The question I find myself constantly asking seasoned authors is “how do you find time to write with all that you do?”

The answers vary from person to person. So I’m trying something different, for me any way. I have decided to schedule every aspect of my day. I the net four days I will no longer have to get up to get the kids off to school, so I can take that off my daily to-do-list. However, I will still get up at 7am to get my workout in. Then depending on the day I will clean a room. No more trying to clean my split level house in one day. That’s a little too much to ask of one person and then the family have the nerves to be looking for dinner. So I’m compromising with myself.

After I clean, I will read either for pleasure or for school. I can’t wait for me to be out of school. Every time I think about it, I could kick myself for not finishing the first time I went. However, life happened and I have to move on. I do feel as though I will be in school until my hair begins to grey. Technically, I will be since I’m studying to be a teacher. I do have two times, during the day slotted for reading, so I can get a lot done in those windows.

However, I only have one slot allotted for writing. The time pick gives me two hours to work with before I go to my next task for the day. Now I do understand that I may have to play with the time until I find the perfect time for my muse, but at least I have the time reserved.

My goal is to complete at least one and a half manuscripts a year. Yes, I’m being realistic with myself. While it’s possible to work on both manuscripts at the same time, I really want to focus on one at a time right now, since I’m in school and have other responsibilities.

As I become more accustomed to my schedule, hopefully, I will be able to move forward faster. I can do even better once this team nonsense I’m apart of for school ends in January.

Share with me the ways you find time or schedule time to write your stories. You never know you might prove me and others with a great plan.

Until next time,

Happy Reading & Writing

A few weeks ago, I got an idea for a new character, from the name a child calls her aunt. I thought it was so cute. The inspiration also got me thinking, I could write a YA book.

I go to my 13 year-old and ask her to suggest some topics that I could possibly tackle in the book. These were her suggestions: drama, drugs, and teen pregnancy. That’s quite a mouthful…mindful.

I think I can deliver. But then she threw me a monkey wrench- “Do a series and don’t ever end it. I will publish the last one after you die.” I wanted to say “what you talking about Willis?” But she wouldn’t have understood. She doesn’t know a thing about Different Strokes.

I am not J.K. Rowling, or Stephanie Meyers; both ladies have come to the end of their money-making, entertaining, YA series. Why would she put this type of pressure on me? One might think it’s because she has faith and believe in my talent. Knowing her like I do it’s because she invest in characters and then when their series is over she has to find someone new to invest in. I wonder will she want to read about those characters still once she is all grown?

I’m going to try to come up with something. I’m not sure what it will be, but I’m aiming for greatness. I’m taking ideas for topics that maybe interesting to teens.

Until next time,

Happy Reading & Writing!

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The above flowers are my other bunch of azaleas. My husband and I will be redoing our front yard in the up coming weeks. We’re going to bring together all three of our azalea bushes. Even though they are different colors, they still marry well and create something beautiful to look at.

Now you’re probably wondering what does my azaleas have to do with P.I.F. Well first you need to know what those initials stand for. Paying It Forward!

On Monday and Tuesday, of this week, I took part in a free, online workshop focusing on marketing or a budget. This workshop was offered by author Shelia Goss. Sidebar: My daughter loves her young adult series, The Lip Gloss Chronicles. Be sure to check out her website for more information on her adult fiction as well as her YA series.

I learned a plethora of information from Shelia and the other ladies that took part in this workshop. While we were giving her thanks and praises, she was ever so humble and said she was just sharing the things she had learned over the year. This was her way to give back.

Once upon a time Shelia was new to the writing game and someone reached back and held onto her hand giving her a little pull. Now that she is what I like to call a seasoned author, Shelia is doing the reaching back and pulling a few of us up. In doing this workshop, she was taking people from all over the US and bringing them together. We all learned from each other. Hence my azaleas connection. Put them together they are even pretty to look at. Put all the writers together, we were creative in our thinking and freely shared the information we had. Because of this we will be putting forth the effort to successfully get our books into the hands of our readers.

Paying it forward can be used in every and any aspect of your life. The blessings you bestow on someone else will cause them to beam. What better payment than a smile?

Thanks Shelia! I can comfortably say we all appreciate it.