Another week, another chpater

Wow, what a week. It was wonderfully productive and I feel like I'm mostly back on track.... mostly, I'm not sure I'm ever completely on track :)

Last week's goals
Write daily
Check! I was able to sit down and write some considerable words this week. I finished a chapter of Outlaw Born and it felt wonderful. Not for my poor MC Ben, he's having a rough time. Made me feel a smidge guilty writing him into it, but just a smidge. 

Write one article
*Buzzer sounds* FAIL The article was started but... not completed. 

Finish the book I’m reading
Ding ding ding! I finished the book I was reading, and started two more whoo hoo. I love falling into the pages of a great book. 

This week hopefully will be another productive week with lots of words, reading time, and other accomplishments. I've got my daily get'er done lists all set to for the next two days so I'm already off to a decent start.

This week my primary focus is going to be completing another chapter and developing a bit more depth into the secondary characters riding with my outlaw. Even though, these guys and gals aren't major players I feel like it's important to get to know who they are as well.

Who and what your secondary character is can affect the major character. If a secondary character questions the hero it could possibly cause the hero to rethink his or her situation. A secondary's difference in opinion might change the hero's decision to act or how he or she takes action. But these characters can't just suddenly have such a strong opinion. It doesn't feel genuine or true to life to suddenly toss them into a scene with such powerful views when they're a complete stranger to the reader.

Having a fully fleshed out sidekick to your hero or heroine can add more dimension and reality to your story. NYPD Blue was a great example of this. (yeah I know it's a tv show vs. book characters but that's what I'm watching as I write tonight lol) Detectives Andy Sipowicz and John Kelly are the main characters in the first and second season, but the secondary characters in the squad around them impact their many of their work and personal decisions. Sometimes in a big way.

Secondary characters aren't just there to move things along, they can be tools to further the reality of your hero/heroine and novel world. Who knows maybe one of the secondary characters in your novel will be  your next novel's hero.

How do you use those hero sidekicks? Have you ever started to like your sidekick better than your hero?

This week's goals 
Write daily
Write one article
Get rid of at least one box or bag of clutter.

Have a great week and good luck with your own goals!

Visit other Round of Words in 80 Days blog hoppers! To find out more about ROW80 click HERE

Creating the Write Routine

The last of 2014 was insanely busy and, of course, the holidays helped things get even wonkier. Now it’s time to get back into sync by creating a better routine.

A routine doesn’t have to be rigid or really scheduled. It’s really about building or rebuilding habits.

A daily routine can start out as a simple to do list. The list doesn’t have to be completed in any certain order or at specific times. It can be adjusted for those moments when something spontaneous pops up. (Just like our Row 80 goals)

Start with a list of five daily tasks. Everyone can accomplish a list of five things in a single day. Yeah, there are *those* days we’re lucky to get one, but that’s okay too. Back to our five things…..

Make your list of five tasks as they pop into your head. Now look at your list and highlight two that are most important. Those are your priorities. No matter what else gets thrown at you each day you are going to get at least one of those priority tasks accomplished.

After about two weeks, you’ll find yourself working your tasks in around whatever pops up in LIFE. Goals will be easier to meet and all will be back in sync.

There will still be times when everything gets whacked out of sync. As long as you can get back on the horse and restart you’ll be able to stick to a comfortable and easy to follow Write Routine.

Quarter One Goals

Establish a Write Routine

Write a minimum of 500 words a day

Write one article a week

Read a book a week

This week’s goals

Write daily

Write one article

Finish the book I’m reading

How about you? How do you establish or maintain a routine with writing and life?

Visit other Round of Words in 80 Days blog hoppers! To find out more about ROW80 click HERE

Those Off Kilter Days

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in. I feel like I’ve been off planet part of the time. There has been so much activity going on in my house and life that my poor blog has been suffering from neglect.

My writing has been the same a bit. Usually I write every day, but lately it has been sporadic and short bursts. I feel very off kilter when I don’t write at least a few paragraphs in a day. I feel like I’ve forgotten something very important all day long. 

Though some of the distractions have been super exciting things that could lead to rising up another rung or two on the ladder of success. I was honored to give a workshop at the Fall Conference for Florida Authors and Publishers Association. What a fantastic experience that was!

I was inspired and thrilled to meet wonderful authors and publishers from all over the state. If you aren’t a

How to energize your platform
with technology workshop at FAPA's
Fall Conference

member of FAPA I do encourage it. They are a fantastic group of people who strive to help authors and publishers succeed. It was a hugely positive experience that I hope to have again next year!

My next big distraction was the primary elections. I’m not a very political person and I keep my views to myself. (most of the time *wink*) I do pride myself on being an election poll worker. I am Clerk of Precinct 3500, Marion County, FL. This is my 20^th Year as clerk there. I absolutely love working elections.

Yes, it can be stressful and tedious when things go wrong or very few voters show up at the polls. The day is a long one about 16hrs long for a clerk, but, it is also very rewarding to know I’ve been a small part of history being made.

Now, though those distractions are past and it’s time to buckle down and set some goals that will get my muse back on track and stories moving again.

Goals for the week of 9/7 thru 9/13

1) Write at least 1000 words daily

2) Get 2 articles finished for Orlando Destinations

3) Get one part 1 of special project completed.

4) Go someplace that will inspire the muse.

5) Post one more blog for this week at least.

I think that should get the muse moving and back in kilter… I hope! When big distractions loom or events take place that knock everything off kilter, it can be difficult to set it right again. Getting back into a grove can feel very disjointed until that smooth rhythm can be found again.

Now it’s your turn to set some goals and follow where your muse leads you this week. How do you battle those off kilter times that spring up? 

Top 10, writing and conference preparations oh my!

Wow the 2^nd Quarter for ROW80 2014 has really flown by. I can’t believe it’s over at the end of this month. For those that don’t know ROW80 stands for Round of Words in 80 Days. A writing challenge that understands we have life.

I haven’t posted an update in a while with so much going on but there have been some awesome accomplishments made.

Let me start with the most recent news… I was informed Saturday that I am one of the TOP 10 Authors of AuthorsdB. How cool is that! AuthorsdB is a database of authors and publishing professionals. It’s a great place for an author to have a profile and get attention to their books. They have a yearly cover contest for their authors to enter as well. You can check out my profile here Elise VanCise AuthorsdB.

I have the honor of teaching my first conference workshop at the Fall Conference for the Florida Authors & Publishers Association August 8^th 2014. Along side some really wonderful and talented authors and publishers. Such as the CEO of JLB Creatives Publishing Janet Beasley, who is also the author of the best selling Hidden Earth Series.

The name of the class is Energize Your Author Platform Using Technology. I’ll be teaching ways to maximize your social media so you spend less time marketing and more time on that manuscript… unless you’re playing Candy Crush. :)

We’ll be in beautiful Pompano Beach, Florida so check out more about what this great conference has to offer. Breakfast and lunch for each day are included in the registration. Find out more here: FAPA Fall Conference.

Be sure to scroll down the page and you’ll find Janet’s class Book Trailer Basics, and mine listed on Track 3. Just click read more on any of the tabs to find out more about each session.

With the conference came preparations, getting together a power point presentation, handouts, and figuring out the most important points to touch upon in a 90 minute class. My knees are knocking already with excitement and a lil bit of nerves. This is a fantastic opportunity and I can’t wait for August to get here.

Writing this quarter has been sporadic. Yet there have been words put on paper and a couple of chapters completed. Editing has started on an old manuscript I had tossed in a file and forgotten. The story was just too much fun not to give it a chance to be read so cleaning up the prose has begun in the times Outlaw Born frustrates the dickens out of me lol.

Now that preparations are mostly ready, things in LIFE seem to be taking a more steady pace. Even if there are loops so more regular check ins should be happening.

Goals for this week:

Write 2000 words on manuscript

Edit 3 pages

Work on some new art for Café Press The Write Goods shop.

Go to A Round of Words in 80 Days.wordpress.com to find out more about this unique writing challege. It's all about goals and encouraging each other to meet them. 

Quitting the story is not an option

Relieve that stress with chocolate! :) 

When life gives us lemons, as often it does, don’t be content making lemonade. Throw those sour bastards back and demand chocolate!

Don’t give into the stress and pressures going on that make us say, “I can write later.” Put your boxing gloves on and fight through it. Duck life’s left hook and counter with a powerful uppercut by finishing off that next chapter.

Quitting a current project or giving up even temporarily is not an option. When the writing gets tough the writer needs to kick ass. We change goals and pound out pages of words through writer’s block, character frustrations, plot holes, appointments, and real world tasks screaming to be done. Whatever is attempting to hold us back from our story we will fight back.

This week down that pot of coffee, eat the whole bag of peanut butter M&M’s, order take out, or duct tape the kids to the wall. Okay, maybe not that last one, though you have to admit some days it’s tempting. Just don’t lose heart, or give in to that urge to say, "well, I’ll make it next round." There is still plenty of time this round to make our quarter goals. I’m ready, how about you?

Goals for this week:

Keep up with Blogging from A to Z (got caught up again yay! )

Get 2 chapters done on WIP

Get rid of at least 1 box of junk and clutter 

Getting caught up and making new goals ROW80 and G for A to Z challenge

The last week was busy and thanks to being anemic my energy level has been pretty low so that didn’t help things. Yet even though my Blogging from A to Z is behind (very as you can see lol) I still feel like this week was a success.

Here’s the update, goals for last week were:

1. Work on scheduling things better: Yes, there was improvement here. Even with low energy levels. We were able to make a schedule for the week and stick to most of it.

2. Write at least 3,000 words:  Almost, I made about 2,200. I think for everything going on this last week that was pretty good. I’m going to say even though it’s not 3k this goal was a success because there was still positive outcome.

3. Get rid of two boxes of clutter/junk: Yes! Thanks to a burst water heater pipe, we had to do a lil bit of cleaning out of the laundry room. We managed a box of junk to get tossed and two bags of old clothes that were just sitting in a basket waiting for someone to decide to give them a new home. So off to Goodwill they will go.

This next week is going to be better and finish stronger. I can already see a few crazy days screwing with my new schedule on their way, but overall I’m confident this week will see goals checked off.

Goals for this week:

1. Get caught up on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge

2. Write at least 3,000 words this week

3. Remove two more boxes of clutter/junk

4. Take some time to get out of the house with the camera and just breathe.

Falling behind is part of life. It’s not always easy to get caught back up, but it is always possible. 

Empty pages, events, and ever changing goals A to Z letter E

Today marks the first day of the 2^nd Quarter for Round of Words in 80 Days or ROW80 for short. The first day of making new goals and making new accomplishments.

ROW80 is a challenge for writers that gets we have a life and can’t always write two or three thousand words in a day. With this challenge writers set goals they want to accomplish in an 80 day time period.

Those goals can be anything, even not writing related. The best part about ROW80 is the wonderful group of folks that support each other through the quarter. It makes a big difference sometimes when you share a weekly update with a struggle and someone comments hey, I’m going through that too, we can conquer it!

That support can help charge a writer’s waning batteries so they can find the energy to fill those empty pages with, a novel, blogs, articles, and more. Sometimes we don’t reach our weekly goals and that energy fails too.

We have to remember that goals aren’t set in stone. They can change as our life gets crazy with activity or we realize that maybe that goal isn’t what we needed it to be. Never be afraid to simplify or break down a goal into something more manageable.

There will be times that even the simplest goal just doesn’t happen for us. That’s okay too. We have to have failures to recognize the successes. We also need to remember we’re not Super Scribe.

Being ambitious with goals can be a good thing. Elvis Presley said Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine. Ambitious goals can be exciting and make us driven to succeed. Yet we should be cautious, it’s very easy in our excitement to take on too much or push too hard to get the results we want so badly.

When Super Scribe gets hit by Kryptonite we just have to take a breath, step back, and re-evaluate those goals to see what needs tweaked before we leap to next chapter and type faster than a flying bullet.

That brings me to my goals for the second ROW80 quarter

1. Finish Novel
2. Start Editing Novel
3. Get on a better schedule

4.    Get rid of at least two boxes of clutter/junk a week.

Goals for this week

1. Work on scheduling things better
2. Write at least 3,000 words.
3. Get rid of two boxes of clutter/junk

Now for something fun announcing some upcoming author events that I’ll be attending with my fellow JLB Creatives Publishing team members as well as awesome authors. Janet Beasley and Jane E Lane.

BOOK SIGNING WITH SYDNEY AND FRIENDS

May 11th 10 am - 2pm

Clermont Community Center

620 W Montrose St., Clermont, FL 34711

 Sydney and her friends, "JLBCreatives" will be signing copies of their best selling books. After a day of shopping at the Clermont Farmers Market, head on down to the Community Center and say hi to "Sydney" and all her friends. A reading station will be set up for the kiddies to sit and read to Sydney. We will be selling T-Shirts and raffle tickets to benefit our reading programs.

Stay up to date by following the event on Facebook! HERE

SCOTT'S ZELLWOOD SWEET CORN JAMBOREE

May 17th -18th

Saturday 10am-5pm

Sunday 11am-5pm

Long & Scott Farms 26216 CR 448-A, Mt. Dora, FL

Elise will be there with the JLB Creatives Publishing team exhibiting at the festival. Stop by, say hello and don't forget to pick up some great new books to read while you munch your delicious Zellwood Sweet Corn!

For more info about the event go to Long & Scott Farms

See what I mean by needing to schedule stuff better? I have a slew of JLB work stuff and writing stuff and … well you get the picture lol. If you’re local I hope you can stop by at one of our events and say hi! Well, that’s my Super Scribe plan for the quarter what’s yours?

*puts on cape and mask then grabs her mighty pen…. Time to fill some of those empty pages. 

ROWing along the writing rapids ROW80 Update

Some weeks are smooth sailing everything on the checklist gets done and goals are completed. . Other weeks… Well, those crazy weeks are like trying to navigate rough rapids against the current, with a broken paddle.

During those weeks of rough waters everything is out of balance and goals can seem to be unachievable. Fighting against the current can be exhausting to both body and soul. Instead of paddling like a madman to get three inches upstream, turn that raft and head for shore.

Take a deep breath and let everything go for a time. It can be a few hours, even an entire day, just take some time away from it all. Trust me, when you’re doing the rapids upstream and your paddle breaks… one day really isn’t going to hurt. No more than one though.

Taking that day will actually make all the difference in the world. When you wake up the next morning you can get a new perspective on the cause or causes of the week’s struggles. (Sometimes the lil bastards are like dominos, one after another oi ) Now you can look at your goals and other things you want to achieve that week and reevaluate.

Is it just one of those weeks where you have to say, it’s just insane, next week we can get back on track. Or is there something you can tweak and adjust to put this week back in balance so you can navigate even the roughest of the rapids to make the goals and cross things off that to do list.

I’m in that adjusting phase for this week. The last couple of weeks have been seriously rough waters. I’m

hoping this week will be calmer and hopefully these manageable goals will mesh better with the craziness going on in life right now.

Goals for this week:

Create a schedule to help keep things balanced 

Write at least 500 words a day on manuscript

Write one article this week

Write at least one blog this week

Get some art done

Have your goals shaped up this quarter or shipped out? Do you have a new goal this week? 

What is ROW80? A Round of Words in 80 days, a writing challenge that understands you've got a life. For more info go here

Goals: A map out of bat country

  

2014 started off with a bang but there’s a lot to juggle and things can get off track and out of control fast without a clear marked map of where we’re going. That’s where goals come in.

Without a map we’re just driving down a desert highway from point to point. Sure, that gets us where we need to go eventually, but takes a lot longer to get there and it takes us through “bat country.” Where life becomes chaotic like that scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. “Suddenly, there was a terrible roar all around us, and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, and a voice was screaming.”

We’re busy swatting bats so we can see the road. Until we set goals. Look, there’s a guy standing on the side of the road thumbing a ride. “What? No. We can't stop here. This is bat country.”

Yes, we can stop, we should stop. Why? Because that hitchhiking goal can get us out of bat country and back on the right road to the Vegas strip of success. Making a solid achievable goal gives us a point on the horizon to drive toward. At the same time helping us map our way there away from too many bats, flat tires, or roadside souvenir shop distractions. Okay, maybe a couple of those souvenir shops, you can find some really cool stuff in those places. But then right back on the road!

Sure, we still might get lost in bat country once in a while, but, having a goal to in the backseat reading the map helps us get back on the right roads to achievement and success.

ROW80 Quarter 1-2014 Goals:

Big goal:

Getting a book completed ready to publish

Weekly goals:

Write daily, 1000 words minimum.

Write 3 blog posts weekly

Write 1 article a week

Get out and take photos once a week

That’s my map for this quarter. Now hopefully it will keep me out of bat country!

What are your goals? Do you have a map or set of plans to get you to success?

Write what you don't know

Possibly the most given piece of advice to new writers, “write what you know.” Why? Everyone has something they are an expert in motherhood, computer programming, Civil War buff. All those things would make a great base for a story and having knowledge in them is an advantage when you start plotting.

Yet that knowledge can be a disadvantage also. When we’re comfortable we can get a little lazy, it’s just human nature. If a person knows a great deal about a subject they tend to stick within the boundaries of that knowledge. Instead of looking for an aspect or new idea that could take the story to the next level.

Taking the challenge of writing on a topic with little to no knowledge allows for a broader look at the subject. Learning something new is exciting; a person wants to know all they can about it. This lets us take in all those extra ideas and facts that could lead to writing an even better book.

Instead of working in a genre or with a subject you know try stepping out of the comfort zone and into something you know absolutely nothing about. You’ll find that new found knowledge working into old topics, giving them a new life and you a more rounded writer. 

Knowledge is power. Especially in a writers hands!

ROW80 Update

My goals on last update where to write every day and begin evil plot… um.. I mean begin plotting for rubs evil mommy hands together.

NaNoWriMo. Check on both of those fronts. I am in the learning something totally awesome for the novel phase. Researching has been a lot of fun. Especially when I can combine it with homeschool and make the kid research to,

My last goal was to get preparations ready for Lake County NaNoWriMo Kick-off. Check! We have the place, the kits are almost finished and my costume is perfect. I’m blessed with a fantastic group of writers in the Lake County region. It’s going to be a stellar NaNo 2013.

New Goals for the week:

Write every day

Finalize research

Get two articles written

How about you? Do you like to dive into unknown topics or write with a base of something you know and build on it? How is your novel prep going?

How to win NaNoWriMo: Realistic Goals, determination and a bottomless pot of coffee

NaNo season has begun. Novelists around the world are franticly researching, outlining, and character mapping in preparation for the 50,000-word dash to the finish line that begins November 1^st.

Writing 50,000 words in 30 days might seem daunting. There will be days mid November it feels that way. A writer questions their sanity level on accepting such a wild notion of writing an entire novel rough draft in a month. It can be done if the writer is determined.

It takes a special kind of dedication to the craft of word spinning to stick to daily goals and make the novel a priority. This becomes hard when life happens and shakes up a writer’s daily routine. That is where making goals for your writing and novel become important.

Sure, the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 crazed days. However, that’s the big picture and the thought of the number 50,000 can make the head spin. (no pea soup, just head spinning) To ease the panic of “OMG I’m behind on my word count!” Make realistic NaNo goals that will fit your average day.

Have a word count goal for each day. NaNo suggests at least 1,667 words per day. Maybe you work long hours and can write each day but not that much. That’s okay. Your realistic goal might be 800 words on a workday and 3,000 on days off. Don’t be afraid of falling behind. Most everyone is going to fall behind at some point.

That’s where that determination comes in. If you fall behind don’t panic or give up on winning. You can do it. Just adjust those daily goals, brew a pot of coffee and challenge yourself a bit more to grab time to write those words.

We can do it; we just need realistic daily writing goals, a strong determination, and a bottomless pot of hot coffee. (Preferably Starbucks Mocha or Peppermint Mocha. Yum!)

I’ll see you in the winner’s circle. I’ll probably be a lil tipsy on the caffeine: D If you would like to add me as a NaNo Buddy: flsandcastle

In perfect timing, the new round of ROW80 begins this week also. Here are my goals for this round.

Round 4 Goals

Write every day

Complete NaNo with seventh Win

Complete novel edits

Goals for Week 1

Write every day

Start outline for NaNo Novel

Finish preparations for Region Kick Off  (Go Lake Writers!)

Click these links for more information about NaNoWriMo or Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80)

How do you work NaNo into your busy daily life? 

Getting Edumacated

This last week I crossed a major goal off my ROW80 list. I finished my degree. I am now Hospitality Management graduate, with a 4.0 g.p.a. to boot.  It’s such a relief to have that under my belt, but it also made me think.

Thinking about our characters and their education, could their level of education have an impact? Yes, it could.

We gain more than just knowledge on a certain subject from our education. In our early education, we learn the basics reading, writing, and arithmetic. We join clubs or get involved in sports or music programs. All those things shape who we are from elementary school through higher education.

Right now, I’m working on a historic western. Ben was a cattleman before he became a Civil War officer. He didn’t have a formal education so how did he learn to read and write. How far did his education go? Did learning really impact his life for the better or not make much difference at all?

Education is something we take for granted today I believe. Public education is available to everyone now, in the days when my character lived education was a privilege. Most often schooling was done at home when it was available. Even then, for some education was minimal.

People could read or write but going to a university or higher learning was out of reach. Either by their location or most often by means of income, even in those days college was an expense. It was more common to find a person to learn under as an apprenticeship.

Tradesmen were most often apprenticed but so were attorneys, doctors, nurses, accountants and others. Today they couldn’t get a position unless they had the training of a degree and internship. These men and sometimes women learned their jobs by working with experienced mentors. Sometimes those mentors sponsored their higher education.

Today anyone can open a book or go to a school and learn something. There are grants and sponsorships that offer us choices that Ben and his family don’t have in 1864. Aren’t you glad for modern times?

I certainly am, a full degree offers more opportunities to better my life and my family’s It makes me a better writer by broadening my base of knowledge as well. I’m thankful for my Sis Rose, for encouraging me to jump in and do it and I’m really thankful for no more homework :D tee hee.

So my goals for this week are to hunker down harder on Ben and his exploits in the wild west, publish 2 articles and 2 blog posts, and finally load the car up with the boxes of clutter that have been waiting for exile from my house and get them to the Goodwill.

How has education influenced or impacted your life? Have you made any big accomplishments on your goal list for this quarter?

ROW80 Round of Words in 80 Days is a challenge that understands life can interfere with our writing life and goals. This flexable format gives you the opportunity to adjust your goals on a weekly basis with a wonderful encouraging group of people so you can accomplish your dreams. Join us for the new quarter starting October 7th. for more info go here: ROW80

Monday Musings: Things that bind

Many elements bind together to create a story. Characters, their goals and relationships bind to move the story forward. In my current WIP Outlaw Born, Ben finds he’s bound to his past. The bloodline he tries to deny, events that seemed insignificant when they occurred are now being seen as the stepping stones to his present life.

Writing those ‘stepping stones’ into the story as flashbacks can be a tricky ordeal. If the lead in isn’t done well the flashback can become jumbled into present thoughts. A writer must transition to and from the past and present binding the elements smoothing as if it took no effort. In reality, that one passage that seems so smooth probably took two days and 20 deleted pages to master.

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.”

—Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard passed on to the walk the great library in the sky just a few days ago. He’s one of my writing heroes, I’ve read many of his books. Especially his westerns, I love them. They’re gritty and real, you find yourself attached to characters you didn’t think you would like.

In those stories you barely notice transitions as you move from one element to the next. The writing easily draws you into the characters vision. You can’t always get that in the first pass. A writer has to be strong enough to use that delete key. It’s always hard to butcher the baby but it’s a sacrifice that pays off with stronger characters and emotions that will bind the reader to the story.

That is where I have been in this work in progress. Moving back and forth through scenes and plot to keep Ben on track and his pockets filled with railroad money. This week the goal is to bind time and writing in order to get two chapters written and some more clutter cleared from the house.

How do you bind your characters past and present? Do you find transitions tricky? Have any tips for transitioning scenes? 

A Monday Musings post and ROW80 check in

Outlaws, Secrets and Goals Oh my!

Since it’s been a bit since my last update I won’t go over the hits and misses of each week and just tell you what has been going on.

One goal for this quarter was to finish the novel Outlaw Born. Progress so far is good. There was a pause as life frustrations and plot issues arose. There was a bit of backtracking and changing. Ended up painfully deleting a chapter but Ben is back to robbing trains and making life hell for Hammond Rail. Don’t you love a man in a black hat, fast hands, with a six gun strapped at his hip?  

Now goal is getting him finished and pubbed by October. Yeah, I know it’s only two months away and that’s wishing for a lot there but hey I might find a genie in a lamp!

On other goals, school is kicking along. I’m doing well and maintaining my 4.0 (holy cow is that really me? The C girl in high school?) The de-clutterization is going well too. There have been a few boxes filled with things ready to be adopted to new homes. Want some junk?

Now for the secret…  The Author’s Secret. They are a company owned and operated by the fantastic Kayelle Allen. The Author’s Secret provides services to authors such as ebook formatting

a pre-made cover available

and conversion, book covers for both ebook and print, banners, avatars, social media graphics, book trailers, blog headers, Facebook covers and so much more.

I am so blessed to be apart of this awesome growing company as a graphic designer. Soon they will be opening a shop of pre-made book covers of all genres just waiting for your book title to be added. For everything from Cookbooks to Romance to Mystery, to Horror to Westerns and even Steampunk. The Author’s Secret can be your lil secret to a successful book.

Do you have a secret that keeps you on the goal track? Or an author tip to share? 

You Should Be Writing

The trick is getting those words on paper. It’s not a first draft until it’s out of your head and on to the page. Unfortunately shaking your head over a blank piece of paper doesn’t work. (Yes, I have tried it and got nuttin but a few pebbles, an old commercial jingle and a few scattered thoughts)

You have to write or type those words onto the page one by one, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph until an entire page is filled. Then another and another until The End.

The only way to do that is to make time to write. Daily word count goals can be great motivators. So are those great “You should be writing!” memes and posters. Encouraging us to find those little spaces of time to carve out a few words, even on the days we think it’s impossible.

A scheduled block of time to sit down and write is the best option. Yet sometimes there are distractions (Facbook… damn you Candy Crush) or interruptions (Mommmm can you…(insert item/ food/ thing to get or look at here).

 It is up to us to make sure that first draft gets all the attention it needs by taking the time for a few words

when that special writing time isn’t available or near long enough. Are you in a long grocery line or a coffee line? Pull out your phone, start the note pad app and start jotting down the next scene or ideas for it at least.

You’ll be surprised how many words you can pop out that way. Or, waiting for your order in a restaurant, I usually get at least a page out of that. The point is even if there aren’t blocks of time to write, we can get that first draft out of our head and onto paper if we grab a pen during those pauses in life.

Just as you can’t wait for inspiration to show up you have to club it. You can’t wait for the perfect time to sit and write. You have to grab it when it appears, even if its one word at a time.

Update Goals for Round 3 Week 2:

1. 1000 words a day on novel

1k a day did not happen. Still there was writing done every day. The second chapter of Outlaw Born is nearly finished.

2. Finish out this class to the next exam

The text for this section is a lot longer than I expected. I was also assigned to visit a local historic attraction and write a report about the business side of it. I am scheduled to do that next week. Yay! I wuve museums. See School really is fun!

3. Fill two more boxes of stuff to leave my abode.

This one was nailed. Two more boxes of things no longer welcome in my house are waiting by the door to be evicted on our next trip into town.

New Goals for Week 3 ROW80

1. Write on Outlaw Born every day and finish chapter 2

2. Get to that exam this week

3. Two more boxes of stuff to be evicted 

How do you steal time to write?  Do you have a favorite You should be writing poster or motto? 

Moving Forward One Word at a Time

"I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because .a money in a barrel has better grammar than I some days."

There will be weeks that start off gangbusters then fall into shambles mid-week. Roadblocks can pop up at any time to distract or discourage from our goals. That’s okay because roadblocks are temporary.

You’re sitting on the road looking at a guy in an orange vest holding a stop sign, road construction going on behind him. You turn the radio up a little louder and watch for the dude with the sign to spin it around from stop to slow for your turn.

Notice that every so often as cars go through you get to move your car forward. Okay, it’s only an inch or two, but you are moving forward until the road is clear for full speed ahead.

Take that approach when writing. Don’t just let LIFE roadblock your muse. Inch that word count forward a word at a time. Even if you add only 10 words that day to your manuscript that’s 10 words you didn’t have the day before. The story is still moving forward and you’re still meeting your goal.

You might even find a way to squeeze in a few hundred words on those roadblock days blasting through the roadblock. Just try not to run the dude with the sign over. :o) 

Goal update:

1. Making that forward momentum on novel. Didn’t reach daily word count every day but there was writing every day so I call that a win.

2. Degree progress is moving forward. At least this class is interesting Historical and Adventure Tourism.

3. Clutter reduction was a plus too. There are 2 bags of clothing and two boxes of books and things to go to Goodwill.

New Goals for Round 3 Week 2:

1. 1000 words a day on novel

2. Finish out this class to the next exam

3. Fill two more boxes of stuff to leave my abode.

Last week LIFE interfered and yet words still got on the page and things got done. That story will be written one word at a time. Now it’s your turn. Did you reach goals this week? Do you have a tip that keeps you moving forward through the roadblocks?

For more about ROW80 click on the button below. 

3 Tips for Goal Success

July 1^st has arrived with promises of adventure and achievement over the next 80 days. Round 3 of Round

of Words has begun and the goals for the quarter have been set.

Round 3 Goals

 1. July 1^st is also the first day of Camp NaNoWrimo! 30 days of novling around the campfire. A new perk for campers this year is the ability to set your own word count. So my first goal is to meet my set camp goal of 25k.

2. Complete camp novel and start Edits

3. Finish out my Hospitality Management degree.

The plan for successfully meeting these goals for now is to simply take it one day at a time.  Far too often goals and stresses can overwhelm. We have a tendency to expect more and pressure ourselves more than anyone else.

Here are 3 tips for keeping the forward momentum through it all.

1. Break down your goal into daily bites. Daily goals allow for a realistic approach and the flexibility to make adjustments for the large scale. Plus those daily successes can build confidence and make you feel good about yourself.

2.  Don’t sweat the big stuff. Stress and pressure are the two biggest goal killers. Stress can make you physically sick if it’s prolonged. LIFE will always show up and it will be unexpected. The key to keeping the momentum moving forward instead of stress slamming the breaks is to not sweat it.

Have a moment or two of holy cow that suck monkey nuts. Then get over it. Let it go and look at the big picture a head. Honestly what does stressing over something do? Many times it can keep you from finding a solution and make things even more stressful. 

As the saying goes this too shall pass. Look at your goals and make some adjustments then put the gloves back on and get in the ring for the next match.

3. Celebrate. Celebrate even the smallest successes. Those happy dances can get you over those moments that LIFE throws at you. Celebrating helps you remember that you can make it on those days when achievement seems impossible. Making a big deal out of the small stuff can even take the sting out of the failures. Giving you the momentum to keep going and not give up.

Now ring the bell my gloves are on and I’m ready to step into the ring of Round 3 for the knock out.

How about you? 

Want to know more about Round of Words in 80 Days just click on the button to the left :) 

Final Countdown of Round 2 ROW80

Round 2 of Round of Words in 80 Days 2013 drawing to a close. The next check in will be the first of Round 3- 2013. A chance to launch a new set of goals to conquer in 80 days.  This final countdown is a chance to review and most importantly acknowledge the successes and failures of the last 80 days.

Round 2 Goals

1. Finish the Blogging from A to Z challenge

Success! This was my third year participating in the challenge and the first time making it through all 26 letters.

2. Make my 25k word count set for Camp NaNo

Nailed it! Camp NaNo 2013 unveiled some great new features this year. One of the best being the ability to set your word count for the month. My goal of 25k wasn’t to finish a manuscript so much as to give it a good kick start, and, it did just that.

3. Complete the above mentioned novel rough draft by the end of Round 2.

Fail. The novel has made progress beyond Nano but LIFE decided to break loose right about the beginning of May and hasn’t stopped. The novel didn’t get finished but the story is still moving when I can get my muse and LIFE to cooperate with me. I’m not worried though, I’ve talked to the characters about it and we’re going to gang up on Muse and LIFE and show’em who’s boss next round.

4. Complete 2 classes in school

Done deal! I’ve been taking classes for a degree in hospitality management. I’m two classes closer to the end and hopefully a job with a nice enough paycheck to support the creative in me. Not to mention supporting my addiction for notebooks, notepads and cool pens/pencils. :o)

5. Clean out my bedroom closet.

Fail. The pit of mementos and stuff that hasn’t been seen or used in years.  The closet is still stuffed full of … stuff. *sighs … So much stuff. How does so much stuff get in there? Surely it’s not all my stuff. If there’s a monster living in there he’s probably stuck under something piled in the tiny room of omg I forgot I had that closet.

The past 80 days have been filled with many ups and downs, fantastic feats, showers of blessings, and omg why me moments. Most important I’ve learned new things and have a renewed sense of personal success with every goal met or failed. So in a few days Round 3 will launch on a positive note with new goals and challenges.

I’m ready are you? 

Update ROW80 Round 2 Week 4

Week 3 had lots of stumbles and splats, but nothing a bit of duct tape couldn’t handle. There were a few major strides that took place too. Whoo hoo!

Update on Goals for Round2 Week 3

1. Yup Catching up again with A to Z and maintaining it. Um… oops? Came close but no cigar on keeping up, however not so far behind just one letter behind, two if this posts after midnight. :P

2. Get in word count for NaNo YES! Camp NaNo has been Verified and Won. That was a big plus for the week.

3. Get at least half a chapter of work a day in class Yes! Class is tooling along pretty well. Thank goodness, this textbook has a lil more zing to the reading and not so much zzzz.

That big curve ball LIFE tossed into my lap last couple of weeks is finally starting to wind down just a bit. Some days you just need a good roll of duct tape to get you by.

Duct tape is the universal fix all. Leaks, tears, stubborn chair legs, and even novels and goals. A good strip of duct tape to patch things together can keep us running until LIFE settles down long enough to make solid repairs.

It even comes in awesome designer colors and patterns now to make your patches fashion forward. So this

week I’m moving forward with new goals and keeping a roll of duct tape handy.

New Goals for Round 2 Week 4

1. Finish A to Z Challenge. This year I’m making it to Z.

2. NaNo is done so now it’s time to search for the next story. Going to get that outline and start spinning a new tale.

3. Get at least half a chapter of work on class done a day.

4. Get at least one article written and published this week.

Do able and easily patched with a strip of duct tape if the week springs a few leaks.

Have you done any patch work on your weekly goals?

Part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge for the letter U

Making Progress, Meeting Goals, Maintaining Sanity

Photo by Elise VanCise 2013

Last week saw a few large steps of progress and a couple of standstills due to yet another fine dose of LIFE hitting the fan. Yet some how sanity is being maintained… maybe… possibly.

The key to goal making success is not letting those derailments actually derail your progress. The train tends to go off the tracks once in a while. While frustrating it could be a good thing. Those derailments allow us to step back and reevaluate the situation and our goals.

Perhaps a goal made needs to be adjusted or even set aside. Is it something that you are struggling with more often than not? Is it something you’re flying through and not challenging enough? There are many reasons a goal needs to be tweaked, take a quiet moment and list your goals and what you can do to either make it easier or more challenging to fit your needs.

Goals should challenge us but not be an added stress. If you have a goal that has been a struggle to meet or come close to, drop it. At least for a week, then come back and reexamine that goal. Ask questions. Do you really need this goal? Is it going to help you meet other goals? How beneficial is this goal going to be overall?

If you feel that the answer to these are yes then make some adjustments to the goal to ease the stress and get back on track chugging to success. Sometimes just that short break of taking a week or two off from a goal is enough to fire up the engine and you’re ready to go full steam ahead.

Keep shoveling coal in that furnace and we'll make it over the peak. See you on the other side of Goal Mountain J

Goal Update for ROW80 Round 2 Week 2

1. Catch up and post daily for A to Z  Big check I did get caught up… as you can see I fell a bit behind again though thanks to that Curveball of LIFE.

2. Make daily word count for Camp NaNo (650 Words) *pouts didn’t get there daily had some days with no writing. Yeah that curveball thing.

3. Finish class YES!!! One class down with a final grade of 93%

4. Work 20 minutes 3x a week on the black hole of clothes and junk closet. Nope that dang LIFE thing again.  Doesn’t it ever take a vacation?

New Goals for Round2 Week 3

1. Yup Catching up again with A to Z and maintaining it

2. Get in word count for NaNo

3. Get at least half a chapter of work a day in class

4. Nixing this one for now so this LIFE thing can do its thing and move out. I’m closing the Cave of Wow I haven’t seen this in years Closet door and pretending it’s not there this week.

How do you keep your goal train chugging down the track? How do you deal with being derailed? 

This post is also part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge for the letter M