days a week? We're still working that one out.

How are you spending your day?

Are you accomplishing what you need every day or feeling like you're constantly playing catch-up?

Share your thoughts. And for those of you at ORA, I'll have my planner with me at the Aug. meeting if you'd like to see it. Goes everywhere with me.

Monday, August 29, 2011

When life happens.

I realize I've not gotten back in here as soon as I'd planned. Where does time go? I know my days stay full with writing and creating and life. Someday I'll strike a balance that will prevent me from letting some things lapse while others roll along without incident. Yeah.. right! And if you find the solution before I do, please share.

My weekly column has been well-received so far. I'm getting great feedback from the community. Partly, I think, because it's about community. So I spend some of my 'free' time knocking on doors, introducing myself to business owners and others responsible for keeping Birch Tree MO in existence.

Aside from the weekly column, I've been able to add some feature stories to the paper. I've reported on local entertainment and crime news. I guess you could say my focus has been more on Non-Fiction than on Fiction in recent weeks. It's been an interesting change of pace.

But over the past couple of weeks I've found my love for fiction again. I entered four categories in the Ozark Creative Writers competition. One of the most challenging entries, and the most fun I've had in a long time, was to write a 500 word piece of sale-able fiction, without using the letter E. Have you ever tried to write a sentence without the word THE - let alone an entire flash fiction piece? I put Thesaurus.com through it's paces over the course of two days and came away with a story I'm happy with. We'll see how it does in competition.

I also entered the first chapter and a 5 pg synopsis of the Western Romance I've been playing with. I entered it in another category last year, sponsored by Western Author - Dusty Richards. I thought the chapter was good. But when it didn't place at all, I went to Dusty and asked if he'd do a critique on it for me. The one thing he found most lacking was INTERNALIZATION. I wasn't in my character's head enough. Okay. I can do that. But my biggest question was, Why in all these years of critique sessions has no one else ever pointed that out? I know I don't write a lot of it because it's the part I will skip over in a book. I love dialogue and it is my strength.

So with Dusty's critique in hand, I fine-tuned the first chapter yet again and submitted it in a different category. I'm anxious to see if it fairs any better. We'll know on October 8th when the awards are handed out.

I also had the pleasure of speaking to the Springfield Writers Guild on Saturday. I've known the current president for over fifteen years and this is the first time we've had the opportunity to work together. I was asked to give my Pitch workshop. With conferences still popping up through the end of October, I think some of them will have the opportunity to put the tips into practice. I wish them luck and would love to hear how they do.

I've been lining up more guest authors beginning in September and hope to fill the calendar out to keep the guests coming in this door through the end of the year.

As to my writing...

I'm writing every day on something. I'll try to be better at keeping you posted.

What are you writing today?

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Busy Week

Good morning, everyone!

It's been a busy couple of weeks around here. As most of you know by now, when my husband comes home after being gone for three weeks, my world centers around him - at least for the first of the 3 he's home.

This time he brought a friend with him. Kassie has been a part of our lives since the day she was born.... she's now 14. But every couple of years she wants to come spend time with us. Having a teenager around the house wasn't really an issue. But I don't get to spend much time with her. When she comes down, I try to show her places she might not otherwise get to experience and she enjoys that.

The third week she was here, we also had the grandtoddler. Man, is that little girl growing. She'll be 4 in November. This time she was all about 'grandpa'.

So as you can tell, writing wasn't really part of my agenda. When you have the babies home, you just want to enjoy them.

By Tuesday, the house was all mine again and I had news in my email. I will be writing for our local newspaper on a weekly basis as a reporter for our small town - one of many small towns included in the paper's readership.

So I have lots of writing in my future. I won't be forgetting about the novels but short story competitions loom and now the weekly byline. As a result I need to reassess my GOALS. So give me a couple days and we'll get back to speed.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday Musings

Happy Monday everyone!

It's going to be a busy week around the house but I hope to still be in frequently to throw some new things your way.

Contest entries are coming slow. There are days I think I should have named the blog Writing Through Life.. or not. It seems like since I cleared everything out of the living room and ripped up the carpet in here in prep for the remodel, I've lost the urge to work on fiction. I'm doing plenty of non-fiction but the desire to work on contest entries just isn't there. I HAVE to find it - and FAST!

My husband will be home on Wednesday night and then the huge remodel of the living room begins, disrupting my 'routine' yet again.

But there is good news on the horizon. I've finally made the jump and am having Hughes Net installed on May 2nd. Anything has to be faster than this dial-up. Every day is a struggle to get everything done in a timely manner. If it will help me cut my non-fiction aka freelance writing time by one third, I might have time to do ALL the writing I want to do.

I guess today's post is a good example of how the writers life really works. Life gets in our way, we have days where writing just isn't what we want to do. Although we are lucky enough to have a job that allows us to do what we love, it is a job and a business.

So I guess I need to quit taking sick days and get back to business.

Happy Writing & Reading

Angela

The Writers Studio