Hi Everyone,
Well, I must say, this has been a whirlwind of a year. I've been a poor excuse for a writer in the last ten months, as I've had to put my malion series on hold. I did try several times to stay up late and work on Beyond the Borders, but moving, being between houses and seeing very little of my husband took a grand toll on my energy level. I also didn't have a "writing room", because my computer was set up temporarily in the middle of my kids playroom, which doesn't work. When I do write, I need a lot of quiet and time to concentrate (all part of my dyslexia and being unable to read or write with any sort of background noise). At the end of May, however, our house was finally ready to be lived in, and I gave myself a personal deadline of six weeks to get back to writing. June was also a very busy month for my children, as the majority of field trips and get-togethers happen at that time.
So what did I do in the last ten months that pertained to writing?
1. I plotted like crazy. I carried a notebook in my purse and solidified the plot for Beyond the Borders. Writing it will be so much easier now, because I know (at least I think I know) exactly what will happen from beginning to end.
2. I started a Twitter account and learned the beauty of connecting with so many people at one time. I have to say, I love Twitter. My favourite part is learning about up and coming books and people's new releases. It's such a treat all around.
3. I signed on with Friesen Press to self-publish my book. I learned last year that I needed some serious help, and they have been wonderful. I highly recommend them, by the way.
4. I entered Beneath the Surface in a few writing contests. The latest contest, "Southern Heat", from the East Texas Romance writers, earned BTS an "Honourable Mention". That was fantastic news. Even better was when the coordinator tweeted me and said that she thought I should have place higher. Wow! Love her for saying that. Let me tell you: I totally re-tweeted it!
Now this may not seem like a lot, but as a mom with two young children, life is busy. Without my husband around to help, and living in my parents house (God love them, they put up with the four of us for nine months!), something needed to be put on the back-burner. Unfortunately, it was my writing. However, I'm happy to say that we are finally settled, and I am taking the last six months of the year to draft Beyond the Borders. Beneath the Surface is almost ready for publication (we're down to the nitty-gritty details), and it won't require too much more of my time at night.
What I'd like to do, now that I'm back, officially, is write on my blog once a month. Any more than that and I'd been taking more time than I'd like away from my writing and family. Once a month, or every second month, I'll also be continuing "Scene Hunt Sunday", when time permits (I actually have one ready for you today, which I'll be posting next). I love to share the scenes my characters take me to, with you. It makes the story feel so much more real for me, and I really want you to have the same experience.
Stay tuned for my next post, I just need to upload the photos I took this past weekend from our camping trip onto my computer. I'm so excited to share it with you!
M.
Well, I must say, this has been a whirlwind of a year. I've been a poor excuse for a writer in the last ten months, as I've had to put my malion series on hold. I did try several times to stay up late and work on Beyond the Borders, but moving, being between houses and seeing very little of my husband took a grand toll on my energy level. I also didn't have a "writing room", because my computer was set up temporarily in the middle of my kids playroom, which doesn't work. When I do write, I need a lot of quiet and time to concentrate (all part of my dyslexia and being unable to read or write with any sort of background noise). At the end of May, however, our house was finally ready to be lived in, and I gave myself a personal deadline of six weeks to get back to writing. June was also a very busy month for my children, as the majority of field trips and get-togethers happen at that time.
So what did I do in the last ten months that pertained to writing?
1. I plotted like crazy. I carried a notebook in my purse and solidified the plot for Beyond the Borders. Writing it will be so much easier now, because I know (at least I think I know) exactly what will happen from beginning to end.
2. I started a Twitter account and learned the beauty of connecting with so many people at one time. I have to say, I love Twitter. My favourite part is learning about up and coming books and people's new releases. It's such a treat all around.
3. I signed on with Friesen Press to self-publish my book. I learned last year that I needed some serious help, and they have been wonderful. I highly recommend them, by the way.
4. I entered Beneath the Surface in a few writing contests. The latest contest, "Southern Heat", from the East Texas Romance writers, earned BTS an "Honourable Mention". That was fantastic news. Even better was when the coordinator tweeted me and said that she thought I should have place higher. Wow! Love her for saying that. Let me tell you: I totally re-tweeted it!
Now this may not seem like a lot, but as a mom with two young children, life is busy. Without my husband around to help, and living in my parents house (God love them, they put up with the four of us for nine months!), something needed to be put on the back-burner. Unfortunately, it was my writing. However, I'm happy to say that we are finally settled, and I am taking the last six months of the year to draft Beyond the Borders. Beneath the Surface is almost ready for publication (we're down to the nitty-gritty details), and it won't require too much more of my time at night.
What I'd like to do, now that I'm back, officially, is write on my blog once a month. Any more than that and I'd been taking more time than I'd like away from my writing and family. Once a month, or every second month, I'll also be continuing "Scene Hunt Sunday", when time permits (I actually have one ready for you today, which I'll be posting next). I love to share the scenes my characters take me to, with you. It makes the story feel so much more real for me, and I really want you to have the same experience.
Stay tuned for my next post, I just need to upload the photos I took this past weekend from our camping trip onto my computer. I'm so excited to share it with you!
M.
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