Do you ever find yourself having a difficult time staying on task? Do you get overwhelmed by all the to-do’s on your list? Do you ever second guess the processes you use or even the planner you use?
You are not alone!
I struggle with all of these. But I’ve found that in amongst the chaos, I seem to be making progress (see last month’s post – Reflecting on your Accomplishments), and I hope to provide encouragement and inspiration to help you keep working toward your goals and dreams for 2020.
Start over with new goals. Pick a new word. Word harder. Or differently. Or more. Or less. I love getting a chance to open a new calendar and a new planner and start over. But sometimes I wonder if the planner I’ve chosen is the one I should be using. Anyone else do that?
I never realized I was such a commitmentphobe with planners until recently. See, I tended to second guess my choices every time I saw a new one or someone else using a different one (I had done this with writing processes too). I’ve had to have a major talk with myself. And accept the fact that there are TOO MANY choices out there and no one can use all of them. I have to just pick one and then dive in and use it.
I also see a big theme in planners for setting routines. Track this. Track that. Be consistent. Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I agree. They are important. They help immensely. They are what help us accomplish all we want to accomplish. And for the most part, I’m all for them. I do like routines, but I hate the confines of them too.
See, sometimes I struggle with the little person inside of me that screams “i don’t wanna!”
I am a dependable worker. I meet deadlines, stay committed to tasks, and follow through. But I have a little rebellious streak in me that gets frustrated with following specific formulas. I tend to want to create my own. Do it my way. Then I end up frustrated with the results. And not just with planners. I find I do this with my writing habits too.
First, I realize that some of this is that I’m human. Some of it is my own version of saving funds (don’t want to waste money on something I’m not sure I will use), as well as wanting the perfect set-up, the perfect amount of time to work on it, and the perfect way of using it throughout the year.
But as I’m writing this, I realize we only know what we know at the time we are taking action. And as our knowledge grows, our needs change or how we do things will change. We need to be adaptable. Waiting for the perfect moment is the opposite.
As I grow in wisdom over the years (aka age), I find I don’t care about everything being perfect as I once did, I want to accomplish much in my lifetime, and I want to be purposeful in what I do (purposeful was my word in 2019 and it was a great word). I’m tired of waiting.
Now, I try to just jump in where I am and work with what I got. Progress is progress. I can always change things later. In some ways, this is a process. It’s the one I’m currently using. I won’t be married to the process for fifty years or maybe I still will, all that matters is right now. It’s a very freeing thought. One I am constantly still trying to adapt to.
So, if you are struggling with staying on task, routine, and/or schedule, here are some suggestions to help you get over that hurdle daily so you can meet your goals.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful. I’m no expert. I’m in the middle of all this just like everyone else. But taking some time to learn about myself and why I do certain things and find out what I need to motivate and keep me focused, has helped me stay on task, which ultimately keeps me moving forward with my writing projects.
Blessings,
Denise
I’ve been underwater this month and during the holidays… writer-speaking… inundated with copy edits, proofreading, etc. on my upcoming Titanic book and trying to write a new World War 2 time travel set in Paris… so like Alice, I’m scrambling to get to the party on time…
Not easy for this So Cal gal who’s been living on London time since my publisher is the fabulous BOLDWOOD BOOKS headquartered there. I’m never sure what day it is.
A short post this month to let you know my Titanic love story, THE RUNAWAY GIRL, is on schedule for a March 17 pub date.
Two women hold the keys to his heart.
Only one will survive that fateful night…
A sweeping historical romance set aboard the Titanic, from the author of Christmas Once Again.’
More as we get closer to March, but I’ll be starting Titanic Tuesdays on my blog ONCE UPON A STORY –– this week January 14th with Titanic and the Loo and a lord in a tub.
See you soon on the ship of dreams!
I know that New Year’s is barely over, but I’m already looking forward to Valentine’s. I walk through craft stores, department stores…even the grocery store, and love the red and pink lined aisles. I love the paper doilies, heart shaped boxes of chocolates (especially See’s Chocolates), and sentimental cards. I love planning a romantic evening, what I’ll wear, where we’ll go. Even after thirty years of marriage, Valentine’s is an important holiday to both me and Hunky Hubby. Yes, my gearhead, construction worker, sports loving husband, is a romantic.
So, this year in The Charmed Connection, our Charmed Writers Facebook reader group, we’re having a special celebration. We’re celebrating from February 1st through 16th with romance interviews from some of our very owned Charmed Writers.
Would you like to find out what authors find to be romantic? What would an author consider a romantic Valentine’s date? What would be on the menu? Who would be sitting on the other side of the table? How would the evening end? (This is on facebook, so it’ll have to be PG, LOL)
We have some wonderful authors participating in this event, and we hope you’ll join us!
And on Valentine’s Day I have a new book releasing, #SilverBracelets is Book 2 in my #HermosafortheHoliday series. Book 1, #PleaseSayYes is a Valentine’s story. If you haven’t read it, I hope you’ll check it out (in fact, if you email me at tarilynnjewett@gmail.com, I have 10 free ecopies to give away this month).
Book 2 begins the day after Valentine’s, and ends on St. Patrick’s Day. #SilverBracelets is available for preorder right now on Amazon for 99 cents. This price will go up after the book releases next month.
I hope you’ll join us in The Charmed Connection. Charmed Writers is made up of over 130 authors from NY Times and USAToday best-selling authors to new authors just beginning their journey. We work together, learn from each other, support each other…and share the results with you.
The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG), founded in 2006, is a community of mutually supportive, fiction and nonfiction authors based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members are as different from each other as their stories, spanning a range of genres including: children’s, fantasy, humor, inspiration, literary, memoir, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, women’s fiction, and young adult.
BWG has published five anthologies. Each anthology has an overall theme—broadly interpreted—but includes a variety of genres, and all but the first anthology include stories from the winner(s) of The Bethlehem Writers Short Story Award. Their first anthology, A Christmas Sampler: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales (2009), won two Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Best Anthology and Best Short Fiction.
Besides anthologies and yearly writing contests, the group publishes a quarterly literary journal, The Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and hosts twice monthly writing workshops and a critique groups for local members. You can see the schedule of BWG meetings and events, including author signings here.
BWG members Carol L. Wright and A. E. Decker were interview for The WriteNow! Workshop podcast with Kitty Bucholtz.
Carol and A.E. share their wisdom and experiences in creating an online literary magazine. They explain how it all started, some of the mistakes made along the way, and how they found their groove.
In addition to the quarterly literary magazine, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable (a paying market!), the group also publishes an anthology of short stories every other year. Early each year they host a contest based on the theme of the anthology. The annual winners are published in the anthology, and the runners-up are published in the online magazine. A celebrity judge chooses the best story. In 2019, John Grogan, author of Marley and Me, was the final judge. In 2020, Spencer Quinn/Peter Abrahams, author of the Chet & Bernie Mysteries, will be the celebrity judge.
More information on the contest can be found just below the video.
BWG is working on their sixth anthology, Fur, Feathers, & Scales: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales.
In connection with this anthology, they are hosting The Bethlehem Writers 2020 Short Story Award.
The 2020 Short Story Award opened on January 1, 2020. The theme will be Animal Stories, broadly interpreted. Stories of 2,000 words or fewer about WILD ANIMALS, PETS, or IMAGINARY BEASTS will be welcome (so long as an animal is an important character or element of the story).
The winner will receive $200 and may be offered publication in the above mentioned upcoming anthology. The 2020 Guest Judge is Edgar Award winning and NYT best-selling author Peter Abrahams/Spenser Quinn.
I know it’s the sixth of the month and you’re probably tired of hearing Happy New Year, but it is my first post here on A Slice of Orange for 2020. I could also say Happy New Decade, although I know that the new decade probably starts in 2021 instead, but I like the idea of 2020 being the new beginning.
So what’s up this year? For me, I’ll have at least one more Harlequin Romantic Suspense book, Colton First Responder, published in February. I’m working on two more HRS books but I don’t know when their publication dates will be. And so far, I don’t have any more cozy mysteries in the hopper, after the demise of my most recent publisher, Midnight Ink, but I do have some ideas I’m working on.
Last year, I attended four or five writing conferences. This year? I’m not sure how many I’ll attend–but the possibility exists of none. Sigh. I enjoy them but two of those I went to last year that are local are held every other year. Others? Well, I might jump in but there are reasons I may not–such as I may not attend Malice Domestic since I’m not currently writing a cozy mystery, nor do I have any recent ones to promote. Maybe the Romance Writers of America, though.
So how about you? What are you up to this year? More writing? More reading? More traveling or attending conferences? More enjoyable things?
Have fun no matter what you do!
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Heat up the holiday with ten dreamy regency rogues!
More info →Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra finds refuge from his difficult childhood by imagining the adventures of a brave but clumsy knight.
More info →Hawk McBride and Randi Ronin could never have expected their chance encounter would be the beginning of the rest of their lives.
More info →As if Olivia Merriman doesn’t have enough to do in her beloved town of New Moon Beach, now her grouchy great-grandmother has recruited her to head up their coven of witches; her sisters are miffed, the coven is pushing her to accept the job, and to top it all off an evil wizard is messing with her love life.
More info →A Slice of Orange is an affiliate with some of the booksellers listed on this website, including Barnes & Nobel, Books A Million, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords. This means A Slice of Orange may earn a small advertising fee from sales made through the links used on this website. There are reminders of these affiliate links on the pages for individual books.
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