On hiatus until September

I've been having a rough time of it health-wise lately, and so in an effort to be kinder to myself, I'm taking the rest of August off. I'm going to allow myself to binge watch some Netflix instead of stress out over marketing and being so far behind on everything.

I hope everything is well with you. Enjoy the rest of August and I'll see you in September for the IWSG.

Word Witch Wednesday - getting back into the writing groove

School's back in, and the house is quiet. Time to start writing!

... soon. After I finish painting the kitchen cupboards. Boy, that floor needs to be washed. Perhaps I should attend to my neglected garden. Oh, look! A new Deadpool musical on YouTube. I bet I don't need to tell you that's NSFW!

It's tough getting back into the writing groove. I had a busy summer away from the computer, and just putting my butt in the chair isn't working. So how do I reignite my fire?

After spending way too much time reading articles about this, here are five of my favorite suggestions:

1. Rid yourself of the guilt. I have so much I need to do, and I'm immensely behind schedule. But it is a schedule I set for myself. There is no deadline I have to meet except the now clearly unreasonable ones in my head. It's okay. Time to reset my goals. Time to be kinder to myself.

2. Clear out all the things that are drawing you away from writing. Do those chores, turn off the TV and internet, make sure you have a chunk of time when no one is interrupting you.

3. Read, read, and read some more. Stories inspire me. Reading always gets my juices flowing. Even if it isn't about my book particularly, I'll happily travel to other worlds and play with the possibilities there. Those can then help lead to story ideas for my own work.

4. If you can't get into the story via your word processor, get into it in another way. Look up inspirational images on Pinterest, research your protagonist's job, browse possible book covers, or do silly character interviews. Get that fire burning with other types of fuel.

5. Writing is a habit, and it will take some time to get back into it again. Last school year, I had a schedule. I was ready to write by the time the afternoon rolled around because my mind and body knew that's when it happened. Even if I don't write the new story, just sitting down at that particular time and working on old stories or writing blog posts about getting back into the groove *winkwink* will help.

How do you get back into the writing groove?

Three geeky freebies!

The first day of school is in five days. I'm super excited. I finally get back my writing time!

This weekend is also one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world, Gen Con. Have you ever been to a huge convention? It's a phenomenal experience. So much to do!

I won't get a chance to go this year, but at least I'll get to play with my gaming group next Friday. It's one of the highlights of my week to be creative, scheme, and laugh with friends.

In celebration of geeks everywhere, my hilarious and steamy trilogy, Dice & Debauchery is free for five days!

Loose Corset (Book #1)

Layers of Lace (Book #2)

Masked Kiss (Book #3)

#IWSG for August 2018

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

This month's awesome co-hosts are: Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover,Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery!

This month's optional question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

Don't publish your story until it's ready. You'll want to get it out there as quick as you can and share it with the world. But don't. Make sure you have an editor, critique partners, and beta readers. Revise, revise, and revise again. I've seen too many authors put out their books before they've been polished, and readers do notice. Sometimes we feel the stories are never ready, but that is another lesson on learning to overcome the fear and letting go.

My insecurities: I blinked and summer break is gone. My son goes back to school next week. I'm eager to get back into my regular writing schedule, but I see everything I want to do looming before me. One thing at a time, I tell myself, but sometimes the shadows make everything look like too much.

Take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

We're insecure writers. We can do anything... right? Maybe?