So Much to Do, So Little Time

Another month has slipped away. I'm not finished with that first draft yet, though I've very close. And it's nearly time for the monthly posting of IWSG. You can still sign up on the list and be part of this dynamic group. There are some exciting announcements coming your way on Wednesday.
This month's question, should you decide to use it:
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

More sad news from the world of small presses. Samhain Publishing is closing its doors tomorrow. It was a powerhouse for a while but began facing the same difficulties all small publishers and indie authors have been facing over the last few years. I've heard nothing but good things about Samhain and how they've treated their authors and continue to treat them. It's still a sad time for the authors and the owners who have put so much work into their business. I'm quite worried about all small publishers.

As I've mentioned before, many small presses sell books directly from their site. The publisher and the author make more money from those sales without the middle man such as Amazon taking its cut. My latest release, The Outlaw's Savior, last in The Galactic Outlaw series, is now for sale on New Concepts Publishing Website.

The warm weather last week spoiled me a bit, but I put in lots of outside miles while exercising. Winter is back this week, but it's not so cold as some years. The good weather didn't help reduce my TBR pile which is very tall right now.

One of my top two favorite TV shows returns next week, Once Upon a Time. I noticed this week, how little live TV I've been watching. Sometimes, while I reading blogs in the mornings, I'll catch up to something on Demand such as Scorpion, Supernatural or a few other shows I like but don't love. Many times, I'd rather watch reruns on Netflix than check out any recent TV.

Does Samhain closing touch anyone you know? Is the weather strange in your part of the world? Are you ready for March?

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Triumphant Return

I didn't post last Monday, but with good reason. A young family member had some very serious surgery scheduled for last Monday at a children's hospital out of state. We spent most of Valentine's Day in a hospital waiting area. Everything went well and the child is now home again though a long way from recovered. Prognosis is good. You can imagine how stressful the past month has been while waiting for this dangerous surgery. But all is well. Apologies to those I didn't get around to visiting last week. I'll do better this week.

Some great news to share if you didn't hear. Insecure Writer's Support Group made it onto a 100 Best Writing Websites in 2017. I hope you'll check that out and share it around. I also received my IWSG pens. Really cool.

I know we all need to be concerned about climate change, but my long time readers know how I hate the cold. The weather has been so lovely and mild. It finally stopped raining and the sun even showed its face for a few days. It also made me anxious for spring.

Work on my WIP took a hit last week with everything going on, but I'm back on top of it now. I mucked through the ugly middle and am working on the last quarter of the book.

“It is better to write a bad first draft than to write no first draft at all.” ─ Will Shetterly

“Getting a first draft done is like pushing a peanut with your nose across a very dirty floor.” ─ Joyce Carol Oates

If you didn't get a chance, visit IWSG post from last week and read about cover designs and what you need to consider if you do your own. Very interesting.  And of course, read the new post today.

A TV show I forgot to mention that I've been enjoying is Timeless. It involves time travel to the past where the heroes bumble around and too often change history as they try to prevent the bad guy from doing exactly that. Each week we meet historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, Bonnie and Clyde, Hemingway, and Houdini before he was famous, and witness historic events. And recently it seems the 'big' bad guy might not be the biggie at all, though still pretty ruthless in his own right. And they don't avoid the prejudices and sexism of the past either as they encounter lots of it. It's fun.

Are you enjoying unusually warm weather this winter? Ever try pushing a peanut across the floor with your nose? Did you share the good news about our terrific IWSG? Do you have the day off for President's Day?

Business of Writing

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by writing business that has nothing to do with getting one with my WIP. I've barely typed a word into that document, leaving my protagonists hanging in the middle of an emotional scene. I want to get back to it, but other things have been taking my time.

Being a member of the board in two different writing groups makes this a busy time of year. One had new officers with new ideas coming on board. The other is in the final stages of planning this year's May writing conference with hundreds of little details that need taken care of. A five and a half hour online meeting took up most of Saturday and another few hours are needed to attack the list of chores I need to do. Sigh. Enough whining. I did make the mistake of volunteering.

I also worked three long days on a final read-through of The Outlaw's Savior, Book #3 of The Galactic Outlaws series. I forgot how much I loved those characters.

Wait, last bit of whining. I haven't had time to read this past week! Horrifying.

I wanted to mention another TV show I really like. It's on PBS in my part of the world. I think it's produced by BBC. Poldark is an interesting period piece of an honorable man struggling to fit back into society after fighting in and losing the American Revolution. It's a wonderful glimpse of how the poor and the moneyed saw the world. There's uplifting moments as well as many tragic and sad parts. It's in its second season in the States.

My big hope this week is to get back to my WIP and maybe even settle on a title. I'd planned on having the first draft done by the end of the month. Clock's ticking.

We all live in a digital world, but there are still many times I print things out. Why is ink so expensive? And I bought my husband a new razor last week. Why are razor blades so expensive? Inquiring minds want to know.


Have you seen Poldark? What things are distracting you from your writing recently? Why are ink and razors so expensive?

IWSG: February and So Much News

Welcome all to February's version of IWSG. There is so much to share. Started by Alex J. Cavanaugh, this group supports other writers by giving advice, empathy, and sharing victories and rejections. Everyone helps everyone. Wouldn't it be great if the real world worked as well as this group? I think we need Alex to run for President in 2020.

Check this out! IWSG is now offering merchandise sharing the cool graphics with the world and on your desk. You might already have a tee shirt like I do, but there's more. Go to the Merchandise Page and check it out.

The winners of last fall anthology have started a group blog to tell the world about their upcoming book. Visit Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life.

You may notice some new administrators helping to run our wonderful group, but they're probably not strangers. Welcome C. Lee McKenzie and Heather M. Gardner.

If you haven't joined IWSG on Twitter, please do. Each day we share a lot of links to great writing articles covering all genres and the business of writing.

And please welcome some new members of IWSG by visiting them on their first posting day.

Blue Fox Cafe

Kathy S Collier/Author

My Brain Injourney

The Write Project

Write Accountable

Going Solo with spelling errors

600 Second Saga

Putting the Clothes On, Taking the Gloves Off.

Northern Lights Gothic - KT Wagner

Danger, Love, and Mystery

Writers Read – That’s What They Do

Ray Pace at Large

And today's question if you chose to answer it: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

It has changed it in many ways. First, those spelling and grammatical errors jump out at me. Mistakes in POV bother the heck out of me. Use of adverbs by 'big time' authors irritates me. How come they're allowed to do that and I'm not? Being a writer makes me very critical of other works. And I'm quicker to give up on a book than I used to be. There are so many good books out there, I don't waste time on mediocre ones.

And one last thing to check out. There's some info coming out on the 2017 A to Z Blogging Challenge. Still unsure if you're going to participate? See what's up.

Thanks for sticking with me through all these links. Hope you find something interesting to read. Are you reading for IWSG merch? Are you a critical reader? Alex for president?

30 Days? Already?

Can we really be 30 days into 2017 already? My calendar says this is true. My word count says over 50K written in my new WIP in January. Haven't come up with a title for that one yet. Since I write in series, I always decide on all three titles at one time and a name for the series as well as the general plot for all three books. Still happy about the progress though as usual, crappy first draft is happening. Rewrites ahead.

A reminder that Wednesday is February 1st and that means Insecure Writer's Support Group post day. Lots of good stuff to talk about this week. If you want to use the question this week (you don't have to) it's an interesting one.
How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

I read a good book this past week. The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Livingston, book one in an epic fantasy series. So many mysteries, twists and hints of a horrific history. Though the POV characters were young, it doesn't like a YA book. Even at the end, I'm not sure whose side everyone is on. I highly recommend it if you enjoy Brandon Sanderson or Michael J. Sullivan styles of storytelling.

I've managed to catch a few hours of TV lately also. I loved Pitch last fall. If you didn't watch it, you Lucifer has been fun this season. What could be better than finding out that God has a plan to redeem his fallen angel? And the 4th season of Sherlock didn't disappoint though it managed to break my heart a little. And this Wednesday, my current favorite show The 100 comes back on for its 4th season. It's such a dark show but so interesting. Last season the protagonists battled the AI that caused the nuclear holocaust while facing their own xenophobia and tribalism. Though the supposed heroes have been victorious each season, there's no happy celebration. To win, they always have to make decisions and do things that challenge their moral codes. There's never a perfect answer and always an emotional toll. This season they're facing a second radiation danger as the nuclear power plants left unattended for almost a hundred years start to meltdown. It will be good. And that's all the TV I currently have time for.
should even if you don't like baseball.

Did January sneak by you like a slippery eel going down a water slide? Have you accomplished what you wanted this month? Find some good books lately? Are you a fan of any of the shows I mentioned?

Taxes and Anthology News

It's that time of year when we start thinking about those taxes. Those of you who are self-employed (writers) know there can be a lot of paperwork involved in trying desperately to hold onto your earnings instead of handing them over to the government. It's easy enough to google what you need to know about taxes as a writer, what forms to use, what deductions you can claim and learn that the wine you drink while writing isn't one of those deductions.

“The taxpayer: that’s someone who works for the federal government, but doesn’t have to take a civil service examination.” – Ronald Reagan

I've been doing it for almost ten years now, so I pretty much know what is what. One thing I learned back at the beginning is to organized all year long. I keep every minor postal receipt, ink receipt, travel mileage, paper purchase, membership dues, conference fees, ... you get the idea. I fill out a ledger every few weeks and mark them in their proper category. When January arrives, all I have to do is add up columns. All the receipts are kept in a folder, all in order by date. It's easy because I keep up with it. My advice for taxes, stay organized and be grateful that you have income so that you have to be concerned about deductions.

If Patrick Henry thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see how bad it is with representation.— Farmer’s Almanac

Now for some good news. The next IWSG anthology will be released May 2nd in print and Ebook. I love having those print copies on my bookshelf. Here's a blurb and the lovely cover.

Hero Lost

Mysteries of Death and Life

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Can a lost hero find redemption?

What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?

Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!

Fell back a little on my word count this past week but it was for a good cause. I hosted a baby shower for my upcoming granddaughter on Saturday. It meant a lot of prep work and a lot of shopping. Babies are expensive. I'm not glad to be old but I'm also happy not to be juggling all those expenses. Fun was had by all and the expectant parents received some wonderful gifts. One of the best parts was all of Team Gourley showing up to help with setup and cleanup. They even helped transport to and carry in all the gifts to my son's home.

The mild temperatures means more outside exercise than I usually get in January but that's a good thing. I know it probably doesn't mean good things for the planet, but I'm feeling selfish about it in the short term.

Are you ready for tax season? Do you do your own taxes or pay someone? Do you try to sneak in some questionable tax deductions? Is winter acting out of character in your neck of the woods? 

Bonus quote:

People who complain about paying their income tax can be divided into two types: men and women. — anonymous 

What Do You Do?

A great thing about being a full time writer, you can schedule those pesky appointments like the dentist and haircuts any day, any time. It's nice and relaxing, but those wonderful hairdressers and hygienists always want to make small talk.

"Are you off of work today? What are your plans for the rest of the day? Where do you work?

Now maybe I could do some marketing by sharing things about my job as a writer. But I really just want my teeth cleaned and my hair cut. People have so many misconceptions about writers and their jobs.

Yes, I work at home. A lot of people do that for their jobs full time or part time. I can work in my sweatpants or PJs. I can get a cup of coffee or glass of wine anytime I wish. But I'm still working.

Writing isn't a hobby. It's work and I do it almost everyday. Sometimes I think because so many people have to do at least some writing at their jobs, they believe writing is easier or less time consuming than it is. They are wrong.

“As far as I’m concerned, the entire reason for becoming a writer is not having to get up in the morning.” —Neil Gaiman 

Writers don't just write. We can't. There are too many other things we're responsible for if we want to make a living at this. (Or at least make some money.)  Submitting our work takes time both to research and prepare those query letters. Promotion and marketing, the bane of a writer's life, can be the biggest time suck of all. Writers who self published have even more work to do. Many writers have obligations to professional organizations they belong to such as writing groups.

So, I don't want to talk about my job when you have that sand blaster cleaning tool in my mouth, but I'm a full time writer and I work at home. Stop asking me.

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.” ─ Robert Cormier

And the writing is going great. I started a new series on January first and already have written 30K in the first book. It's going great and I'm loving the story and characters. I know I'm going to cut a lot of what I've written out when I get to the second draft, but it's on the page for now.

“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so later I can build castles.” ─ Shannon Hale

At one time, perhaps 10 years ago, I considered getting my MFA. But I was too busy at the time to attend even a low residency program let alone suck up the cost with two children still in college. So I never did, but I know a number of writers who had great success with the manuscripts they developed while attending Seton Hill's MFA for writing popular fiction. Instead of focusing on literary like so many programs, they're not afraid to go with the genre fiction courses. An entirely online MFA program is offered by University of Texas, El Paso. I've seen good reviews on their program and might have considered it 10 years ago.

Does your dentist talk to you while they're poking around at your teeth? Do they learn that in dental school? Ever consider getting an MFA? Are you having a good January in writing?