Energy Well Spent?

We all only have a finite amount of energy each day. The way we spend it determines how successful we are.

Massive effort = Massive results, right?

If I want to write a book, I have to use my energy writing. If I am reading social media, but not promoting my work and receiving motivational feedback from fans, I am wasting my energy.

If I want to learn how to publish, how to market, how to grow, then I have to seek out resources, study, and get tips from pros.

I can't help but think that massive energy can be spent in all the wrong places, though. I could have great intentions and work really hard on something only to have it all end or unravel no matter how many times I keep trying.

Yet, if I am truly learning, then I won't retry a failed attempt and will instead try something different. Even if the massive effort ends, it is a step towards the ultimate goal.

Keep learning.

Two of the pros I subscribe to seem to be saying the same thing; to focus your energy without distractions and work smarter, not harder. I have had these moments of "flow" before where I get a massive amount of work accomplished in a small amount of time. You get "in the zone" and nothing else matters but what you are working on.

They ask us to dream big and then act big. The dreams they had were just ideas, but instead of running from them or convincing themselves that they were frivolous, they actually tried to make them come true. They contacted people to ask questions and gain permissions. They researched sponsors, shared their dreams, gained support, and did something cool.

What cool things can I do this year? What about you?

I will admit that I do not have clearly defined writing goals as of this day. I have a few projects I want to work on, but no large ultimate 'dream' goal. That may come later as I simply get my head into the habit of writing. I certainly hope so.

Hello 2017!

I realized the other day that I met my husband and we went on our first date in January 18 years ago.

15 years ago we were married.

14 years ago I had my first child.

12 years ago I graduated from college.

10 years ago I had my second child.

9 years ago I started writing and blogging and whining about my life.

5 years ago I finally got a job that used my degree and completed classes to keep it that way.

3 years ago my favorite writing site was taken down and replaced by another that is still getting up on it's feet. The writing friends I had slowly moved on with their lives as I moved on with mine.

It's time now to reverse the slow decline from this most precious part of me. I write because I am a writer.


My goals for 2017 include blogging more.

I'm going to work on fixing my Smashwords ebooks, working on my author pages on various sites, and streamlining my brand/platform.

It's a new year; the perfect time to learn more about the business of writing, myself through my writing, and renew bonds with old writing friends as well as make new ones. 

Here's What This Writer's Brain Has Considered This Week

Writer-type things I've been looking at this week:

SERIALS
I'm thinking of taking Enmityville Chronicles, which I am co-authoring with my husband and publishing it to Channillo. They only publish serials. You have to make your own covers and do your own marketing to get people to read it. People pay a subscription fee per month to read a few series'. They make sure that what you have to write is worth reading. For authors, there is a short application process. What needs to be done is an edit of the first few chapters, a cover made, and then deadlines set for the rest of the series. Hubby and I can them write for these deadlines.

WRITER'S CONFERENCE
Checked out the webpage for my local Writer's Conference. For those of you who don't know, I live in Indiana. This conference offers networking, opportunities for professional ($$) headshots, tips, speakers, and chances to speak to the 'professionals' one-on-one. I'm not feeling ready for this, however. First, I feel like I need to have a query, an almost finished manuscript, and a direction. I need to have questions to ask. This is possibly untrue, but I prefer to be prepared.

EMAIL MARKETING
I'm finishing up a course on email marketing. I know this is the first big step from me talking talk, having a blog, and having a writing hobby. If I am to get serious, I need followers. Followers with emails. Followers with emails who will want to review and buy my books.

GOAL 2018
I started writing again in 2008. I met a lot of great writers, old and young. I learned that I had much more to learn. I'm thinking that by 2018 I want to have a book finished that I am proud of, that I can sell, and that I can market and maybe launch myself off from. I have a couple of ideas that are quite different, though. We'll see how it all works out.

When Writing, Give Yourself A Break!

I did finish CampNaNoWriMo, meeting my goal of 30,000 words. :) :D I'm very proud of myself. It feels good to be writing almost every day.

I learned that like most jobs, I need a break every few days. Once a week I could not write. It wasn't a block, it was that I needed some time away from the work to cultivate new ideas and not grow weary.

It's okay to not feel like writing when you've been diligent in writing every day. Sure, there were days that I did other things, like go to the zoo, or to a theme park. It is summer after all! But there were also days I did not write and did not have a good reason, simply that I didn't feel like it. Allowing myself this time off did not cause me to leave writing forever. If anything, it made me come back stronger.

I read, I listened to music, I colored, all other artistic pursuits in lieu of writing, but keeping myself creatively engaged. I grew jealous of other wonderful authors whose books were great reads. I found new bands to dance or rock out to. I watched some shows while coloring in printed sheets of adult coloring books. I also planned school lessons, made file folder work for independent work stations in my classroom (laminating queen!), and I did research for lesson plans.

Then I went back to writing.

One thing that motivated me was Twitter. I loved tweeting my progress and getting favorites, Re-tweets, or new followers every day. I followed many new writers, myself. I wanted to be able to Tweet my progress to people whom would understand and at least care a little. People understood what Camp Nano was, what writing to a goal felt like, and celebrated with me; which was a great feeling.

Connecting with people is a good thing. Feeling part of the big wide world is a good thing. It keeps us grounded. Having motivation is a great thing. It's all how you use it and how you see it. If you want to get lost in twitter for hours, you can. It's not nearly as bad as opening up pinterest, but you can read tweets or post tweets for an entire day. That is not productive, usually. Using it to motivate you to keep writing is productive.

Measure your breaks. Take them, enjoy them, but when they are over, get back to work! Find what motivates you, even if its a different thing every time, and use it to reach your goals.


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