A little kick in the pants
And some changes
Well, hello again. It’s been a minute. I had a lengthy vacation and the holidays and simply did not write much, here nor elsewhere. Too much other stuff to do (kids with the flu, eating cookies, books to read).
But, a new year and some reaffirmed goals. I really like this time of year. I always feel I am standing at the top of a peak and looking down onto the rest of the year. As if things will come easily, a stroll downhill, unlike the trudge of getting to the top. My trudge is always fall into winter, with the shortening days (hello, SAD, my old friend).
Now, the days are appreciably longer! I have a new planner! Things are bright and shiny! Or, soggy and gray, due to my location, but I take what I can get.
I did not do much writing, but I did A LOT of thinking during my holiday. Plot points, plans for characters, things I want to adjust on the business side of things. I am excited about three new things:
I found a little writing group in my town! We met during Nano and decided to keep meeting once a month to critique and review our work. It is enormously satisfying to share with other writers. A little uneasy, because it’s my unpolished work and things are messy. But I appreciate the feedback and insight these other writers give.
I have found my stride for writing the sequel to Archer 887. I am calling it Vanguard and I think I have the main characters and POVs figured out. The structure of the first book had 3 main and 3 secondary POVs, with one of them happening all in the past as backstory. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to mirror that in this book or do something different. But, the way I’ve planned it should really showcase the different cultures and storylines.
I don’t like writing in a coffee shop or somewhere public, as I find the noise and visual stimulation distracting. But I also don’t want to sit in silence in my little office and stare out the window. Low-Fi Hip-Hop is a good option, but there are lyrics, and the tracks tend to be too short for focus. I have used rainstorm or other nature tracks, but… meh. So, I tried using the music tracks in my meditation app as ‘background’ music and I really like it! There is enough variation in the tones to be compelling, but they repeat and are low stimulus enough to let me focus on something else. I make no claims to be a great meditator, but I do recommend some form of mindfulness. If only to let your subconscious chew on new ideas. Enlightenment can be a nice bonus.
Excited with the progress I am making! I have a writing conference in March and my goal is to have a first draft of Vanguard ready to pitch if needed. 75,000 words, here I come!
You can buy an ebook or hard copy of my first book, Archer 887, here.
I use the Insight Timer app for meditation/focus, info here.
Please check out my short stories and Kindle Vella Series here!