Getting Stuff Done

I'm excited to have finished up the final edits for my second book in my Survivors of the Apocalypse Series, Horse Tamer's Fiery Lady. This will be my 22nd published book, not counting the ones that

are no longer published because the publisher closed. I'm not sure of my release date yet, but I'm pretty pumped up about it.

If you in the mood to do something about your author newsletter, like maybe start it, one of my writers' groups, Pennwriters, is running a class that starts today about Getting Results from Your Author Newsletter by Jessie Clever. It's open to all.

It's amazing how fast this year is going. My days are so busy, but I'm getting stuff done. I'm rearranged my living room nearly every weekend as I try to 'Elliana-ize' it. My granddaughter keeps finding her way into things I don't want her in. On the flip side, I keep having to clean behind and under things I usually only move about twice per year.

I'm also falling back into the old habit of doing a lot of my writing at night like I did when I was teaching full time. It's working for me. Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended, the dark drives me to my writing office. I am dreading seeing snow outside my window. Not too soon, I hope.

"Inspiration exists, but it must find you working." Pablo Picasso

Because I had to do editing this weekend, I didn't get to see Thor, but I play to by the end of the week. Still enjoying Poldark and The Good Doctor. The Gifted is keeping me interested. I heard a rumor over the weekend that Amazon might be working on putting together a LoTR series like a TV show. I'd give it a try though I don't see how they could top the movies.

Hope you go out to vote tomorrow if you're in the USA. Not much for us to vote for here except Township Supervisors and a judge. I'm voting for the supervisor most likely to make sure the road in front of my house gets plowed sooner than twelve hours after it stops snowing. I have simple needs.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein

Do you have any clue what Albert meant by that statement? Does the long dark days of winter inspire you to write or impede you? Do you see Thor? Hear about that LoTR rumor?

To Newsletter or Not To

Last Wednesday, Carolyn Howard-Johnson guested on the IWSG website. She offered lots of great information but one item that really caught and held my attention was her advice and opinion of newsletters.

Last year during the A to Z Blogging Challenge, my theme was a long list of things I was going to do or try to do when I became a full time writer. One of those things was starting an author newsletter. I know some writers put out regular popular publications and receive a few of them myself. As Carolyn mentions, the most successful newsletters are those that share more than promotion including her own, Sharing With Writers.

What I've decided is I'm not ready to make the time commitment a good, helpful newsletter would require. Even without the day job, keeping up with my blog and the other promotion I've been trying to do takes up a chunk of my writing time I don't like losing. I'm not saying never but for now I'll gratefully take advantage of the newsletters other writers share. Perhaps in the future, I'll revisit that thought.

I forgot to share any great little tidbits from my Old Farmer's Almanac planner last week so here's one for the season. "While creating its den, a groundhog typically removes over 700 pounds of soil." I guess that excuses them for eating all my cucumber plants last year. They needed the energy.

Do you write a newsletter? Do you receive any newsletters from writers or other professionals? Have you decided on a theme for A to Z yet?