A Lighthouse in the Sea of Delay and Uncertainty

My third year of writing full-time turned out to be one of delay and uncertainty. Mired by health issues, the year dragged and did not bring me much closer to making a living via writing. Yet one long-awaited surgery and recovery time later, I am thrilled to be well and writing full-time again.

The inability to write the way I wanted, in the time I wanted, or to meet the production goals I intended weighed heavily into weeks that dragged into months, then to a year and beyond.

Day in and day out, an inability to concentrate led to a great deal of frustration and disappointment in myself. Finally, after caringly listening to my whinefest, a dear friend asked, "You're doing the best you can, right?" When I answered a tearful yes, she assured me, "Then that's all you can do." Then she graciously promised that in due time, I would be back to doing what I truly loved.

And months later, once again, I am gratefully able to focus, create, and write. (Thank you for your caring, friend!)

Though I feel as if I am back to square one, I am taking one day at a time and setting goals for that day. If Tuesday doesn't go well writing-wise, then I'm back at it with a fresh outlook on Wednesday. So beginning anew, for my writing-for-a-living writing goal and with each day as it opens before me, serves as my lighthouse and my gateway to making a living through writing books.

So far, my new YA series is in progress, and I am also developing a second brand for a second pseudonym for adult fiction.

And you know what? With feeling better and physically being able to do what I need to and want to do, I have discovered the fun in writing again. The turn of a phrase, a dialogue twist I didn't expect, or a character and setting coming alive on the page makes me smile and fills my heart.

I am grateful and blessed that I am well and able to do what I truly love... And have fun with it along the way.

After all, isn't that what life's really about?

I wish I may... I wrote a book!

A small-town, grade-school library gifted me with access to Old Yeller, Black Beauty, and Beautiful Joe. All I wanted to do was read... and from that enjoyment came the desire to write... If only I might be a storyteller and write books.

While lightning bugs brought stars to earth, as a little girl, I stood outside, and wished with every bit of me, as I whispered into the night: 

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight.
Please, let me learn to write a book.
Let me tell stories and bring those stories to life.

As far as back as I can remember, that's all I've ever wanted to do. Write books.

After working jobs most of my adult life that required extensive overtime, with some writing eked out along the way, jumping into writing full-time, while taking writing craft classes on line, was one exciting, scary, hot mess.

I fumbled and stumbled my way through one book, which turned out to be the skeleton of a five-book series. The series, a story of fantasy and adventure, turned out better than I had hoped. The story is fact-paced, with lots of twists and turns to entertain and fun characters that will touch a reader's heart.

Since I intend to write in other genres as well, I wanted to write under a name specifically set aside for Young Adult fiction.

Also, I have an adult fiction venture planned as well.

2015. Exciting times!

Writing Full-Time Journey. So far...

Two years ago this month, I left my mega-demanding, time-suck job to write full time. What a curious, intriguing journey this has been.

In the first few few months (June, July, and August 2012), I drafted a developmentally flawed version of the first series book. The book contained too many character POVs; a lack of clear goals over the arc of the first book; a need for more action and showing, not telling; and too low stakes for the characters and the story. (Thank you, Cathy Yardley for your game-changing feedback!)

So, in October and November 2012, I redrafted a tighter, more cohesive version of Book #1. December 2102 into February 2012 for Book #2, then on to Book #3 through March 2012. Book #4's draft extended through April, with May and June 2012 for the drafting of Book #5.

Because I lightning drafted (ultra fast drafting, a process I would definitely NOT recommend), the next year (June 2013 until present) was spent fleshing out, pacing, and polishing all five books. (Not lightning drafting, I wrote a 1/4 of a book in another genre in April 2014 in 10 days, so an actual solid, fleshed-out draft can be created in less time than it takes to perform the extensive revisions required by the fast draft technique.)

In the meantime, I had a fairly serious health issue arise in October 2012, and even with lots of doctors visits and treatments, natural medicine alternatives, etc., the situation did not resolve until June 2014 (boy, am I grateful that it did!).

So, overall, despite health issues that slowed me down for a year and a half of that time, the timing of the books completion, from start to finish (minus the first three months I was off track with the first first draft), totals out to 4-1/2 months per book. [Approximately 2 to months or so to draft, and 2+ months for the revision. (Thanks, Kat Duncan, for your continued coaching and mentorship.)]

For now, my goals moving forward, for 2014 & 2015 include:

• 5-Book Series published this fall.
• Trilogy (another genre) published in late winter.
• 2nd Series in first genre started.
• 2nd Trilogy in second genre started.

Yep, because of the brain fog, fatigue, and the amount of muscle and joint pain I suffered, the last two years have been a challenge.

Would I do it again? I would and will (without the health symptoms, please).

Why wouldn't I?

I had worked excessive hours and made a great deal of money for the company, while getting paid very little and being appreciated even less, so now I'm working myself. There's something about working long hours for myself, that encourages,

Will it work out? I'm writing and I have my business plan. And I'm writing. One book at a time.

Today, I am continuing on to reach my goals.

Year three of writing books for a living should quite productive and major interesting.

SMART and Realistic Goals

For 2012 and 2013, I tended to overreach with setting writing goals, especially considering the ongoing health issue I battled. For 2014, since my main goal is to learn to gauge and set realistic goals for my writing and publishing venture, I am turning to SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Recorded, Timely) goal setting practices. 

Specific:

• Who: Me, myself, and I, plus a coach/mentor, editor, and final proofreader
• What: Publish entire Series #1, Launch Series #2, Launch Series #3
• Where: In front of a computer, with a pen for markup, or on Neo
• When: January thru May or June, publish one book in Series #1 per month,
  Launch Series 2 in late spring, early summer,
  Launch Series #3 in summer/fall time-frame
• Which: Requires daily goal setting and sitting butt in chair and writing/revising, also requires focus and concentration), with limited internet interaction
• Why: Life-long goal, Beginning of building a backlist to be able to write books as a living

Measurable:

• Units of Measurement: Completed chapters, books, tasks, stages

Attainable:

• Day-by-day production schedule and accomplishments

Recordable:

• Track stages, task completion, chapters completed, etc.

Timely:

• Realistic estimates, plus additional time added as a buffer, such as:
  - Complete of workshops in formatting and promotion through January into mid-February
  - Revise Book #2 in January
  - Contact e-distribution company in January
  - Publish to CreateSpace in February
• Set Project completion goals and break down into Monthly, Weekly, Daily goals:
  - Forward Book#2 for final read-through, 1st week of January
  - Format Book #2 in editable format, 1st week of January
  - Revise 1 Chapter per day, 2nd week of January
  - Gauge pace of revision at week's end, end of 2nd week of January
  - Schedule tasks for next week, end of 2nd week of January
• Today
  - Listen to Chapters 26 thru 29 via Dragon NaturallySpeaks
  - Polish Chapters 26 thru 29
• Tomorrow
  - Listen to and Polish Chapters 30 thru 32
• Next Day
  - Listen to and Polish Chapters 33 & 35

Okay, in reviewing, all current goals look realistic and reasonable. At the end of each day, I will evaluate where I stand, then at the end of each week, to step out the task steps for the following week. Reasonable, possible, doable.

May 2014 be prolific, positive, and real.

Balance in a Topsy-Turvy Writing World

This past week, I  learned that I can edit and pace up to five (5) chapters per day. *IF* I don't take time to shower or cook and limit bathroom breaks. Never mind the shoulder muscle aches and the headache, or the throbbing wrists and blurred vision. Or that nothing else gets done. "Really, Alexa," I ask, "what kind of life is that?"

 "Nope," Alexa says. "That's no life at all."

In this busy, busy day-to-day world, I have been experimenting and learning about REALISTIC goal setting.

Sure, I can edit and pace five (5) chapters per day, but, really, if that pace causes physical effects, burn out, and exhaustion, is that any way to write?

I used to work. A LOT. Days, nights, weekends, holidays. During one holiday season, I worked 90 hours the week of Thanksgiving. I had no life. I was so exhausted that, although I tend to be positive and enthusiastic, I no longer enjoyed the life I was living. Er, not living my life, since all I did was work.


This past week was one doing and stepping back to observe as I have been doing. Now I know what I am capable of during a week, and I know what I am able to realistically produce in a day.

So, instead of barreling through, racing, and charging to the finish line, I need to spread out my goal to a more realistic time schedule.

So, instead of 5 chapters edited and paced per day, a more realistic goal would be three (3) chapters, with breaks every hour and a half or so, even if only a bathroom and stretch break. With this realistic schedule, I would have time to do other things, other than writing activities, and still accomplish grounded-in-reality writing goals.

Another thing I discovered, that even though you set unrealistic or over-reaching goals, not reaching them can be discouraging and affect short-term goals going forward.

For instance, edit/pace 5 chapters one day, but then be too exhausted to even finish two the next day. Or, set a goal of four, then due to the difficulty of the chapters or distractions, only do one or two...there's no way to play catch up if you over-schedule up front.

Realistically, by setting more reasonable, reachable goals, I will get more done in the long run, because I won't be overwhelmed, exhausted, or self-sabotaging by not being able to catch up.

So,  Schedule 5 days of reasonable tasks, then build in two days for roll-over work from the previous 5 days. Realistic. Doable. Feasible. Did I mention doable?

For the next 7 days:

• Edit & Pace 3 Chapters Per day (5 days)
• Roll-Over Editing/Pacing days (2 days)
• Work on/Enjoy Non-Writing Activities (7 days)

Then, after that, review goals, and drill down Quarterly goals (October, November, and December), then break down the goals into monthly, weekly, daily tasks.

All writing, everyday--morning, evening, and night--makes Alexa a dull girl and much less productive; therefore, it's time to set my topsy-turvy writing world right side up.