Wednesday, November 7, 2018

IWSG: November 2018 Episode

It's time for the first Wednesday monthly IWSG blog hop. Thanks to all the hard working people behind IWSG and especially to Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting the whole awesome group. Please visit the website and find the entire IWSG list of hop participants.

Each month there is a voluntary question participants can answer if they'd like.

How has your creativity evolved since you began writing?

Not sure I have an answer to that, but I'm interested in reading what other people say to this query. I would say that I've evolved a lot as a reader. I read across more genres than I did when I first started. I also am a pickier reader and buyer of books.

This past two weeks have had some ups and downs for me as a writer. Big downer was my third quarter royalties report. Ouch! Not buying that Rolls Royce yet. But then, I received a contract for my second book in my Star Ship Refugees series and then!!! two days later my publisher sent me a contract for the third book that isn't even written yet. I've never received a contract before the work is completed before. I'm thanking my small but mighty publisher, New Concepts, for their confidence in me. If you go look, you'll see my newest cover first and foremost on the publisher's homepage. Despite the low earnings, I'm plowing forward.

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers

One of my writer friends shared this post listing a number of writing contests covering the next few months. Maybe you can find one that interests you, and many of them are free entry.

The end of Daylight Savings Time always seems like the start of winter to me. I do get a lot of writing done in the winter, but I hate the cold. You're probably tired of hearing that. I do enjoy the scent of numerous fireplaces at work as it cools down, and the fresh air on a frosty morning.

The nose can distinguish between a trillion different smells.   The Old Farmer's Almanac

Speaking of the Old Farmer, I've been shopping for my 2019 planner. Still haven't found one I like better than my trusty Old Farmers Planner so you might be graced with lots more tidbits from it next year. Hope some of them make you smile.

"You have to believe in happiness, or happiness never comes." Douglas Malloch

Do you have a discerning nose? Has being a writer helped you be more creative? Do you love or hate Daylight Savings Time?







33 comments:

M.J. Fifield said...

I like the Farmer's Almanac tidbits.

Daylight Savings Time has never really mattered to me one way or another. My significant other, however, believes that it should be DST all year round.

Keep plowing forward!

Liza said...

Oh, I am so with you about DST. I can feel myself drifting toward the winter doldrums. I try not to, but I so miss the warmth! Glad you have had writing success lately!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congratulations on two contracts. Offering one on an unwritten manuscript would scare me.

nashvillecats2 said...

Hope you get more ups with your writing in the future.
Great post.

Yvonne.

Ann V Friend said...

Blessings!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Love that Will Rogers quote!

Changing the clocks - in either direction - always makes me feel wonky, but I do enjoy having it be lighter earlier in the morning.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's awesome your next two books are signed.
I don't like it getting dark so early but I did appreciate that extra hour of sleep.

betty said...

Congrats with the books being signed! That's a great accomplishment I do believe!!

Living in Arizona with no Daylight Savings Time, I absolutely love it! Its nice not to have to remember to change the time one way or another or to lose the hour of sleep, etc :)

betty

David Powers King said...

BIG congrats on the contract! Yeah. I'd rather invest in life savings than daylight savings. :)

Computer Tutor said...

Hearty congrats on the contracts and moving beyond the royalty downer. How cool to have a contract before the book is written. You're my hero, Susan.

Chrys Fey said...

Congratulations on your two contracts! That is awesome that your publisher sent a contract for a book you haven't written yet.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I have a good nose, but I'm not good at describing what I smell. Is that weird or what?
Congratulations on your two contracts - that's so cool!

cleemckenzie said...

Some months are better than others for sales, but you have another contract! Hurray and congratulations.

J E Oneil said...

That's great news about the contracts! Definitely worth a lot of exclamation points.

The only thing I hate about daylight savings time is that it's over. I want more light in the evenings!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on your new contract. I'm a pickier reader too and now reading many different genres than I used too. Mostly adult for now.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - congratulations on those two book contracts = awesome news. Time to spend indoors reading perhaps ... but the cold crisp air is always nice ... and that musky scent is delicious during a scrunchy walk ... my nose is definitely not special ... but I can pick up scents that shouldn't be there! Cheers Hilary

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats on double the contract. I don't think any of us will be getting a Royce any time soon haha my nose can't even discern one, guess I fail.

Nick Wilford said...

Sounds like your publisher has a lot of faith in you. That's great to hear. I do like the winter weather for writing. Summer, you just want to be out there.

messymimi said...

Congratulations on the publishing contracts! As for Daylight time, i wish we could just stay on it year 'round, calling it the new Standard time. The changing clocks is really not good for our health, and leaving it on Daylight, or Summer, time would give us that extra light in the evenings all year, even if the mornings would be dark longer in winter.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yay on the contracts!
It's SO dark here - this time change drives me nuts. It's dark by 5 and pitch black by 6 in the evening. I'm always checking to see if it's bed time! :P

Jennifer Hawes said...

Congrats on the contract! I find myself writing more during this time too.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi Susan. Congrats! glad you found a new publisher and the contracts are coming in. All the best!

Not a big fan of daylight savings. The sun coming out early again gets me up earlier that I would like. lol

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the contracts!

Fundy Blue said...

Congratulations on your new contracts, Susan. That's awesome! I wish we could pick one time and stick with it. The fall back isn't so bad, but the spring forward gets harder for me every year. All the best with your writing in November!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Congrats!
My reading as evolved the same way. I used to strictly only read one genre, now I read many! A good read is a good read.

Patricia Stoltey said...

I don't like Daylight Savings Time at all...the changes mess with my schedule (not to mention the cat and dog who are even more set in their ways than I am).

Chemist Ken said...

You'd think the winter would make me more productive, since there's so little to do outside. But I find the early nights and colder house just want to make me curl up in bed. Congrats on the contract!

Cherie Reich said...

More books will help with sales. I don't mind when we change back to standard time (yay another hour of sleep!), but I hate when we go back to Daylight Savings Time.

Adrienne Reiter said...

Congrats! I try to switch up the genres I read, but it's hard. Thanks for sharing your friend's "writer's contest" post!

Diane Burton said...

Wow. Congrats on the contracts. Don't feel too bad about the royalty statements. Most of us writers are experiencing sucky sales. I don't like the cold, either. But it's the lack of sunlight that gets to me. Daughter gave me a "happy" light that supposed to help. We'll see.

Teresa from Hershey said...

Congratulations on your contracts.
I don't know that my creativity has changed at all, other than that I'm writing it down now.
Writing (I've only been writing for a few years) has made me a pickier reader. I notice all the mistakes and errors far more than I did. All the research I do also makes me a pickier reader. I know too much to fall into a story that doesn't make scientific or logical sense.

Teresa

Elizabeth said...

Congrats on your contract! I hope your sales pick back up. That's a good, inspiring quote from Will Rogers.

I like winter, snow, and the cold (if I can cuddle up inside), but I do not like how it gets dark at 5:00. I rarely see the sunsets this time of year because of my job.

Christine Rains said...

Congratulations! That's awesome news about the contracts. I like the winter, but I know I'm in the minority there. I read across more genres too. Ones I would never have considered ten years ago. What's more, I'm enjoying these new ones. :)