…the more I want to write! That’s not a unique observation, but it’s definitely a new experience in my writing life. I’ve heard that when people first start a training regimen, running can be painful and a drudgery, but eventually they experience a “runner’s high.” Supposedly, they then start running because they like it! I…
Posts
Motivation I Didn’t Know I Had
I’m starting my fourth week of writing full-time. Fourth! Wow. As expected, I’ve had some days where it’s hard to get into the “groove” of writing, and some days where I didn’t manage my time well. I’ve also had some amazing days where I don’t want to stop writing. One benefit of writing full-time that…
Faze vs. Phase
The noun phase most commonly means “a stage in a process of change or development” (a phase of the moon, a kid going through a phase) or “a state of matter” (e.g., a phase change of water is going from liquid to gas). Its verb form is less common but means “to carry out in…
Being a Full-Time Author: First Week Retrospective
Looking back over the past week is a habit widely recommended for evaluating progress and productivity. In my past life as a software developer, we called them “retrospectives,” and along with listing successes and problems (or “opportunities,” as my husband says), we would come up with one experiment we wanted to try for the upcoming…
Writing Full Time: Day 1
I can’t believe I’m actually here. I’ve been dreaming about writing full-time since I was in high school (which might be longer ago than I care to admit!). I did the responsible thing in college and got a “useful” degree—Computer Science, a field I do actually love—which led me to a programming job at a…
Proven Strategies for Actually Achieving Your Goals
It’s been my “goal” to be a published author for a long time. I say “goal” in quotes because really it’s been more like a dream, not something I can control. I could make a goal to actually finish the book, but I haven’t been successful at that, either. (Not a draft that I like,…
Free Writing
Posting a grammar quip right before July 4, with fireworks exploding outside, just didn’t seem right. Instead this is a post about writing and freedom. I’m very grateful that I have the freedom to write, and write what I want. I don’t have to worry about criminal charges for insulting my president. I don’t live…
Confessions of an Inveterate Pantser
Or, “How I learned to stop bumbling and love the outline.” On the spectrum from “write by the seat of your pants and see where it goes” [whence “pantser”] to “plan every scene before you write a first draft” [“plotter”], I’m naturally a lot closer to the former. I like to wait for inspiration and…
Keeping up appearances
I’ve been working on my novel on and off for more years than I care to admit. Since I first had the idea, I’ve gone to college, gotten married, and had two children. This past year, I’ve gotten really serious about making the book good enough to sell, but there were some plot holes that…
Tenet or Tenant? Grammar help you can remember!
A basic tenet of owning a rental: Your tenant quality is fundamental! Bonus! I’ll give you pictures. Tenet: a belief (not necessarily religious) or principle Tenant: someone who rents a space Tennant: To me, always the Tenth Doctor Okay, yes, I was basically just looking for an excuse to have a Tenth Doctor picture.