Masterclass on Motivation

On Saturday, in the cold weather, I went to a workshop by Bekki Hill, a trained life-coach and fellow SCBWI author. While waiting for our lunch to warm us up, she got us writing straight away. We had to write 100 goals, and if we couldn't do that, 40. We had a slide prompt that we could split the goals into parts of our lives eg writing, personal, leisure and health. Most of my goals were to do with writing. Here are a few of mine: to be known for my YA and romance fiction, to somehow make a living from my writing, to lose weight and keep it off, to exercise more. Then came lunch, which was v welcome to us all. I had grilled chicken, tomato and chips. Our next exercise was to write three goals that we wanted to achieve from our writing (I think that was it, it looks like it from my notes). Here are mine for example: What writing means to me - more friends and something to take me away from difficulties at home. What projects I want to do: YA fantasy series x 2, romance series, romantic suspense novels and my squirrel book. I want to find more time to write, write in different genres on different topics and blog more, and go to more meetings. I would love to do author visits. At the moment I have done library events and blogs.
We had to write three major goals we wanted. They had to be personal (I), precise (I am). Her are mine: I am writing YA fantasise, I am already mentioning it. I am writing romance series and am member of RNA. I write letters to magazines.

Then came values. There are internal values such as honesty. And external ones like expectations and money. Now we had to match our goals and values, to see if they did go with each other. My reply was yes. Goal 3 matched my value of it be something I can do and be known for. Goals 1 and 2 matched the value of entertaining readers and educating them. Giving me pleasure to do so, and it takes me away from home life. I think this exercise came after the one where we had to go in pairs and ask each other what values we had for our writing. Questions such as what do you enjoy most out of writing. What do you want to achieve from writer. What is important to you as a writer. My answers (written by Donna Vann) were: Enjoy: going into another world and creating characters. It's something I can do and be known for. Want to entertain and educate readers, get them thinking about what's going on in the world and what to watch out for. It gives me pleasure and contentment. Being able to help others understand what I write. Most important is pleasure as it takes me away from home life and situations there.

Then we had to write our reasons to want to achieve. Mine: recognition, pleasure and fulfilment. What we thought it added to our life: Security, knowledge I can do something for someone else. Contentment I can give pleasure to adults and children. What do we think it will not achieve and detract from our lives if we don't write: unfulfilment, unhappiness and boredom.

My drives for writing are: Recognition and fulfilment.

So what are your writing goals and values? Let me know Next time I will talk about writing habits, good and bad.

Bird watching

That's the feathered variety, I mean. I am coming in late with this one but last weekend was the RSPB Big Garden Watch, where you looked out for birds in your garden or where you were and recorded it on the website. I did look out but didn't see as many birds as I usually see. Through the back patio doors I saw a robin and a couple of coal tits as I had my breakfast. I usually see more birds than this that time of the morning.

I do write about what birds I see in my garden, for a small press magazine called Creature Features. As well as a series about an unlucky squirrel and an adventorous kitten. The features on the birds is called 'Feathered Friends', and I have recently written a couple of pieces that I need to read through then email the editor with. If you want to see what I have written on birds then I can always add these to my website, which I keep forgetting to update. Just let me know.

Next week I will be writing about goals, values and habits, all that I learnt about in a workshop yesterday.

RG2E launch

Wednesday was the launch for the Readers Guide to Epublishing website, and it is going great so far. The idea was to attract readers to our indie ebooks and give advice and ideas and prizes to readers out there who want to read ebooks. This week they are giving away free ebooks, and I am one of the lucky ones who won an ebook. The showcase lots of genres, from YA (that will be me) to romance, to mystery and scifi. I can't wait to see what else they have to offer everyone, and look forward to becoming a bigger part of the team there.
RG2E is the sister site to WG2E, which is for writers, and I am a member of the team there, too.

So, if you love reading ebooks, and want to find out what else there is out for esp from us indie authors, then drop along to www.readersguidetoepublishing.com and see for yourself.

Go check it out. You never know, you could comment and win an ebook.

Railway Angel download results

Do you remember back in December that I mentioned I'd put Railway Angel as free on Smashwords and I said I'd be back to let you know the results. Well, they have been fantastic. I announced it on social media sites and on eforums. The number of downloads went double in 24 hours. They were slowly growing until yesterday. I have tried not to check them daily but can't resist. On Monday when I checked it had gone up to 36. Not a bad result, I thought. Then I checked them yesterday and my eyes goggled. 172. Where had that come from? I wasn't complaining just totally astounded. I had emailed free ebook sites asking to advertise it there, and I had put a free ad on an efiction magazine site. By the end of yesterday it had gone up even more to 196. Now today. It has gone up even more. Wow. It is now up to 282. Even going up 5 more within an hour. I am so amazed at this. Never thought this would happen. I just hope that all those who read it now, will like it enough to want to read more of my angels, and be willing to pay a price when the next one comes out. I am currently working on it, and hope to get edits and rewrites done by next week when I aim to send it off for its second edit.

Well, this free way experiment seems to be definitely working for me. I shall still check, prob daily, the figures on it. I checked the stats as well. They spiked on Monday and today. It feels so good to have people want to read your work. Makes it all worthwhile doing. I shall continue...

It's signed

In my last post I mentioned that I was due to get a contract for a series of 6 romances estories. Well, that came last week, I have signed it and sent it back to the epublisher. I am so excited. I have been working really hard on the first story the last 2 weeks. I think maybe too hard, as I started to get a sharp twinge up my right arm, my working arm, each time I wrote. And then just a while ago, after writing for half an hour, my wrist began hurting. So I decided to have a break and come on here. I am nearly at the end of the story now, and will write more of it tomorrow. I had a break yesterday from writing cos I wasn't well. I was tired and then after lunch, I got stomach pains. I had some French goat's cheese, which I've not had before, and I won't be having again. Anyway, I have an idea how the story is going to end, as I have written a sentence explaining what will happen to get Geraldine's ex lover back with her and his more happy self. This past week, after mentioning the contract on all social media sites, I have been glowing in congratulations from everyone I know that have messaged me. And a few I might not know, and are following this blog. Yay. I am getting a following. I think it's all down to being on WG2E.

Meantime, I got my first edits back today for Racing Angel. Oh dear. Have a lot of thinking and a lot more rewriting to do on it. I need to think about my paranormal world of heaven, and who is there and who isn't. I think I might change what the girl rides and add more teenangels to make it more plausible. I will get back to it once I have finished the first draft of Geraldine. Should be next week.

My goals for 2012

I have not got resolutions this year but goals. Short and long-term ones. The short-term ones are weekly and monthly, and long term is for the year. I have taken advice from the WG2E site again and have got a pad and put in two columns. One for goals and the other for done. When I have completed one goal then I tick it. Short-term goals are something like 'do 2-3 chapters of Georgina', and long-term goals are concentrate more on my indie career and attract more readers. I'm coming up to the end of week 1 of short-term goals and have done one so far - the chapters on Georgina. I did have to do next week writing about garden birds for Creature Features, but that has now changed to 'first draft of Geraldine story'. I think the monthly goal will be to finish it and try to get it sent to the editor of the publisher, my friend Eve.
My other main goals are to increase my output and write in different genres. I am currently writing for teens (my angel stories), and have plans for two romance series (one of which is with Eve). The other one I hope to start work on later, maybe next month, to enhance my indie career and attract more readers, esp adults, whom I know are the main people with Kindles and other ereaders. Eve likes the outline of the series I have sent her and is currently writing up a contract for me for these. I hope to get this sometime next week. Hurrah. So excited. 2012 is going to be the year my writing, and hopefully, my indie career will take off properly. Watch this space...

My 2011

So what happened to me writing and health wise in 2011? Here is my story.

Writing: I had published several letters in magazines. I sold 3 copies in all of Rosie (one at Save Library Day and 2 at another library event). I did a book reading at the Save Library Day. I did another event talking about writing what you know for magazines. I discovered Writers' Guide to Epublishing website and made lots of online friends, and put my name down to be involved in writing stories for their anthologies in 2013. After reading their site and columns by the Grumpy Bookman in Writing Magazine, I decided to start self-epubbing my own works. This turned out be The Railway Angel, the first in a series of teen angels. I am currently working on the second one. I have had a romance story accepted by a new digital publisher run by a friend and fellow romance author. The first in a series to start this spring. And lastly I made a connection with a local man who organises storytelling for a local library and its events, and might be involved with that this year. So will be shortly working on little ones, middle-grade, teen, and adult msss.

Health: 2011 was the year for being diagnosed. In the March I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which came as a relief to both my mum and me. Mum cos she had thought there was something not quite right with me and me cos it explained how I was at work with people, esp the students. Then in August I was also diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky syndrome. It is something that happens with a gene within 5 weeks of being conceived and the gene causes organs and tissues not develop properly if at all. It amazed us as it explains all the major health issues that I have, and we didn't realise they could be connected. Now we know. With all this knowledge I then decided to stop looking for a job as I felt that no one would understand me and my problems. I decided to apply for early retirement due to ill health. This is still ongoing (begun in September 2011) and causing me great anxiety. We shall see what happens but I am not giving up without a fight. My writing is giving me strength as I build up my indie author writing.