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?

Word Witch Wednesday - reviewing 2017's goals and looking to 2018

It's that wonderful time of the year where we sit down with holiday treats and make plans for next year. I'm sharing my cookies, if you'd like one.

2017 Goals

1. Write and published the TOTEM books. Done! A nine novella series. Yikes! I had a lot of fun with it, but I don't think I'll take on a series as long as that again. Trilogies sound perfect in my mind right now.

2. Self-publish the nine books I had with my publisher. I did that at the beginning of the year. Will I be writing more in the erotic romance genre? I don't know. I might if I'm in the mood for something light and funny.

3. Write the first drafts of the second two books in the Of Blood and Sorrow trilogy. I didn't do this one. My feet have been dragging these past few months. I will finish one before the holidays. I'm right at the big climax, but I won't start on the final one until January.

4. Read and review 100 books. I'm right on track with 93. Only 7 more to go!

5. Write and submit six short stories. Done. I'm constantly learning and improving. I wrote a lot of speculative fiction this year.

6. Study and try various marketing techniques. Ugh. This was my big time suck this year. I lost a lot of writing time to trying to figure out how to market my work. The only lesson I learned that will work: write more books.

7. Improve my writing speed and focus. I started the year off well with word sprints, but it got lost under my worrying about marketing.

2018 Goals

1. Write and release the second two books in the Of Blood and Sorrow trilogy. I haven't set release dates yet for my own sanity.

2. Read and review 100 books. This is a good number for me. I will try to do it every year for the rest of my life.

3. Write and submit ten short stories. I'm upping the number for this coming year. I can do a flash piece in an afternoon. It will be a nice break from the dark world of my trilogy when I need it.

4. Write more, market less. This year, I only wrote in the afternoons... if I had any time left. Next year, I'm making time in the morning and afternoon. Marketing will be scheduled for very limited times. Hopefully that will decrease my anxiety over it.

5. Take up the word sprints again and increase my writing speed. I'm hoping I'll write more with less marketing anxiety to weigh me down.

6. Work on new project. I have several written down I want to write. I'm not going to name one right now, because I might come up with something new and want to work on it! I'll go with what I'm feeling passionate for in that moment.

Did you meet your goals this year? What are yours for next year?

I'll be back on Christmas Day with a special surprise!

Happy 2016!

Books read in 2012

The number surprised me too. I know I'm a fast reader, but I didn't think this fast! That's just over ten books a month. This doesn't include any short stories or novels I've beta read or critiqued.

I'm not going to set a goal for next year, but I'd still like to read 100 books. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me now. Most of these books were print copies. I rarely get the chance to use my Nook or sit at the computer to read. I'd love to be able to read more ebooks, but it's difficult with a toddler who loves gadgets. Maybe when he's a bit older and doesn't have to have every toy Mommy is playing with.

How many books did you read this year? Are you fast or slow reader?

Surviving Monday

Sometimes the week just looms over you and you can't see the light in its dark shadow. Monday can seem like a very long day. It's important to keep the madness at bay. Well, as writers, we need to be a little bit crazy, but we can't let the darkness overwhelm us. Here's a few tips to keep your writing focus and sanity.

1. Write every day. Even if it's just a blog post or a letter. Write something. One small productive thing is still doing something productive.
2. Don't compare yourself to others. No one has the same path. None of us have the same style. Some of us thrive in critique groups while others do not. Discover your strengths and work with them.
3. Read. Read authors you love and read out of your genre. Read for fun and read for research.
4. Connect. There's a wonderful writing community out there. You're not alone. Reach out and make connections. They'll help extinguish the Monday blahs.

Don't forget my Learn Your Craft Giveaway! There's still a few days left to enter.