Except I just want to rant about what I don't know and need to know and haven't figured out yet. It's the end of the month with new deadlines and goals . . . and I'm so not done with April.
To the good: Got a major start on the current quilt (I balance writing with quilting so I don't sit down too long). Cleared out all those e-mails from 300 to under 100. Still too much I want to read. Wrote the article on podcasting for Spokane Authors.
Really exciting? I finished a prequel to Standing Stones (short, just 8 pages) to use as a giveaway for people who sign up for my newsletter. This gives me more breathing room to work on the novella (sequel).
What's driving me bonkers? I can't figure out how to design a form on MailChimp that looks better than a big blue box for people to use when they signup for my newsletter. And I can't figure out how to automate the sending of that new Prequel PDF.
Any other progress? Slower than I want to be on reading those marketing books. A writer sent me 68 pages for a beta review. Did read ROW80 posts by others x6 this week. And I'm making slow progress on my marketing/launch timeline/plan.
Did add 1,800 words this week to that sequel, tentatively named The Island Wife. Fun to discover that in Standing Stones, Dylan went off to Inverness and then Edinburgh. Here I am, gnashing my teeth, for I wanted him to be closer to Inverness. Then I discovered the railway where he got hired as a 'navvy' (short for navigator) ran from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Hah! Still looking for research that talks more in depth about working conditions (not good) on those Scottish railroads in the 1840s, if you happen to know a title.
What's not done: Would love to have a concise and clear set of objectives for May. Maybe that's my goal for this coming Wednesday's check-in!
Do you want to sign up for my newsletter and let me know what you think of the thank you prequel? I'm taking it to writer's group on Weds and would love to have your feedback.
Meanwhile, spring has finally sprouted here in the Inland Northwest. Cherry blossoms, tulips, and beautifully green willow trees.
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| Source: Bustle |
May your writing -- and all else -- go well in the coming week. Check out what ROW80 writers are doing HERE and on FaceBook HERE . Why not join in?
Subscribing!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're having some troubles, but I hope things will work out and make you even better at all of this.
Looking forward to reading your prequel!
Thank you, Shan. Actually, I'm really pleased with my progress this week. I guess my frustration with MailChimp spilled over into posting for ROW80. But good progress is making me smile this morning. I almost can't believe I now have a giveaway prequel for my newsletter! Yippee! And your post this week helped me see how those words like 'progress' are like sparks! Thank you!
DeleteGiven a choice, I will always try to find the positive. That's helped me through some seriously difficult times, and allowed me to be a happier person whether things go well or not...
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm a huge believer in the subterranean, invisible changes that can spur great progress - just not right this minute.
Basically, I'm a fan of win-win, and calling myself a failure for not ticking off every box on a list I already knew was probably not all going to get finished doesn't feel much like winning.
So happy my goal-spinning helped, and congratulations on the new prequel -that's big stuff! =D