Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Halloween Fun has ended and it's time to get back to work - IT'S NANOWRIMO TIME!


 

It's NANOWRIMO time!

I hope you've decided to sign up for the annual November self-challenge. Write 50,000 words in a month.

It's not easy, but writers all over the world will be writing their hearts out all month long. 

Even if we don't manage to write 50,000 words before the last day of November, we will have more written than maybe we wouldn't otherwise. So why not give it a try. The challenge begins today!

This is my 3rd time. On my first try many years ago, I was successful.

                                  On my second try, I wasn't.

                                  We'll see how this year goes. I have high hopes.

I wish everyone who registered the best of luck! And a big hug to everyone participating.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime,

Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Keep Updating your craft. Like all things change, so do the rules of craft.

Hello Fellow Writers 😎

Studying the craft of writing is an important aspect of being an author.

Writing is the fun part and attending workshops can be too. It's great learning from professionals. In  person or online, I enjoy the different topics and personalities of the presenters.

Last month I attended the August 2023 Writing Romance Mastery Summit, hosted by Paula Judith Johnson. It was amazing! And to make it even more amazing is the fact that this five day Summit was offered free with the option to purchase the event. By the end of day four, my hand was cramping from taking 67 pages of notes and I still had another day of workshops to attend! At this point, I knew I had to purchase the entire summit. So, I did. Here's how it worked:

There were 30+ different workshops offered over a 5 day period. Attendance was free of charge so long as you registered for the Summit. If for any reason attendees missed a day, we had 48 hours to view the recordings free of cost. At any point during the summit, attendees were offered the opportunity to purchase the workshops which included MP3 versions as well. If you purchased the summit at the time of registration, the complete summit cost $67. During the 5 days, you could purchase the complete summit for an additional $30. and after the summit the cost went up a bit more. But of these 3 price tiers, it was still an incredible value. Have you checked out the prices of single classes and workshops being offered out there? Some are very expensive and I know we all don't have unlimited education budgets.

Along with the workshops, many presenters offered free gifts to further help writers. Some gifts were for all attendees and some additional gifts were offered to those who purchased the premium package.


The information shared by the presenters was current and invaluable. You may be asking yourself, why are the presenters doing this for free? There are professionals who believe it is a wonderful thing to give back to the writing community. Also, this is an opportunity for the presenters to offer their professional services such as editing, ghostwriting, coaching, etc. And why wouldn't they? Don't think of this as a negative. After all, if I am in the market for an editor or an agent for instance, wouldn't it be beneficial to have some knowledge of this person rather than searching the internet blindly? 

I'd like to send out a Huge Thanks to everyone involved! Writers Helping Writers is a beautiful gift of their time and expertise. 

Another big tip to writers, If a free workshop or podcast is described as being in a genre that you do not write in, please don't count it out. I have found that there are so many good tips shared in most every podcast that applies to writers of all genres. This was certainly the case with this Romance Summit. There were great workshops on How to Write a Query Letter, How to Market for Amazon, How to tackle Writers Block, and much more.

When you finish a workshop, podcast, or find a blog post that lights a fire in you, "follow" that presenter. Check out their social media pages. More than likely, they'll have more great information to share with you.

I'm sure you can tell how much I enjoyed this workshop and for less than $100. I'll be able to enjoy the information for a lifetime.

Keep Writing, Keep Smiling, and Keep Submitting!   

 

Friday, August 18, 2023

Finding the time to write when life gets busy

 What do you do when unexpected company shows up for a week long visit? Doctors appointments, scheduled car maintenance, and family obligations, are swallowing up your days. You promise yourself that you'll squeeze in a couple of hours of writing when the lights go out and the world is asleep. Unfortunately, while you're waiting for the laptop to fire up, you realize you're just too tired to write. Tomorrow is another day.

Tomorrow, the sun set and you were just as busy as yesterday? 

There are plenty of blog posts and websites with suggestions on how to find a bit of time in your busy day to write. Not all will work for everyone. However, it's well-worth looking at some of the advice. If even one suggestion resonates and opens up a little bit of writing time, it's worth a try.

Vicki Millar from NZ is a multi-talented woman. Vicki shares ways to gain writing time on her Facebook page. Look her up to read many more tips.

Here's a good one from Vicki. Set time limits for tasks. If you give yourself only one hour to clean the house, you'll move faster and finish sooner. What may have taken longer last week, may take much less time to finish when on a time limit. This one works for me. I never thought to use it to free up writing time. I've done it for other reasons. Like when I wanted to get a snack during a commercial. It's funny how quickly we can make up a snack tray during commercials! πŸ˜€ Why not speed up for writing time.

Vicki advises staying focused. Don't get side-tracked. I need to be thoughtful on this issue with so many things in my life volleying for attention.

Vicki suggests investing a little money to save time. For example: try online grocery shopping and or pay a little money for the groceries to be delivered. Brilliant! I spend at least an hour or two when I shop for the family. Never thought to take those two hours and sit down at my laptop and write. πŸ˜ƒ


One way that I have stolen some writing time is taking my laptop with me when I go to doctor appointments. I am transportation for some people who cannot drive. Doctors are getting busier and busier causing wait times to be longer and longer. While I'm sitting in waiting rooms, I now open my laptop and write or do research for a writing project. I'm amazed by how much time I've taken back.

Self-care is no longer a simple pleasure. It's become a necessity. Writing brings me joy. When I'm imagining and creating, I escape the demands of real life. When I close my laptop I feel happy and fulfilled. Writing is my favorite self-care activity. If writing brings you joy too, then carry on and take care of yourself.

Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling!

  

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL ROCKS!

 I am excited to say another one of my little stories has been chosen to be in 

             Chicken Soup for the Soul: Well That Was Funny. My story is titled Stuck!

It is available now in retail stores, Amazon, and the other online book sellers. I hope you'll buy copies to share with anyone who needs a lift.

I love gifting them to doctors and their staff, patients, first responders, family, and friends. Enjoy!




Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling!

KEEP Writing and submitting! You never know what will happen ...

  Like this great surprise! 

Remember the Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice that Changed My Life, well, I received an email from the team. It said,

               "We are excited to let you know your story Assertive vs. Aggressive, which appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice that Changed My Life will be featured on the Chicken Soup for the Soul podcast.

I am so excited and thrilled that little story was chosen.

The title of the podcast appears as Great Advice for the Workplace and Beyond. If you want to check it out on May 19, 2023 and indefinitely after, go to "The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast with Amy Newmark". It is available free, with three new episodes each week. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I love being a part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Family!


   Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling!

Friday, March 31, 2023

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice that Changed my Life

 


I am thrilled to announce this book officially went on sale March 2023. 
My contribution is titled Assertive vs Aggressive.

It is wonderful being welcomed into the Chicken Soup for the Soul family. All of the contributors in this book were invited to a ZOOM party. 30+ writers from all across these great United States and Canada had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful Amy Newmark, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, D'ette Corona, VP Associate Publisher, Shelby Janner, Chief Publicity Officer Zilker Media, Barbara LoMonaco, book distribution, Maureen Peltier, head of marketing, and the rest of the staff who turn these book ideas into reality.
This was my second invitation to attend a Contributors Zoom party. It is such a treat to put faces to the names we see at the end of each great story. Thank you, Chicken Soup for the Soul!

There are new books in production all year round. I would love to hear that you've decided to write a story for CSS and took the leap and submit. To learn more about CSS and the submission guidelines visit www.chickensoup.com

Chicken Soup for the Soul books are available in retail stores like Books-a-Million, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, etc. They are available online where books are sold. 

Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling!

Moving Past the Tough Times

 Hello and thank you for stopping to read my post. The end of 2022 and the first few months of 2023 have been tough. Serious health issues hit every member of my household beginning with the holiday season of 2022. We are only now getting back to normal. I'm BLESSED to say we are all getting stronger and healthier with each passing week. Thank you to everyone who graced us with prayers. I believe in the power of prayer and I know they've been heard.

I know it's late coming, but I'd like to use this blog post to say I hope everyone had a wonderful 2022 Holiday Season πŸŽ…filled with joy. 

Happy New Year too! πŸŽ‰ I hope 2023 is your BEST year yet.

Happy belated Valentine's DayπŸ’– I hope the romance continues to embrace you.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! πŸ€May the luck of the Irish be with you all year long.

I think I'm caught up now.

Keep Writing, Keep Submitting, and Keep Smiling!