Skip the Year End Review

Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels

 

It's that time when we review the past year. For most of us, the few bright spots were dim in 2020. I don't know anyone who wants a repeat of this year. Everyone is hoping for health, financial recovery/success and a return to the life most of us took for granted. 

I'm not reviewing the year- I just want to forget it and move on. Like Patriot's coach Bill Belichick says after a loss: "We're onto (next game)." That means no dwelling on the loss- learn the lessons and move on. The only reviewing I'm doing is to the several manuscripts I've written and/or subbed. One of my few happy moments is a publisher expressing interest in one manuscript, pending some revisions and a resubmit. 

So I leave you with wishes, hopes, prayers, and pleas for the universe and each other to treat us better.

Peace-

Char

Photo by bruce mars from Pexels 

Wahoo! I FINISHED #NANOWRIMO ON TIME!

I got behind (by a LOT) with visiting my sister, Thanksgiving, and other interruptions. BUT I DID IT. I buckled down and gave up reading, TV (except for my Patriots games) and even yoga and swimming. Sacrifices had to be made. (I'm paying for it now- going back to yoga was brutal.)

So as a treat to myself, I'm wimping out on my blog and am going to celebrate with a nice Christmas read (I'm a sucker for that stuff). I'm kind of burnt from writing, although I've made a list of plot and character problems with my NaNo book. In January I will start revisions (unless I get a mega book or movie deal from my other manuscripts. Hey, a girl can dream!).

Don't expect serious blogs for the rest of the year. I have lots going on with bell practice, cookie making, wrapping presents, and enjoying the holiday. 

Now excuse me while I dance and skip around a bit; I deserve it! 

Char

Clear Your Desk!

Monday was National Clean Your Desk Day.

I wasn't totally successful.

Things I didn't clear/put/throw away:

1. My trusty thesaurus (it's the blue book on the corner). While my laptop has a built-in thesaurus, it's not as comprehensive. My laptop version gives a few examples, my worn paperback gives more than I can use, but the right word is always there. Since I'm in the middle of revisions on two middle grade novels, that precious baby is staying right there.

2. That pile of magazines stacked next to my laptop. I want to read them, have to read them, need to read them. But... I'm reading several novels, writing, revising, outlining... I don't want to take time from them to read articles on PR, etc. The perfect opportunity to go through and read is during the commercial breaks of a TV show or the NFL playoffs. If my beloved Patriots don't make it through to the Super Bowl, there will be no excuse on a Sunday not to read those mags, take the useful info, and toss the rest.

3.  That little red can.... of chocolate. As part of my New Year's goal is to work smarter, I've allocated myself one piece when I finish something on my to do list. And it can't be just anything, like washing the kitchen floor (done) because that's not important or related to my writing. Finish the blog post and query two agents? Score! Nothing like a little cocoa bean incentive.

4.  Various papers (scattered). They are bits of novel notes that need to be filed or tossed once I've incorporated them into the respective novels. Another is an outline for a romance novel I want to write. One is my darn To Do List. I need to deal with them one at a time. I'm determined to clear my desk by the end of the month.

5.  Old agendas (under that stack of white paper which is the latest mg novel). I go through my old agendas and transfer any important info into my new agenda. Things like birthdays, book festivals, conferences and awards submission dates, contact info I've scribbled down, and again, more novel notes. I don't rely solely on my phone calendar because that's crowded with stuff like doctor, dentist, music practice, volunteer, etc. appointments. And if I lose my phone (as I have been known to do), and don't have a backup, well, I'm just in a really bad place. Always have a backup!

I've made the deadline to have my desk cleared not in one day (that's just too crazy and impractical and stress-inducing), so by the end of the month is completely doable. That's the secret to writing or anything else- be practical, know or try to anticipate limitations, and work smarter.

Char

What I Leave Behind...

Hey, that sounds like a good book title.

It's the subject of this blog post. I'm not going to wax prosaically about my goals and hopes for the new year (I have to do that for my post on Smack Dab in the Middle blog so I'm not going to cheat and do it here too. Besides, more is learned looking both back and forward. Here's what I (happily in most cases) leave behind:

1. Politics. National, local, within groups, with family, with anything. Let's all move on.

2. Hurts. Whether physical - my knee and stomach- I've taken charge of my ailments and thankfully can say that I'm feeling better, emotional - I'm singing that "Let It Go" song a lot under my breath, professional - I'm following New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick's mantra: "We're onto the next game" or personal - not comparing myself, my achievements to anyone else. I have my own universe with many possible alternative paths.

3. Some manuscripts. Either the time is not right to revise them, or I'm simply not feeling it, they'll collect dust in the drawer. I'll move onto new projects which excite me and are a better use of my time. Who knows, maybe 50 years after my death a family member will discover them and I'll be hailed as a literary icon. (Hey, it could happen!)

4.  Stupid arguments with people who only want to argue, not seriously discuss a subject. I mean really, Deflategate was bogus and some NFL fans need to freaking move on. Trump is the president, work with what is, not what you wish was. NJ will always suck at reducing taxes, electing governors, and cleaning out corruption. There are so many more, but you know this.

5.  Things that don't fit. That means cleaning out the clothes closet and donating them, or drifting away from friends who are heading in opposite directions, getting out of organizations/groups that aren't beneficial anymore, and anything that wastes my time, like books that bore me, movies that I have no interest in, and doing things I don't want to do. You get the pic. Anything that doesn't fit only ends up hurting you.

Moving on is the theme. Next week, it's a fresh start. New list of possibilities. An open arena of experiences to try. A world full of people to meet.

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com 

Wishing you all the best for 2018-

Char

Sometimes, you go with the flow...

I had no idea what to write for this blog post. There are enough authors out there putting up links and advice for writers. I don't have any cute cat pics (I'm currently very annoyed with them.)  I don't own a dog. No one wants to hear me defend my fave team, the New England Patriots (can someone say NFL corruption and show me real proof?). I'm revising some  projects I've already told you about. So....

What is it about the males in my house and dishwashers?

They don't put all the forks together, or the spoons, or the knives. That means I have to spend time and sort them.

They put 2, 3 things on top of each other. That means most of them don't come clean and they have to be put back into the dishwasher or I have to wash them by hand.

They don't turn on the machine even when it's clearly full. That means I have to put them on and in the meantime, they pile up the dishes in the sink.

They don't empty it because they don't. That means that dishes pile up in the sink because heaven forbid someone wash a dish by hand.

They cram glasses next to heavier cups and plates so that sometimes they break. That means I have to pick the glass out of the bottom and buy new ones.

I'm seriously thinking of going to paper plates.

But I know I'll be taking out 3x more garbage.

What should I do? Let me know. In the meantime, I'm going out for ice cream.

Char