February Writing Goals: So Far So Good

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On Monday, February 10th, I did pretty well with my new February writing goals. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but it is a good start.

(1) I created three Bubblews posts for Monday. I am trying to get up to 10 posts per day, but at least 3 is bigger than my average lately. I’ve been averaging a big fat 0 posts lately, with an occasional 1 post a day. I’m slowly moving up!

(2) I wrote a blog post today. I have four blogs that I’m aiming to post on daily. I still have a long way to go, but it feels great to be reentering the blogging world after too long of a vacation.

(3) I created outlines for 4 new articles/posts. I’m not sure yet where I will be submitting these pieces, but I’m happy to see 4 ideas out of my head and on paper, slowly taking shape.

(4) I finished my usual activity on several reward sites. I know this isn’t exactly writing, but I use sites like Swagbucks, InstaGC, InboxDollars, Bing Rewards, and Chatabout to supplement my writing income. Some of these sites also reward me for the normal searches I do every day researching my writing, so they are technically an added bonus to writing.

It doesn’t seem like much, but after you factor in motherhood, cyber schooling my son, cooking, cleaning, and all the other joys of motherhood, I’m satisfied with how productive I made this Monday. Now let’s see if I can kick it up a little more and rock Tuesday!

How was your Monday? What did you accomplish?

 

© 2014 Amanda R. Dollak

I Will NOT Check My Email for the Hundredth Time Today!

I take a vow right now that I will not check my email for the hundredth time today! I promise that my email will remain closed until tomorrow morning. And I solemnly swear I will only check my email 2-3 times a day from now on.

I know, you are probably wondering what the heck is going on with me. I’ve been quiet for about a week, and then I come back with this craziness? Sometimes even I wonder about what goes on inside this head!

To clarify this situation, no, I didn’t suddenly become an email addict. Quite frankly, there’s not much that comes through my email addresses that is that alluring. It’s mostly spam, ads, and bills these days. Sounds real exciting, huh?

Actually, I’m turning into an email worrier. I recently decided I need to take my content writing seriously again, so I’m doing what I can to accept paid assignments once more. I’ve spent so much time this year doing my own thing (blogging, poetry, creative writing, etc.) that I’m worried I might be a little rusty. I used up over 12 hours a few weekends ago refamiliarizing myself with the sites I used to submit writing to. I even took some time out to research possible new opportunities.

The desire to challenge myself and be more than I currently am is strong. I want to see what my true potential is. However, I had forgotten how difficult it can be waiting for days to hear back from editors…IF I let the nervousness get out of control, that is.

I have a few submission under review, and it’s eating at me. I’m more nervous than a new father waiting for his baby to arrive. But then again, all my creations ARE my children. I put so much heart, soul, and time into molding my work. They are a reflection of me and everything I do, so (like I do with my actual children) I want to see them shine and soar. The thought of them failing to reach an important mark isn’t a pleasant one.

But the truth is no one should live constantly worried and anxious. It isn’t healthy. It isn’t productive at all. In fact, worrying too much wastes time and undermines confidence and talent. Worrying only leaves you with sleepless nights and stomach ulcers. It makes day-to-day life bitter and empty. And it makes you second guess your every move.

It’s time for me to move on beyond this worrying. I did my best with the assignments. If the editors don’t like what I submitted, it is there loss. It may not be what they are looking for, but that doesn’t mean my writing stinks. And even if I made some mistakes, I’m going to embrace that. Owning up to my mistakes is an important part of me evolving into the writer I’ve always want to be. I’d rather make a million mistakes and learn from them than to hide my writing away. Truly, the greater the risk the greater the prize–and I won’t ever be satisfied with only cereal-box prizes in life!

 

© 2013 Amanda R. Dollak

I Should Be NaNo-ing the Night Away

I should be NaNo-ing the night away.  I haven’t worked on my NaNoWriMo novel since Saturday, so I’m increasingly getting behind on my word count.  I sat down at my desk at 8:30 pm to work on it tonight.  However, I have yet to write a single word to add to my current 4,000-word story…and it is after 1 am!

I know, where did the time go?  No, I didn’t fall asleep at my desk.  No, I didn’t get swept into the Facebook blackhole again.  No, I didn’t get distracted by games or anything considered a frivolous pastime.  Rather, I spent the last few hours consumed with other writing matters.

1.)  I searched for and added some new music for my writing playlist.  I meant to do it before NaNo started, but I never did finish my pre-NaNo checklist.  Fresh music equals fresh inspiration, so it was certainly a necessity, even though it doesn’t directly contribute to my NaNo word count.

2.)  I wrote another poem.  I am going through another fibromyalgia flare, either because I over did it this weekend with manual labor or because I’m still adjusting to the new strain of NaNo….or both.  Writing poetry about it, however, helps me cope with all the feelings that erupt because of my flare ups and helps me get recentered again.  Of course, I need to be recentered to focus on writing my novel, so again, time was spent away from NaNo, but it wasn’t a true loss.

3.)  I did some freelance writer paperwork.  Now, this definitely has nothing to do with NaNoWriMo.  Nevertheless, it had to be done.  Writing is my passion, but it is also my business and files are a part of any business.  It’s a boring and time-consuming process, but it is certainly a necessary evil.

4.)  I got sucked into writing a number of blog posts and articles (including this one).  Even with NaNo in full swing, I still have other writing obligations.  I have three blogs and write articles for a living.  Again, this isn’t beneficial to the novel-writing process…unless of course, you count blogging about why I’m not actively writing my NaNo novel right now.

5.)  I took notes for a new short story idea.  As some of you may know, I am working on a collection of short stories with a similar theme.  I’ve almost completed one of these short stories, and I’m collecting ideas for the subsequent ones.  Tonight, I added a third idea to my short story list.  What can I say?  Writing and inspiration only breed more writing and inspiration.  Since NaNo started, I’ve been flooded with countless new ideas…all of which are stubbornly vying for my attention.  You’ll have to excuse me when once in a while I get distracted by them.

6.)  I’ve come to a point in my NaNo novel where my plot is a little hazy.  I’m still trying to figure where to go next with it.  I already know the main plot points.  However, I need a transitional point right now and I’m a bit stuck.  I’ve been brainstorming and reworking my novel outline to try to fix this tiny snag.  I haven’t fixed it completely yet, but at least I can say I’ve made some progress.

What do you think?  Was my creative night worth slipping a little farther behind with NaNoWriMo?

© Amanda R. Dollak 2013

 

It Is Almost NaNoWriMo Time!

The minutes are ticking away fast.  The eve of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is rapidly approaching.  I’m feverishly racing the clock to finish my NaNo preparations.  Here is what I have accomplished so far:

• My NaNo profile is complete.
• I have pinpointed my novel idea.
• I wrote out a brief synopsis of the story plot.
• I selected a tentative title for my novel..
• I created my novel on the NaNo website (with some basic cover art and all).
• I’ve found some of my friends on the website and added them as writing buddies.
• I did a little spring cleaning on my computers to make everything organized.
• I’ve done plenty of bragging to my friends, loved ones, and everyone who might listen.

I am clearly off to a great start.  I am psyched and itching to get started.  I’m squirming in my seat in anticipation. However, the last three days before the NaNoWriMo challenge are going to be jammed packed.  I still have lots of preparations left to do:

• I need to finalize my writing playlist.
• My outline still isn’t complete.
• I want to create short dossiers for all the main characters.
• I must reorganize my workspace.
• I have a few personal goals to finish and get out of the way.
• I need to plan my blog post topics for November so my blogs don’t suffer.
• I should come up with more article topics to write about next month.
• Oh, and I need to do a lot more praying and crossing fingers!

Will you be taking part in NaNo this year?  If so, are you all set and ready for November 1st?  Or are you still scrambling to complete your challenge preparations?

© Amanda R. Dollak 2013

Phablet to the Rescue!

No longer can my laptop offer me the mobility that I crave.  It is simply refusing to recharge, so until I find a fix (or a new laptop), I’m stuck behind my desk…or am I?  They always say that necessity is the mother of invention.  Well, I’ve come up with a temporary solution until I am equipped with a fully mobile laptop again: my phablet.

Many of you may not know what a phablet is.  Without getting too technical, it is a smartphone device that is larger than a cellphone and smaller than a tablet.  Basically, it does everything a cellphone does, except it has a few extra bells and whistles, including a bigger screen.

As a cellphone, this phablet bombed.  My husband hated it and rushed to get a new cellphone.  It didn’t fit into any of his pockets.  It was cumbersome and awkward to use as a cell.  (I personally felt like a little kid trying to talk on toy phone.  I couldn’t even tell where exactly to put my ear or talk!)  Plus, you wouldn’t believe the strange looks my husband got from people around him when he was talking on this huge thing!  It was pretty comical!

However, as an emergency writer’s sanity saving device, I give it five stars!  Now, whenever I’m away from my desk but still want to jot down ideas or even write a quick blog post, I can turn to my trusty phablet.  I’m writing this post right now via phablet.  How cool is that?

It will never beat a laptop.  My texting isn’t the greatest, so I have to correct a lot more mistakes than with a traditional keyboard.  Also, I miss having a much bigger screen and hearing the click of the keys under my flying fingers.  But hey, it works well in a pinch and keeps my muse satisfied.

What is the strangest way or place you’ve written a blog post?