Is anything holding you back from your dreams? Is it time, organization, commitments, or is it you? Writing certainly takes time, those first drafts can take forever and then you have to add in time for edits, critiques, studying the craft, building your brand… Organization is most certainly helpful, there’s so much to keep track of, your character’s names, traits, passions…your plot points…grammar and formatting…edits… The list of things competing for your time is long. When the precious hour presents itself, are you taking advantage or do you occasionally let insecurity slip in unnoticed and steal the precious time away?

The benefit of never finishing is you haven’t given it your all and that’s your built in excuse for why you’re not published. I’m not published, but the book’s not finished. What will I say when I’m finished? Hmm, the insecurity bell is ringing a little too loud over here. Now that my schedule is back to the new normal, I’m finding old battles to fight once again.

How can I compete with my insecurity? Maybe it’s all in the perspective. Sure I want to get published, I want to share my stories with as many as I can. But what really drives me is the story. Until I finish, I won’t know how my story ends. Sure I know the general plot, but edits change things, they change motivations, decisions, experiences and that’s what I must know. I must know the whole story. I must move on to the next story.

Perspective, it’s my spoonful of sugar this week.

Do you have writing insecurities you battle? If you do, what helps you fight back?

The Goals – week-6 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. I made some progress on edits this week and it fueled the time I spent with just me and my characters.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done, again. A big portion of my week was spent getting organized on my new laptop. I love my new laptop, no more waiting for the machine to catch up with me. I feel like I’ve been given the gift of time. The organization needed to be done, but at times I felt like I was procrastinating from the real business at hand. I need to get these edits done so I can send the MS to betas. It’s time for another goal here to keep my eye on the prize, which is finishing. More on that next week. I did get through some simple line edits this week, but I have a much bigger task ahead of me. WEEK 7 PRIORITY.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent no time with Margie this week. I will consider this goal this week while I create my new goal. My edits need to make traction and so does this goal. WEEK 7 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Chop Cut. Chop the air with the edge, or “blade side,” of your hand. Keep your thumb and finger extended, and your wrist mobile, to support a powerful chopping action. Let gravity work for you. As you chop downward, imagine you are vanquishing something that is holding you back from achieving all you desire. Use emotion and sound to move closer to your dreams.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I can hardly believe it, I finished mapping another song!!! I have just one more song to map for the Sanjana routine.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. It was an easy week, just two meetings.
• Organize something in the house each week-  This week I accomplished two non-writing/non-Nia items. I finally cut back all my rose, raspberry, and evergreen bushes. We had some good weather this week and I totally took advantage. In addition, I made applesauce yesterday, yum. I should give myself extra credit in strength training too, I turned that food mill a billion times yesterday 🙂 Neither task was organizational, but they needed to get done and both took a good chunk of time.

I think I might have to use that Chop Cut on my insecurities. The last two sentences of the move’s description is going to give me back my power this week, that and me developing a new goal. I’m taking back control. Spoonful of sugar. Chop Cut.

Hope you all have a fabulous week

What you might have missed here this week: 

Flash Fiction #29 – The Light

I heard a term this week, fake busy. It got me thinking about the different stages in my life and what I might have mistakenly assumed was out of my control and how it changed me personally. If I look back at the times in my life where I was the most cranky, anxious, and unhappy, they’re also the busiest times in my life. We are all products of our environment, right? The truth for me is that I hate being busy. I need room to breath in my day. I need time to stretch my imagination and feel free. The busy bug puts a nasty kink into my creative well being.

I’ve learned a few things in the past couple months. First I could have delegated a few more things and I could have said no. You better believe the next time I’m placed in a similar situation, the pain of the last many weeks will rise, and I WILL SAY NO. Some lessons are hard to learn, while others are pounded in with a sledge hammer and will be impossible to forget.

The light at the end of the tunnel is glowing brighter. The new gal is back from vacation starting tomorrow and my evil day job schedule can finally get back to normal, well, my new normal.

The Goals – week-5 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. I didn’t make as much progress this week in my daily sessions, but I’m pleased that this goal is a part of my ingrained routine and at least my characters said hello.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done. I’ve received edits back from my CP and from the crit group. I’ve reviewed all the comments, but have not yet begun making changes. There are a couple areas I’m contemplating changing and I want to get a handle on them before I dig in. I need more of goal #1 for sure.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent no time with Margie this week. boo. WEEK 6 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Head and Eye Movements. Look in any direction with your eyes and then follow that direction with a move of your head. Use your eyes to seduce your head, through natural curiosity, into moving. To enhance relaxation, keep your lower jaw slightly open, and let the tip of your tongue press lightly into the roof of your mouth. Benefits: the practice reminds you to look where you go.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- Just yesterday I started charting out the next song in the routine. I didn’t make giant progress, but it’s something.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. This week I handled payroll, bills, monthly reporting, invoices, filed the tax return, and handled the change for a large event. This week will be easier, just a parent meeting.
• Organize something in the house each week-  I took a pass here this week. I had company in the house everyday this week. Everyday. And I still have company. My mom leaves tomorrow, the last in a long string. WEEK-6 PRIORITY.

My house was full of family this week and it was hard at times, but such a joy. My husband’s cousin is nursing her broken heart and doing fantastic. She’s in that point in her life where she wants to be single for some time and figure out exactly what she wants. Once she starts dating again she will stand her ground and not forget about who she is. I’m pretty happy and excited for her. The little jerk may have hurt her, but she will come back stronger and in a better place.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

What you might have missed here this week:

Cover Reveal: Mystically Bound by Stacey Kennedy
Spotlight: Hear Me by Skye Warren

Waiting for your schedule to calm down and return to “normal” can feel like running around a hamster wheel. After one more attempt I’ve driven this thought home: my new normal just won’t fit back into the box.

So, now what?

Getting angry and stomping my feet will get me absolutely no where, except burn a few calories. It’s time to let go of what once was. Wait, but it was so nice and pretty. Okay, one more second to mourn…that’s enough. I must move on and make this work. It’s time to either accept the pace of my week or make changes to the few things left under my discretion.

I had a pretty good evil day job week, back to the hours I signed up for. My week should have slipped right back into the normal routine, right? Wrong. My youngest turned three at the end of August. I’ve been waiting to give him his big boy room until I had a moment to breathe. So instead of enjoying a week with some extra room, I filled it to the brim with last minute details, painting, sorting, hanging…and the big reveal. The results are spectacular and somehow fit into our budget, even better. My little guy likes robots. The silver lamp you see was my childhood lamp. Up until a couple days ago it was an adorable baby room yellow with delicate white striping. Don’t tell my mom, she doesn’t know yet.

The Goals – week-4 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. This week started with plotting and ended with a battle won round of edits. More huge steps on the critique partner front. I think I might have found the golden egg. The partner that has the skills you need/vice versa and in your genre. She’s a writer I’ve been enjoying too, which is nice. Plus, she’s very active, which is huge. So often things don’t work out, because one or both are not on the same path. Fingers crossed. I hope to send her back my crit of her MS tonight and last night I sent her mine.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent a few hours with Margie yesterday. Love her packets.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Spinal Roll: stand in “A” stance, inhale deeply, look up, sense the front of your body lengthening and opening. Use your hands as support and slide them down your legs. Sink until you reach the point your body says, “enough.” Exhale and look toward the earth, round up, push your feet into the floor and walk your hands back up your legs until you return to a standing posture.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- no progress. This task is falling down the hole again this round. Mostly due to my work schedule and apparently it’s prioritized after my writing, which I find very interesting. BUT I do want to study, practice, and teach Nia…I need to find time for this goal in the New Normal. WEEK-5 PRIORITY
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Huge deposits made this week. I could have done more, but I accomplished plenty, which means I have loads to do this coming week. yeah.
• Organize something in the house each week-  done. In preparation for the big boy room change, I needed to to go through my oldest’s closet. A couple weeks ago I pulled out all the clothes he can no longer wear, or so I thought. I’ve found more! I also sorted through my old suits, which I had hanging in his closet. At the end of the review I had more clothes in storage waiting for my youngest, a bag for donation, and a large stack ready for consignment. The organization continued big time as the change in our youngest’s room went into full swing. Glad that is done, but there is still more to do. Including selling all the baby room things. Anyone need a crib set, including valances and hamper in a yellow and green frog/pond theme 🙂

I hope everyone has a great week. I’ll be attempting to change things up this week, which is a must. Later today my hubs cousin from CA is coming to stay with us for two days. Her  boyfriend dumped her cruelly and she’s a little brokenhearted. I’m going to do my part, strong hugs, good coffee, and Nia. She loves Nia.

Be sure to come back this week. I’m super excited to be sharing with you two books I’m totally geeked about. Until then…

What you might have missed here this week:

Review: Wicked Allure by Leslie C. Ferdinand
Spotlight: Anna Doubles Down by Missy Martine
Flash Fiction #28 – Release the Tension

This week I wandered back into my semi-normal schedule. What’s normal for each of us is always changing though, right? Normal for me isn’t what it used to look like, maybe because I’m not quiet back there yet. But, if I try and force my life back into the tight space it used to be I’m bound to find trouble. My mission has now become finding the new normal. Flexibility is important not just physically, but mentally too.

Speaking of changes, what do you think of my new theme? My little blog turns one tomorrow, so I thought I’d start year two off with a little change. Flexibility and change. I will use that theme and stay fresh, alert, and move my new normal right on into the future.

The Goals – week-3 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. Last Sunday I stated this goal needed to be a priority and boy did I ever. I found the foundation for the second half of a story I’m building, so much fun. AND I joined two critique groups. I even shared my first submission and critique with one of the groups. That is huge progress for me.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent no time with Margie this week. WEEK-4 PRIORITY
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Undulation: standing in Open Stance, wave the spine- from top to bottom and then bottom to top. Sense the spaces between your vertebrae. The mental focus will help release chi that may be blocked in the spine. Practice in all stances.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- no progress WEEK-4 PRIORITY
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Tuition was due this week, busy times.
• Organize something in the house each week-  done. This week I did make my appointment at the resale shop, so those four-large boxes are out of the house. Yeah! I also organized one junk drawer. It’s a little drawer, but I did it. I need to make a habit of this, I have a bunch of junk drawers.

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight: The Witch’s Dream By Victoria Danann