by Angela Smith | Dec 30, 2018 | Introspective
Happy New Year!
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged, and I can’t say I’m adding a blogging schedule to my goal list yet. Eventually I hope so, but right now I’m focusing on getting 2 stories edited and with the rush of life, I’m having a hard time adding anything else at the moment. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
However, I did want to take a few moments to talk about goal setting. It’s a huge topic this time of year. And something I usually try to do throughout the year. I’m pretty ambitious and enjoy setting goals, but this 2019 goal setting has been very difficult for me. I don’t even know why, although some of it might be because I’ve been focused so much on writing that I feel like I’ve lost a lot of my other creative endeavors I used to enjoy. Thinking on that has really forced me to re-evaluate writing goals when so many other things get pushed to the back burner.
I also blame it on Lara Casey’s Power Sheets. It’s my first time to ever use them, and it was worth every investment. As far as goal setting, she’s the one to read (as this post isn’t about how to set goals, but she has a lot of great posts for that.) It makes me think on what’s important, and what’s not so important, and has really drawn some things out of me.
That being said, once my 2 stories are finished with editing, I might take a break from writing to pursue other goals. All the guilt that writers feel about “must write every day” and “don’t break the chain” can really screw up a writer’s mindset. “Don’t give up” blah blah blah. I don’t look at it as giving up, but I do look at taking a break as nourishing myself. Instead of feeling guilty for not writing, or not doing this or that, I am going to nourish my creativity without worrying about getting noticed or marketing or writing something new. Because, as Lara Casey says, little by little it all adds up. So I am taking it little by little!
Another guilt authors face is how we should be writing and publishing x many stories x many months or you won’t ever get noticed. (Seriously, this is a real thing and a real fear.) For some, I’m sure that works great, but it doesn’t for me.
Burn out is real, and can happen with anything. And it’s time I take a break. I have to focus on the stories I do have, the edits I am doing, to make them the best they are before I even think about writing something new. So that’s my plan, even if it takes awhile. And even if I don’t publish as often as others say I should.
Do you have any goals for 2019? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
by Angela Smith | Jan 8, 2017 | Introspective
It’s been a long time since I have blogged, hasn’t it? I hope everyone has had a super fabulous new year and now busy pursuing their goals.
I have a couple of announcements. The first is the banner above, which is a book tour for one of my backlisted books, Final Mend. You can click on the banner to follow the tour. I’m really excited about this tour and am waiting with bated breath, as there are a couple of new reviews and I’m anxious to see them. Also, this tour ends on my BIRTHDAY! Yay!
One of my goals throughout every year is to help other writers, and I haven’t exactly been pursuing that goal lately. But this year, I kicked that off with judging manuscripts that my local RWA chapter is hosting. I both hate and love judging manuscripts. I hate it because what if I’m bored and I don’t to hurt the writer’s feelings. But I love it because it also teaches me how to be a better writer, and helps me to help others.
We’ve had some great entries this year, and I’m excited to see where these entries go. I left a comment on one of the manuscripts that I judged that I thought might be useful for everyone, including me. It’s regarding colons and semi-colons. The bane of my writing. Ugh.
Although it’s grammatically correct, sometimes using a colon or semi-colon tells us there’s an author behind this story, and draws us out of the story. Readers want to read this story as if they are seeing or experiencing it really happening, not as if there’s an author telling us what’s happening.
I have used semi-colons, and even colons because it’s grammatically correct. But the best writing in the world is not grammatically correct. Some grammar is absolutely essential, yes, but other grammar, as in these types of instances, is intrusive.
What do you think?
One of my other pet-peeves in reading? Seeing “she thought”. That is telling. I don’t want to be told what she’s thinking. Get me inside her mind. I don’t particularly like italics for me to be inside a character’s mind either, but that’s all very subjective.
As a writer, it’s difficult to get inside a character’s head, especially if they won’t let you or if the story is new to you. But if you don’t get inside that character’s head, there is no way a reader will, either. So whatever works for you, do it! It will make your story so much stronger.
What works for me varies, and sometimes I have to skip over it and come back to it later, in my editing stage. I’ve just started a new story (yay!) and I’ve got some submitted and also in the editing phases. So I’m hoping to have an active writing year and get some of my stories out there, and out of my head!
Another of my biggest goals, as is every year, is to be CREATIVE!
Until next time, I hope everyone has a super fabulous and creative 2017!
by Angela Smith | Jun 18, 2013 | Introspective
With less than a month to go before Burn on the Western Slope , is released, I have to ask myself if I’m doing enough to get noticed. It takes more than writing a great novel these days. I came across a sentence the other day that was awesome to read and so very true, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it myself. Basically, there is always room for art because there will always be a need for it. Artists don’t have to compete with each other.
Still, it’s hard to get noticed in such a large ocean. You have to do the right things, and sometimes that means just being there at the right time. A full time job makes it harder, but I’m not going to make excuses. Even people who have the luxury of staying home have activities, oftentimes unplanned, that take them away from their writing. And it’s not only about writing, but marketing, too.
What have I learned thus far? I will have hard days at work, but I have to write. Whether I get up early in the morning even if I didn’t sleep well the night before, or I write in the evening after all the other chores are done, writing is a part of a writer’s life, and you make time for what you love.
Admit it, we can all make excuses for not working towards out goal. Oh, we’re just too tired or we had a bad day. Yep, that’s happened to me more times than I’d like to count. But when that happens, I have to remember Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Without dreams, we have nothing. Whether your dream is to publish a book, have a child, or learn how to dance, dreams make us who we are. I am a huge supporter of following whatever moves you, because I believe whatever moves you is moving you for a reason. Doesn’t matter how young or old you are.
Following your dream is a tremendous experience. And succeeding at your dreams? Well, I believe success is if you had the guts and the stamina and the whatever-else-it-takes-for-you-to-keep-moving-on. Even if I had never published, I would be successful for just trying. Then again, I don’t think I’ll ever truly accomplish my dream to write because it doesn’t matter how successful I could be, I will always write. It’s not a dream I can complete, and then move on. I wrote this book, and will always dream to write the next one and the next one!
My writing breeds success and that is enough of an accomplishment for me, but it will never die. My dream will continue on, so it isn’t a dream I can complete. Does that make sense? LOL. I guess what I’m trying to say is if you feel like you’ve reached your dream and have no where else to go, think again. There are always dreams to dream.
