Monday Musings 8-30-21

It’s another month with five Mondays, which means I get to write a cross-over blog for Monday Musings and Dear Maggie!

Although summer doesn’t officially end until September 22nd, this week feels like the transition to fall, at least in our house. We’ve just returned from dropping kid #3 off at college on the west coast, and kid #4 begins her senior year of high school tomorrow. While this isn’t our first rodeo moving a kid into school, we’ve always come back to a full house and business as usual with the younger kids still at home. But with our youngest a very independent senior, the house is quiet in a way it’s never been before.

In a previous blog, which you can read here, I talked about experiencing two very different emotions at the same time. Accepting that opposite feelings could co-exist, or that I could easily slip from one to the other, helped me navigate a particularly challenging time for our family.

Now, I regularly fluctuate between nostalgia and excitement. On the one hand, I can’t believe our time as parents of young children is nearly up. On the other hand, I am so excited about this next phase in our life. My husband and I have worked hard to create a marriage that’s satisfying to us as individuals and as a couple, and is about more than raising kids together. We love where we are, and we miss our kids at the same time. The idea that we can experience both things simultaneously validates each.

As our children enter the next phase of their lives, we have found a new joy in watching them pursue their dreams, discover their passions, fall in love, and grow into amazing young adults.

“To raise a child who is comfortable enough to leave you means you’ve done your job. They are not ours to keep, but to teach to soar on their own.” - author unknown

Here are some of my favorite photos from last week!

Monday Musings 11-30-20

The month of November has five Mondays. That’s right, five! What dark sorcery is this? I had a moment of panic when I realized this extra Monday would throw my carefully crafted schedule of blog posts into confusion. Generally, I alternate between my two platforms, but alas, there is so much happening in both my author worlds that I’m going to post the same information in both places today. Problem solved!

VIRTUAL RI AUTHOR EXPO - THIS SATURDAY!

On December 5 from 10 am - 4 pm, we will have a fantastic line-up of FREE panels, programs, and virtual author meet and greets. We’re using the Grenadine platform and it would be best to register ahead of time so you can plan your day. On the day of the event, live links will be available for every program. Check it out here: RI VIRTUAL EXPO. Click the button on the top navigation bar to register for the event.

Click here for more details on my events: TABITHA’S SCHEDULE

• Tabitha’s Kaffeeklatsch (meet and greet) 10:00 - 10:45 am

• Not Your Mama’s Romance (panel) - 11:00 - 11:45 am

• Kick Your Scene into Action (presentation) 12:00 - 12:45 pm

• So, You Want to Write a Series? (panel) 2:00 - 2:45 pm

• A Hero, an Anti-hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar… (panel) 3:00 - 3:45 pm

Hope to see you there!

ORDER SIGNED COPIES OF MY BOOKS!

Signed books make great holiday gifts. You can now order personalized copies of all books in the HORIZON series directly from my website. Click here to place your order: SIGNED BOOKS BY TABITHA LORD

If you are a romance fan, or know someone who is, check out my alter ego’s books. You can order personalized copies of the Tactical Solutions International series directly from Maggie’s website. Click here to place your order: SIGNED BOOKS BY MAGGIE CLARE!

FREE BOOK FOR CYBER MONDAY!

Start binging the Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense series today!

Fiona and Jake’s fairytale romance comes crashing down around them when Jake is seriously injured overseas. But when Fiona’s life hangs in the balance, Jake must resurrect his inner warrior in time to save her.

Click here to download your FREE copy of SING FOR ME.

Monday Musings 9-7-20

It’s a gorgeous September day here in New England. Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. We had dinner out and stayed overnight in a hotel. It was perfect, and life felt almost normal.

We are currently sitting on the front porch watching our neighbors with young children pushing strollers, chasing after bikes with training wheels, and walking toddlers and puppies. We’ve both commented on how much we enjoyed that time in our lives - and it was quite a long time, raising four kids eleven years apart in total. We also very much appreciate where we are now - able to take off for the night without any prior arranging, except to make sure kid #3 feeds the dog.

This Covid summer, we were limited in what we could do and where we could go, so we spent it mostly home together, enjoying this life we’ve built. It’s a full, messy, sometimes chaotic life full of laughter, tears, and love, and neither of us would trade it.

With the approaching fall, we’ll shift into busy season with work, school activities, deadlines, and early mornings. Still, our life now is the result of conscious choices and proactive decisions. We are where we want to be, and for that I am incredibly grateful.

“Happiness is a deep sense of flourishing, not a mere pleasurable feeling or fleeting emotion but an optimal state of being.” – Matthieu Ricard

And now for some housekeeping items…

• From now on, I’ll be sending Monday Musings on the first and third Monday of the month. Turns out, managing multiple author platforms while trying to produce content is actually quite time-consuming! If you’d like to follow my Maggie Clare blog on the second and fourth Monday each month, you can sign up at www.msmaggieclare.com.

• I’m working diligently on Dreamwalker, my newest manuscript featuring a badass lady assassin, and I’ll be sharing a few sneak peeks here in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

• I’ve rebooked several Comic Cons and signings for 2021. You can find those dates here: Tabitha’s Event Schedule. Fingers crossed that the world will be safe enough for us to get together in person!

• Of particular note, the Annual RI Author Expo on December 5th is going to be virtual this year. I’m the gal in charge of planning the programs and panels. So far they’re shaping up to be interesting and varied. More info to come as we get closer to the event.

As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and virtual interactions. Please do stay in touch!

Monday Musings 1-20-20

Winter is in full swing, and if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know how I feel about winter! I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t the cold so much as the darkness that brings me down after a while. But regardless, I live in the northeast, so this is part of life.

If you, like me, have to work hard to keep your energy up and your outlook positive during the winter months, remember to take good care of yourself. When it’s dark and cold, my tendency is to let things go that I probably shouldn’t in the self-care department. I don’t feel like working out when it’s still dark in the morning. I want hot chocolate and comfort food pretty much all the time. Sweat pants and a baseball hat seems like a fine wardrobe choice. Instead of fighting these tendencies, I try to incorporate them in a healthy, balanced way. Here are some other things I do:

Get more sleep. I need it and the longer nights promote it. I pretend I'm hibernating. 

Make my work space more pleasant. Candles and twinkle lights. Seriously. They make the darkness, which lasts so much longer now, feel cozy.

More yoga. It's great exercise, I practice with a group, and it's hot. Did I mention it's hot?

Outdoor time. It takes more effort, layers, and proper footwear, but when I take my dog for a hike, or even a walk around the neighborhood, I'm in a better mood afterwards.

Your methods may not be mine, but you get the idea. How can you take care of yourself during the times you feel like it the least?

“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.” — Audre Lorde

Monday Musings 1-6-20

It’s the first Monday of 2020. Last week, I wrote about the importance of reflection in my habit life, and how I like to use the time leading up to the new year to take stock both personally and professionally. An honest and thorough review of the past year helps guide me into goal setting for the new year.

So, here’s how I approach the next step…

First off, I identify a series of intentions rather than specific goals. I do this in order to leave room for unforeseen opportunities, or because I’m not sure yet how a particular intention might manifest. For example, last year, I recognized that I missed teaching, and I created an intention to bring teaching back into my life. When I set this intention, I wasn’t sure how it would play out, but opportunities came in the form of leading writing workshops, panels, and conference programs. I was also offered a chance to teach a semester of Latin. While this classroom opportunity didn’t directly relate to my writing work, it nourished the teacher in me and I was pleased to accept the offer.

This year, my intention is to get into better physical shape. With each passing year, my body changes, and with it the things I need to do to support it. I have a specific routine I follow, but it hasn’t been quite the right thing for a while now. I’m going to pay more attention this year and really focus on finding what does work.

Sometimes specific goals are needed…

This year I have a new project with aggressive deadlines. Under the pen name Maggie Clare, I’ll be releasing a romantic suspense series. With this comes building the required author platform including website, social media accounts, and promotional work.

Additionally, under my own name, I’m planning to finish the draft of Dreamwalker, a gritty urban fantasy about a female assassin who almost kills an innocent man. Think Jessica Jones meets Dexter.

And finally, I’ll continue to promote the HORIZON series with a full travel and book signing schedule.

Those are my concrete goals, complete with dates and deadlines. I’ll spend the next few days planning and structuring my calendar to accommodate them. I’ll admit to being a bit OCD when it comes to working with my calendar and to-do lists. But, my method keeps me working proactively rather than reactively, and I feel more productive and in charge of my time.

One last thought as you consider setting your intentions and goals for 2020…

Focus on things you can control. I talk about this a lot with regard to writing. There are many things in the writing world I can’t control. I can’t predict how people will react to my work, what kind of reviews they’ll leave, if sales will be robust, if I’ll make it onto a coveted list, or win an award. But I can commit to improving my craft, learning the latest marketing and promotional trends, behaving professionally, and working hard. So, when I make resolutions around my writing life, I stick to things over which I can have an impact.

I hope 2020 brings you peace and joy. Happy New Year!

Monday Musings 12-23-19

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Folsom, CA, where we’ll be spending Christmas at my sister’s house. This is the first Christmas in 26 years that we won’t be in our own home for the holiday. When my kids were little, that was my one uncompromising requirement - they would wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning and celebrate in our home. We’d travel for other holidays sometimes, but Christmas was non-negotiable. We’d host anyone who wanted to come, and for all these years, they did.

Well, the kids are all mostly grown-up now, and they’ve had a childhood full of Christmas memories, just as I’d hoped. With my sister and two of my boys now living on the west coast, it felt like the right time to try something different.

Last night, my husband and I sat at the hotel bar with all the kids and laughed for nearly the entire time, until they basically closed the place up around us. As parents, we often look back and think about what we could have done differently, how we may have handled something better, how we might have failed our kids in some way or another. But last night, sitting together watching the love my kids have for one another, I am sure we did something very right.

Wishing you and your family love and joy this holiday season.

Monday Musings 9-2-19

I like beginnings - the beginning of the day, the week, a season, a new project. For me, beginnings represent potential. I’m an optimist, I know. Instead of seeing the long list of things on my to-do list first thing in the morning, I see an opportunity to accomplish something. The downside of my nature is that my enthusiasm can fizzle out quickly. It’s not that I want to give up when a task becomes difficult, it’s more that I crave the excitement of something new. This is why it took me until I was forty to write my first book. My head was full of stories, but I didn’t have the staying power to see one through to the end.

Now that I am a little bit older, I’ve had many opportunities to stand on the other side of an accomplishment that required my sustained effort. Knowing I’ve become truly competent at something because I’ve put in the work and time holds its own kind of satisfaction. Digging in and immersing myself in a project, through the sticky, murky middle, has great value, and only by sticking with it can I appreciate both the process and the result.

Completely unrelated to today’s musing, our kitten is so adorable I can’t stop posting pictures of her. What’s better than a sleeping, purring ball of fluff?

Monday Musings 8-12-19

I like Mondays. To me, they represent potential for the new week ahead. How I feel when I wake up on a Monday morning is a good measurement of my overall health and well-being. Usually, I wake up refreshed and ready to jump into things. Sometimes, I don’t. It might be something simple like a meeting I’m not looking forward to, but occasionally it’s more than that, and I have to pay attention.

For nearly a year, I woke up on Mondays feeling exhausted, dreading my to-do lists and projects, not because I didn’t like my work, but because I wasn’t in good physical health. That was a sign for me that I needed to get a handle on things.

A few years ago, when I knew it was time to change careers, I’d wake up on Mondays weary and apprehensive. It may have been safer and perhaps easier to stay on that path, to do the familiar job I was good at, but in my gut, I knew a change would be for the better if I had the courage to take the leap.

We all have that small, still voice inside us that let’s us know if we are on the right path. It takes courage to listen, but I believe in the end, I believe we are better off when we do.

“Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.” - Henry Winkler

In other news, I’ll be at Fan Expo Boston this weekend signing books and hosting panels. Stop by booth A703 and say hello! You can find more info on the Con schedule, tickets, and programming here: Fan Expo Boston

Here’s my panel schedule for the weekend:

Friday August 16 -  6pm in room 253B

World Building 101 

Saturday August 17 - 11:30am in room 160B

Girl Power: Exploring Themes of Feminism in Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Saturday August 17 - 1:30pm in room 253C

Exploring Real World Conflicts in Otherworldly Settings

Hope to see you there!!!

Monday Musings 8-5-19

Con season is underway. Today I am writing from a hotel room in Tampa, with one heck of a con hangover! Tampa Bay was fantastic. I spoke on five panels, signed and sold dozens of books, and got to know some really interesting, kind people. If we met this weekend, it truly was a pleasure, and I’m so glad we'll be able to stay in touch through Monday Musings. You can also follow me on Instagram and FB (Tabitha Lord), and Twitter @tlordauthor.

I use this space to share personal musings, tidbits of writing advice, and lots of pictures of my kids and cats. You’ll also be the first to hear about new releases and any projects I’m working on. Since most of you newer folks are sci-fi fans, here’s a link to a short story of mine produced by StarShipSofa and performed by the amazing Andrea Richardson: Quest Nine. On my website, tabithalordauthor.com, you can also find a list of most of my published works and all the back issues of these Monday Musing posts.

We had some great discussions on the panels this weekend. For those aspiring writers interested in more info on writing craft, check out the Inkitt Writer’s Blog. If there’s a particular topic you’d like to see covered in an article, let me know. As the managing editor, I have a little pull!

Finally, I want to thank you if you bought my books this weekend. It is a joy to share my stories with readers and I truly hope you like the series! Don’t forget to leave a review:) Next stop, Boston Fan Expo August 16-18. If you’re in the area, I hope to see you there!

Below, for a Monday smile, Yennefer and Milo. Too cute for words!

Monday Musings 7-15-1

Most of you know that we lost one of our kitties a few months ago. He was a gentle soul, always right there when I needed him most. I wasn’t ready to open my heart to a new furry friend - until my kids convinced me, of course. There’s nothing quite like snuggling a tiny ball of purring fur. This little fluff muffin makes us all laugh with her playful antics. Yennefer (yes we’re Witcher fans) certainly isn’t a replacement for our beloved Bede, but she is finding her way into all hearts!

In other news, EQUINOX is now available on audio! Grateful thanks to amazing voice actor, David Draffin, for bringing this series to life. If audible books are your thing, I hope you’ll check it out. Click on the picture for purchasing options.

Monday Musings 6-3-19

A couple of months ago, I sold a short story to a podcast. It’s an incredible experience hearing your words read and interpreted by someone else. This narrator is a British actress and singer, and wow, did she do an amazing job! I just finished listening and I can’t stop smiling.

I love writing short fiction for several reasons: I can experiment with voice, point of view, and even different genres. Short stories only take me a couple of weeks to finish, as opposed to months when I’m writing a full length novel. They force me to pay attention to every word since space is limited, but I still have the satisfaction of completing a full story arc. And, as with my longer fiction, I can explore a theme through my writing. Quest Nine asks what we humans are willing to sacrifice in order to save ourselves from extinction. I know, light reading, or listening, as the case may be!

Thank you StarShipSofa, the Hugo award-winning podcast, for producing this story, and Andrea Richardson for her incredible voice acting. Please have a listen! Quest Nine on StarShipSofa

Monday Musings 5-13-19

I’ve met with several new writers over the last couple of weeks. We’ve talked about the publishing industry, writing craft, building an author brand, and anything and everything else we could squeeze in over a few cups of coffee. One message I try to convey to these folks is that no matter where we are in our writing journey, we still have more to learn, and there will always be more to do! Hopefully, with every chapter we write, with every new book we release, we’ll improve our craft and learn better, more productive ways to navigate the publishing industry. I’m striving to be better at this whole endeavor tomorrow than I am today.

I’ve been working in this space for just about seven years now. In that time, I’ve published three books, sold several short stories, been hired as the managing editor for a writers blog, led workshops and panels at conferences and conventions, and taught writing craft live and through webinars. I look at my accomplishments and still think, “I don’t put out enough content every year. I need to do a better job with my marketing plan. I need to attend more conferences.” The list of things I still want to do is endless.

One thing I have that the new writers I’ve been mentoring don’t yet is the gift of perspective. I understand that I’m in this for the long game. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when we focus on all the things we haven’t done yet, and when we create an unreasonable “to-do” list in response. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of “to-do” lists. In fact, sometimes I’ll write something on my list that I’ve already finished just so I can cross it off. Don’t judge!

But, rather than look at my list as tasks that I haven’t accomplished yet, I consider them steps in the direction I want to go. It’s a subtle shift in perspective, but it can move me from feeling completely overwhelmed to feeling productive. Maybe I didn’t hit a very high word count today, but I did finish the chapter I was working on. Maybe I didn’t design an entire marketing plan, but I did spend some time updating my social media accounts and answering reader emails. Every small thing I accomplish in a day is helping to build my future career.

I understand I can’t do everything all at once, so instead I’ve made a commitment to the journey.

Monday Musings 4-29-19

It finally feels like spring may have sprung here on the east coast. I cheated and spent last week with my sister in Folsom, where temperatures hovered around 85 degrees with sunny, blue skies every day. We even spent Saturday boating on the lake! The difference in how I feel, both mentally and physically, when there is enough daylight versus smack in the middle of winter is enormous. I do the things in wintertime to try and stay healthy, but for all that mindfulness, it’s work. One sunny day, with a few sprouting green leaves and the smell of cut grass, does more for my mindset than all the hot chocolate, warm fires, and homemade soup combined.

When the first burst of color arrives after a long, gray winter, it might not feel quite so magical if we had it all along. Don’t get me wrong, I’m slowly spending more and more time in the warm weather, and at some point, the move will become permanent, but I fully appreciate the lively birdsong after the deep silence of winter. Sometimes wading through discomfort makes the sunny moments so much sweeter. Happy spring!

Monday Musings 4-1-19

I’m just heading home from Planet Comicon in Kansas City. It was a fun, entertaining, exhausting weekend, as all Con weekends are. I love hanging out with fellow science fiction fans and introducing new people to my book series. If we met this weekend and you’re new to Monday Musings, welcome! It was an honor to meet you, and I hope you enjoy my work. Please stay in touch!

At these events, I’ll often meet aspiring writers, wearing the same deer-in-the-headlights look I’m sure I had at the start of this creative adventure, asking for words of wisdom. My advice is always the same. Finish something!

Here’s a post I wrote a while back titled Just Finish It! You’ll Be Glad You Did. If you aren’t a writer, feel free to skip this part and check out the goofy pictures at the bottom!

 It’s important to finish a task. We know this is true for most things in life. If you don’t finish the laundry, you’ll have nothing clean to wear. If you don’t finish a class assignment, you’ll get a failing grade. If you don’t finish a project for a client, you’ll likely get fired.

 For writers, finishing our work is just as important. In this case, I’m talking about finishing a draft. Here are my top five reasons why this is really, really necessary:

An unfinished draft will never become a book.

 If you have no first draft, you have nothing to work with. A terrible first draft is still better than no draft at all. Maybe this draft won’t become a book. Maybe it didn’t turn out the way you planned. Maybe you’ve lost your enthusiasm for it and want to move on to the next idea. But maybe with patience, more work, and good editing, it will become a book worthy of publishing. You won’t know unless you finish it.

You’ll learn to write even when you don’t feel like it.

There are days when I really don’t want to write. I’d rather do just about anything else, like hang out on Twitter, or clean my bathroom, but I have to because this is a job now. What I’ve learned from finishing my projects, even the ones someone else isn’t paying me to finish, are good habits. I know that I have to create a schedule and stick to it. I know I have to fiercely protect my writing time and space. I also know I have to work through writer’s block.

For me, writer’s block has never been about lack of ideas. Instead, it’s been about losing my way with a story and becoming nearly paralyzed with fear that I won’t be able to find a trail of breadcrumbs to follow back. At the end of the day, every writer faces moments when the words won’t flow, or when we simply don’t feel like doing the work. We have to have the wherewithal to do it anyway.

You’ll know you can do it.

Once you’ve completed a project, you’ll know what it takes, and you’ll know you have what it takes. The biggest factor that kept me from starting my first novel years earlier than I did was the idea that I couldn’t finish something, that I wouldn’t be able to sustain the story arc, that I just didn’t have a whole book in my head. When I wrote the last line of my first manuscript, I knew without a doubt I could do it again. Finish something. Even if it’s terrible. Only then will you will know you can.

There will always be another shiny new object.

When I’m in the drafting phase of a project, all the new ideas want to show themselves. I think it’s because my creative juices are flowing and it’s like opening a floodgate! But if I let every shiny new story idea distract me, I’d never finish anything. Instead, if something really promising presents itself, I create a folder, jot down a few notes in an outline, and save it under my “wait your turn” file. I know I won’t lose the thread of the new story, but I also have the discipline to finish what I’ve already started first.

You’ll learn to get through the sticky middle.

Writing the beginning of a story is exciting. Making it to the end feels liberating. But the middle can sometimes get pretty sticky. Once you’ve made it through the middle, which can sometimes feel like getting lost in the forest without that breadcrumb trail again, you’ll know how to do it. Maybe not elegantly, maybe not as skillfully as you will a few years and a few more novels from now, but you’ll have done it, and there’s value in the experience alone.

Keep working and I’ll meet you at the finish line!

This writer’s life is certainly an adventure!

Monday Musings 3-25-19

One of my sweet kitties died this weekend. I’v written about this guy before and posted many pictures of him on social media. He’s the one who always seemed to know when I needed a little extra love. One of his favorite spots was sprawled next to my computer on the kitchen table, sometimes even on top of the keyboard if he thought I needed a break.

The thing about pets is we know they’re going to break our hearts. Their short lifespan pretty much guarantees we’ll have to say goodbye to them before we’re ready. But the unconditional love they offer to us, and their quiet, unwavering presence in our lives makes the sadness worth it.

As hard as it was to watch my furry friend fade away over the last few weeks from kidney failure, I got to take good care of him and hold him when he passed. Hopefully, I gave him back some of the comfort he brought to me over the last couple of years.

RIP sweet Bede. You will be missed.

Monday Musings 3-18-19

So much more goes into producing a book than writing the content, a fact which caught me by surprise with my first novel. I’ve written many posts about editing, and what a big part of the process it is. But, there’s more. To take a book from idea to publication requires the expertise of many other talented professionals. It requires writers to put their trust in these folks, not an easy thing considering how attached we are to our creative work. From cover designers to proof readers, we need help to get it all done.

Recently, I’ve been working with a voice actor to produce my books on audio. This process, like publication, requires someone else’s expertise to bring the project to life. Audio is a different medium than print, and my story feels different on that platform. To a degree, it reflects the actor’s interpretation of my words. At first, this idea made me nervous, much as it did when I first started working with a developmental editor. But now, as we get started producing my third book on audio, I’m just plain excited.

I’ve thought a lot about what it means to work with other professionals in a creative space, and how important those relationships are to the quality and success of my work. Really, the rules for working collaboratively are similar in any space. It’s about building relationships. Honest, respectful communication is key, as is treating these folks like the professionals they are. I can’t control everything. At the end of the day, I have to trust the shared vision we’ve created and let them do what they do best. Letting go isn’t easy, but I’ve learned sometimes I need to do just that.

INFINITY is now available on audio. Kudos to David Draffin, the fabulous voice actor, for brining it to life. Let me know what you think!

Monday Musing 3-11-19

A friend of mine is writing a book. She’s had the idea for a long time. In fact, the story is the backdrop for an amazing product line of fairy-like beings she’s created and turned into a cool small business. She’s hesitated to do the writing for a long time, and we finally got down to the why of it over a couple of cocktails the other night.

What stops most of us from pursuing a dream - whether that dream is climbing a mountain, running a race, finishing a degree, or writing a book - is often fear. Sure, we can make up excuses. I don’t have time, I’m not in shape, I’m not really a writer. Those things may all be true, but for me anyway, the thing that froze me in my tracks before I put one word on a page, was absolutely fear. I didn’t start writing until I was forty years old because I was afraid I really wasn’t as talented as people thought, I wouldn’t be able to finish what I started, and my stories wouldn’t be any good. And the biggest fear of all was that by putting my writing into the world I’d be exposing some sensitive, private pieces of myself.

I think the only way to counter fear is by putting one foot in front of the other. When we do this for long enough, we can look back and track our movements. When we commit to doing something toward our dream every day, we will make progress. Our fear may tell us we aren’t good enough, we’ll never finish, or that others may judge us, but we can make a choice to do our thing anyway.

At the end of the day, what matters most may be our decision to admit we’re afraid and still take that first step forward.

Monday Musings 3-4-19

Last week I spent a couple of hours presenting the Horizon series to an interested third party. It was so much fun to talk about the story arc I’d created, my beloved characters and how they’d developed over time, and the major themes I was interested in exploring through my writing.

When I finished, he asked me whether I’d considered making different choices around particular plot points, or taking any of the action in a different direction. Essentially, he wanted to know how I decided which choices were the right ones for my story. From that conversation, I wrote a blog post titled Have You Lost the Plot? While the post focuses on writing craft, and how to make sure a manuscript doesn’t veer too far from the intended story, I realized I could have easily been talking about life.

Living intentionally is a bit like working on a manuscript. As we craft the narrative of our own lives, we have to have a vision for our story. We have to make choices that support this vision. And, we have to allow room for the unexpected plot twists that will inevitably take us by surprise.

When I feel like I’ve lost the plot, so to speak, it usually means I need to adjust my choices so they better support the story I want to tell.

Monday Musings 2-25-19

Equinox is finished! It’s a strange feeling indeed to have completed the last book in this series, a series I’ve been working on for over six years. I’ve lived in this made-up world, fallen in love with the characters, put them through some tough stuff, and now it’s time to say goodbye. It’s bittersweet, but it’s time.

As I get older, I’ve experienced moving on in many areas of my life. From changing jobs, to moving houses, to watching kids go off to college, letting go is part of the deal, and sometimes knowing when to let go is the trick.

My style, with writing, with the other work I’ve done over the years, with my home life, is to fully invest. I throw my whole self into the experience. I’m all in. I make mistakes, I learn, I grow. But because I’ve given it my full attention, when it’s time to move on, I usually feel ready. I may be nostalgic, but generally, I don’t have regrets.

When I typed “the end” on the last page, it was with a little bit of sadness but also a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I’ve worked hard to improve my craft over these last six years. I’ve learned a ton about the publishing industry. I’ve been invited to teach what I’ve learned. Most importantly, with these books, I think I’ve told a good story.

Equinox will release on May 7th. I hope you enjoy!

Monday Musings 2-18-19

I’ve been working on Equinox edits for a couple of weeks now, and if I want to make my release deadline, I have to keep my nose down and finish. For the last three days, I haven’t moved much from my spot on the couch. There are printed documents strewn everywhere, laundry piled on the kitchen table, and I’m wearing the same pajamas I had on three days ago.

It’s funny, but I don’t really mind. I know this state of suspended reality isn’t going to last. Eventually, the rest of my life will need to be tended to and I’ll be more than ready to get back to it. For now, though, my full focus is on finishing this story and I’ve enjoyed giving it my full attention for the home stretch.

This feeling of being so connected to something you’ve made, and realizing you’re almost ready to share it with the world, is a strange and wonderful part of the creative process. It’s also a time when I know most writers and artists feel pretty vulnerable. We’ve poured ourselves into our work and we have no idea how that work will be received. When I finished writing my first novel, Horizon, I wrote an entire blog post on this subject: Handle with Care. Here’s a little snippet that captures the sentiment:

Any artist in any field understands that to share our work is to be vulnerable. We’ve risked opening our hearts to strangers - with words, in images, with a paintbrush, on a stage. We’ve put something of our private selves out into the world. Even my stories, full of spaceships and evil villains, myths and magic, have some of the real “me” in them. People who know me well will recognize those pieces. But it’s worth it to tell the story. And I’m learning to make peace with the discomfort.

As I finish this last round of edits for the last book in this series, I’m more confident in myself as a writer and in my craft. My skin is definitely thicker when it comes to criticism, but there’s still a moment of hesitation, a bit of discomfort and fragility. What I’ve learned, though, is it’s a pretty universal feeling among us artsy types. When I’m feeling it, I have a whole community of people who encourage me. When I have a chance to offer that encouragement back, I do. And I really am learning to make peace with the discomfort.