It's that time of year again for goal setting. I always struggle to find that balance between pushing myself and creating unrealistic expectations, but no matter what, I'm far more driven if I've written them out. For each of these goals I've also set some deadlines and broken them down into steps, like a to-do …
Tag: amwriting
Plotting Tip: Pen and Paper
I took an unintentionally long hiatus from my blog posts during October. A combination of being sick all month, not sleeping because my son’s also been sick, and a hard deadline of getting The Island Experiment (Kepos Chronicles, Book 3) to my wonderful editor, I’ve been at capacity. Now that the book is off my …
3rd Quarter Goal Check In
There are three months left in the year, and I have a lot left to accomplish. I need to implement beta reader feedback, send my book to my editor, implement her feedback, format it, get proofs, and publish it. I also want to get a draft of Book 4 down. Looking back at my goals, …
How to Beat Writer’s Block
Writer’s Block is built up in the mind of every writer, kind of like the monster under the bed. It scares us. It hinders us. It saps our productivity. Except I don’t really believe in Writer’s Block. Like the monster under the bed, I think it’s a story. Hype. Meant to scare writers like you …
Try New Things
Today's a short post because I spent my blog post writing time messing around with GIMP. For those who don't know, GIMP functions a lot like Photoshop, but it's free. I have no regrets. As an indie author, I'm used to doing a lot of things myself. I don't have a publisher to do editing, …
Six Tips for Giving a Good Writing Critique
When I first joined my critique group, The Hourlings, I read every “getting started” document they had posted. There were several resources explaining how to give a good critique, and I benefitted from reading those resources before diving into critiques. Now that I feel more comfortable in the group, I realize that my critiques have …
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August Motivation: Commit Every Day
There are many in the writing community that crank out thousands of words an hour, edit a book in a week, and publish a book every month or two. That is not my production model, and that’s okay. Maybe one day I’ll hit that stride, but for now, all I can do is improve my …
The Writing Process: Editing a Draft, Part 2
The editing saga continues. If you’re interested in Part 1, here it is. This post will make sense as a stand alone, though, so don’t feel obligated. My next step in editing is something I learned from Liz Hayes, the organizer of my writing group, The Hourlings. This has been one of the most amazing …
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The Writing Process: Editing a First Draft, Part 1
Editing is a tough, exhausting process. It’s not glamorous like writing is. No one talks about the Editing Muse, though maybe we should, because she’s just as important. You’d think by my third book, I’d have a good idea of my editing process, but alas, like everything in my life, it’s a work in progress. …
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Productivity: How to Utilize Those Spare Moments
People talk about completing tasks or learning new skills “when they have time.” I am a firm believer in making the time for things that matter. It’s easy to complete passive activities, like watching Netflix, and it’s important to plan for down time, like reading a book or scrolling through Instagram, but if you’re like …
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Erica Rue 