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 1-13-20

When we were celebrating the holidays with my sister and family in Folsom this year, we joined them for a Christmas Eve service. The sermon was laugh out loud funny, poignant, and insightful. The priest said his favorite line from the Christmas story was when the angel instructed Joseph to “fear not.” He talked about all the things he feared, including, ironically, public speaking, and he shared how comforting and inspiring this one little line was for him.

At the start of every new year, I feel an exciting sense of potential. Time stretches out before me - time to fulfill the intentions and goals I’ve set for myself, time to spend with my family, time to travel. But, as I grow older, I also feel a twinge of fear. Disaster, tragedy, illness can sneak up out of nowhere. I’ve been around long enough to see it happen. Could this be the year something pulls the rug out from under me? Maybe.

I’m not a deeply religious person. I don’t like the saying “everything happens for a reason.” I think it’s simplistic, and to be honest, sounds really callous to someone who is suffering. But I do believe that in the midst of our life experiences, when fear makes an appearance, we can choose to be present, choose love, choose hope.

“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.”
— William Allen White

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 12-30-19

It’s that odd week just before the New Year when I can’t keep track of the days, we’re still on vacation, and time seems to be moving in a strangely sluggish manner. I’m caught between reflection and planning anew.

It’s important that I make space to reflect. When I do, it feels like I’m taking a long, deep breath. By honestly evaluating the past year, I’m able to celebrate my successes, review my short-comings, and begin to form and solidify my intentions for the New Year. Certainly, the New Year is an arbitrary date on the calendar, and we can take stock, assess, and change our course if necessary at any time, but working with a particular habit life or personal rhythm has value for me.

So, here are my writerly reflections on 2019…

It’s particularly satisfying to complete a writing project, and this year, I released the final book in my Horizon series. As an author, this milestone feels pretty significant. I’ve also worked with an incredible voice actor to convert all the books to audio, traveled around the country to various Comic Cons and conferences for signings, sold two short stories to podcasts, wrote a consistent post for Monday Musings every week, continued my work as managing editor for Inkitt Writer’s Blog, and started drafting a new urban fantasy. I’ve also started a project under a pen name and completed three novel drafts for that series. More on that next week. All in all, I’m pretty pleased with my productivity in 2019.

Of course, there’s always more I wished I could have accomplished, but I feel like I was as productive as I could be, and at the end of the day (or year as the case may be), that’s really how I measure the success of my work life.

Last year, on my list of intentions, I stated I wanted to find a way to teach more because I missed being in the classroom. This year, I taught six weeks of Latin to middle-schoolers and loved every minute of it! I also moderated several panels at conferences and Cons, which feels similar to teaching in a lot of ways.

Where I fell short professionally was my work for Book Club Babble. As a partner and senior writer, I really should have produced more content. Luckily, this is a great team to work with. When one of us can’t focus on the site for whatever reason, the others pick up the slack. But, I need to make it a higher priority for 2020.

Five years ago, with my husband’s encouragement, I changed the course of my professional career and became a writer. I had no idea what that would mean, how it would look, or in what direction things would go. I was terrified to put my work out there, knowing that so much of this industry meant facing rejection. I stood at the very beginning of a path, understanding that my learning curve would be huge, and took a chance.

Now, at the end of the decade, a decade where I consciously turned the ship, so to speak, I’ve given myself permission to list all my writing accomplishments in one place. Here goes…

THE HORIZON SERIES (winner of seven independent book awards including the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize in 2016)

HORIZON

INFINITY

EQUINOX

SHORT FICTION AND PODCASTS:

Keeper of the Light from HOLDING ON BY OUR FINGERTIPS

Quest Nine - Starship Sofa

Goodbye, Charlie - Tales to Terrify (Episode 404 - last story of the hour)

Homecoming from SIRENS

NON-FICTION:

Inkitt Writer’s Blog

Book Club Babble

Project 3.8 - collected interviews of children and families dealing with pediatric cancer

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve chosen to engage with me and my creative work, and I am both humbled and grateful for your support. I write because the stories in my head are clamoring to get out, but I also write to share them with you, hoping you’ll find yourself lost in a tale or moved in some way. Reflecting on this year, and on my writing career as a whole, leaves me with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I am so grateful to be able to pursue this art, and I am so grateful to be able to share it with all of you.

Wishing you all a very 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 12-16-19

There are many wonderful things about working in the modern era – quick communication, the ability to connect with people all over the world anytime, a more flexible work life for some of us. The down-side, at least for me, is never shutting down completely. I can get emails on the weekends and in the evenings. I can work off my laptop from an airplane, a hotel room, or my bed. This is both freeing and exhausting.

Every job comes with some vacation time as part of the deal, though. We all recognize the need to step away and make time for activities outside our professional life. But when I’m writing, I’m often in the zone, so to speak, and I don’t actually want to shut down. For me, some parts of the writing process are rejuvenating and nourishing, and the thought of stepping away completely is stressful. 

I’ve come to recognize that taking a break for me, and maybe most artists, might look and feel a little different than taking a vacation from other jobs. So, instead of trying to turn off my creativity, I ask myself what I need to feel refreshed. Maybe it is a few days away unplugged with no thought to deadlines, edits, or my work in progress, but usually not.

When I’m taking a vacation, it’s a pleasure to find writing time by the pool in the morning, or out on the deck with a glass of wine in the afternoon, or in a hotel bar at off hours. I may be fueling the drunk writer stereotype, but, really, the change of scenery feeds my imagination! The long days, with only the sunshine and a story swirling in my head, feel luxurious. I want to write. It’s joyful under these conditions.  

To me, taking a break really means finding a way to refresh and rejuvenate, and there’s no right way to do that, only the way that works for each of us. I hope you all find a way to recharge this holiday season!

“Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort. ” – Deborah Day

Monday Musings 12-9-19

I’ve been reflecting a bit on two seemingly opposite life philosophies. On the one hand, I’ve come to appreciate the long game - this idea that Rome wasn’t built in a day so to speak. A perspective that we can take time to deeply engage with something, whether that’s our career or our art. Parenting provided me with the ultimate long game perspective. I’m literally watching and guiding other human beings while they take decades to grow into themselves!

Years ago, when I was still in medical school trying to juggle parenting, studies, managing a home, and trying to pay some attention to my husband, a wise mentor suggested that yes, I could likely achieve all my goals if I stuck with them, but I certainly didn’t have to take them on all at once.

We complain about the lack of time we have, how busy we are, and how time flies, and this can certainly feel true. But what if we turn that sentiment on its head and instead consider that we do have time - if we’re willing to look at things from a long game perspective. I’ve had to do this in my relatively new career as a writer. One book, one blog post, one project does not make a writing career. I have to play the long game, and, in a way, it’s a relief. I don’t have to accomplish everything all at once. The long game view allows us time to grow, evolve, and even change our minds. It provides an opportunity to gain perspective and create something meaningful over time.

On the other hand, we have to live in the moment because this moment is the only one we are guaranteed. If we’re always looking to the future, if we don’t attend to the things and people that are truly a priority right now, we might miss out on something important.

I find when I am centered by gratitude, I’m anchored in the moment. When I appreciate the people I am with or the experience I am having right now, I’m not focused on the future. I am not thinking about the things I haven’t accomplished yet. I’m not critical of myself or of anyone else.

Some days, the long game perspective serves us well. Other days, we need to keep our head in the here and now. I think it’s a worthwhile to find balance between the two.

On another note…

I’ll be with Mike Squatrito and Heather Rigney at Ink Fish on Main Street in Warren, RI Saturday, December 14th from 1-3 pm. Signed books make great holiday gifts! Stop in and say hello.

Monday Musings 12-02-19

It’s December already! Here in New England we have that interesting “wintery mix” going on outside. But my house is decorated, complete with lots of white twinkling lights and candles, the coffee is on, and I’m wearing my snuggly rabbit slippers, so I actually feel quite cozy. As I mentioned in last week’s post, I have a whole list of things I have to do to manage my mood during the winter months and hectic holiday season. I wrote a more extensive post for the Inkitt Writer’s Blog about this. You can check it out here: Mind Your Mental Health.

Right now, I am focused on dividing up the to-do list so I don’t get completely overwhelmed with tasks that should be enjoyable but instead can stress me out if I’m not careful. This week cookie baking is on the agenda! I’ve been participating in a neighborhood cookie swap for the last decade and we’ve turned it into a good-spirited competition. This year I’m enlisting my daughter’s help - she’s got mad frosting skills - in hopes of taking away the grand prize.

So, the fact that I’ve been doing this fun thing with my neighbors for over a DECADE really gives me pause. How did the time pass so quickly? But instead of focusing on how old that makes me feel, I’m choosing instead to feel blessed. It’s a gift to have had these friends in my life for so long. It’s a gift to have events I look forward to as part of celebrating the season. It’s a gift that as a family, we have traditions we enjoy, or even laugh about, like watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the kids quoting nearly every line.

“Remember this. Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”

On another note…

Join me and dozens of other local authors for the 7th Annual RI Author Expo. Signed books make great holiday gifts!

When: Saturday December 7th, from 10 am to 4:30 pm

Where: Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI

I’ll be moderating this fun panel at 2:00 pm:

A Hero, an Anti-hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar…

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes, and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.

And finally…

If you’re looking for a new science fiction or fantasy read, check out these titles from the New England Speculative Writers. They are discounted for Black Friday and Cyber Monday! HORIZON is on the list, so if you’ve been meaning to read it, now is your chance! Sale runs through December 5th. Sci-Fi/Fantasy Black Friday $.99 Deal

Monday Musings 11-25-19

The holidays are fast approaching and my to-do list is about to become unmanageable. There’s shopping, and cleaning, and cooking, and house guests…

I love the holidays, though, and I don’t want to get completely bogged down with chores and errands and stress. So, every year around this time, I tell myself the season doesn’t have to be exhausting, and I make a list (because lists are a thing for me) of go-to reminders to help me chill. Maybe you need these reminders too?

Simplify. Not everything is urgent. Some things really can wait. Edit the to-do list. The non-essentials will be there when the hectic holiday season is over.

Do a manageable amount every day. I’ve mentioned many times on this blog that I may have an OCD-level organizational system. But, when I take the time to use my calendar and plan ahead, I feel in control of my time. I’m proactive instead of reactive. This time of year, it’s especially important. It’s also important that I’m realistic. I simplify first, and then try to tackle a little something every day.

Ask for help. This is probably a hard one for most of us, but other people can contribute. I host most holidays, but the guests bring nearly all the food. My husband and I make our shopping list together and then divide it up. The kids all pitch in to catch up on laundry, get the guest rooms ready, etc.

Focus on experiences, not stuff. Years ago, we made a decision in our house not to go crazy with Christmas gifts for our kids. We decided they’d each receive three thoughtful gifts. Instead of focusing on one day of opening presents, we tried to create a season of experiences and memories for our family. Cookie baking day, tree trimming, attending A Christmas Carol, watching It’s a Wonderful Life the Friday after Thanksgiving. We have a whole list of traditions associated with the holidays that have nothing to do with shopping or presents. This approach creates a season of things we look forward to rather than a couple of days we need to stress out about.

I remind myself to enjoy the small moments, especially as my kids get older and we aren’t in the same place together very often. It is a busy time of year, but, it’s special too. I try not to lose sight of that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday Musings 11-18-19

It’s a gray November morning here in the northeast. The days are short, the sky is dark, and it’s cold. Winter is definitely coming! Those of you who know me, or have followed my blogs for a while, know that winter is my least favorite month. I’ve learned that although I don’t really like the cold, it’s the lack of light that really messes with me. Coupled with the fact that I work from home, where I often spend hours alone and can easily convince myself pajamas are fine for all-day wear, it’s a slippery slope from cozy hibernation to something a little darker.

As the season jumps into full swing, I have to take charge of my mental health in a very active way. My general disposition is positive, and I’m usually energetic and upbeat. During the dark days of winter, not so much. But, over the years, I’ve learned the most important thing I can do when I’m not feeling my best is to be gentle with myself.

There are times when we need to power through, like during a good workout when we know we can go for a few more reps or dig for that last burst of speed. Sometimes, though, we deserve a kinder approach, or a softer motivation. Sometimes, self-care needs to be our priority. If we recognize our own rhythms and work with them, we may find equilibrium more quickly, and the dark days may not seem quite as long.

“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” -Benjamin Franklin

Monday Musings 11-11-19

My high school son got a pretty nasty concussion on the football field about a month ago. Recovery’s been steady but slow, and it shook us all up a bit. He’s now had two concussions, a torn ACL, and an ankle injury in four years. He’s decided that he’s played his last football game. It was a painful decision because he loves the sport and is a solid player, but it isn’t worth the toll on his health.

When I was young mom, I went to medical school. It took a lot of work just to get in. I wasn’t pre-med as an undergrad, so I spent two additional years prepping for the MCATs, taking the math and science classes I needed, and getting my application in order. The hard work and commitment paid off and I was accepted into my top choice school. I loved it. But, I couldn’t seem to do anything well. I was an absent mom to my two little ones. I never saw my husband. I didn’t earn the grades I wanted because there never seemed to be enough time in the day. At the end of my first year, I opted to take a leave of absence, which turned into a withdrawal.

From my own experience, I’ve offered my son a few pieces of hard-earned wisdom on letting go.

First, it’s okay to mourn what might have been.

I would have been a really good doctor, and I would have loved to devote my life to healing. It took a long time for me to let go of that vision for myself. For years, every September when school started, I’d have a longing to return. Every time I stepped foot in an ER, I still pictured myself there. It hurts to let go of a dream we've had for ourselves, and that’s okay. But…

Letting go makes space for something new if we let it.

My decision to leave medical school made space in our family for two more children, and I can’t imagine life without them - my concussed child is one of those kids! It made space for a fifteen year career in education, fulfilling and challenging work that also allowed me to be a hands-on mom. It made space for writing.

Sometimes we’re forced to let go. Sometimes we choose to. Either way, it’s a process that can be transformative if we allow it.

Upcoming Events:

Books and Beer! This Sunday 11/17, I ‘ll be at Canned Heat Brewery from 2-5 with authors Mike Squatrito, Heather Rigney, and Chris Paniccia. We’ll be watching football and signing books. There’s beer. Come and hang out with us for the afternoon!

Monday Musings 11-4-19

Usually, after a Comic Con or event weekend, I try to take a day off to recover. Today, I can’t, so I’ve got to power through and do my best. I’ve been thinking a little about what that means - doing my best. Over time, my relationship to that so-called motivational saying has changed. It used to feel like a lot of pressure, like I had to show up at the top of my game everywhere, all the time - in school, at work, as a parent. But, if I reframe my understanding of the idea, doing my best can feel like self-care, or at least like a realistic, healthy approach to where I’m at in the moment.

Today, my best means paring down my schedule to the absolute essentials. It means giving up on the idea of getting to the gym. It means asking for help to off load some of my errands. Other days, my best looks really different. When I’m feeling good, I get a lot done, from the laundry, to meeting my daily word count, to a workout, to blasting through my to-do list.

I think what I’ve come to understand is that doing my best should feel nurturing and satisfying, not stressful - whatever that means on any given day.

“Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.” - Don Miguel Ruiz

I’ll be at the Tapped Apple tonight at 6:30 pm with author Mike Squatrito reading and signing books. They’ve got great apple wine and hard cider, so if you’re local, come on down!

Monday Musings 10-28-19

I wrote my very first horror short story and sold it to a podcast. It’s live now and you can find it here: Tales to Terrify. Voice actor Heather Thomas does an amazing job, and even though I wrote it, I’m still creeped out by it! “Goodbye, Charlie” is the last story of episode 404. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.

This weekend I’ll be signing books at RI Comic Con with several local authors. Come visit me at table 613! I’ll also be moderating two panels:

World Building 101 - Saturday at 1:00 pm in room 552a

The Gift of Writer’s Block - Sunday at 3:00 pm in room 552a

I’ve also officially started writing my next book, tentatively titled Dream Walker. It’s a dark urban fantasy - think Jessica Jones meets Dexter - featuring a kick-ass anti-hero and a by-the-book federal agent. Starting a project is both exciting and scary. It’s exciting because it’s something shiny and new and my imagination kicks into overdrive at the beginning of every new project. But it’s also daunting because it feels like a very long way to the finish line. I know there will be those moments of crippling self-doubt when I wonder how I will ever write myself out of the corner I’ve backed into, or why I ever thought this storyline was a good one to begin with. At least now I can call on experience to know those feelings will pass!

Finally, here’s a picture of Yennefer to help start your Monday with a smile. She’s getting bigger, but still a little fluff muffin!

Monday Musings 10-21-19

This weekend my husband was away, the kids had full social calendars, and I found myself all alone for most of the weekend. I purposefully kept my to-do list at a minimum. Not that I didn’t miss my family, but the weekend was, well, fabulous. I had so much TIME. I leisurely worked on a writing project. I read a book. I binged watched Netflix. I cleaned my coat closet and organized my drawers. I know, that doesn’t sound like fun, but trust me, when you have organizational OCD, it was bliss.

As I look ahead toward a full calendar of company, book events, and holiday plans, I’m reminded how much I need a few days, or even hours, that haven’t been pre-scheduled with activity. I’m not the kind of person who can sit still for long, but opening up some free space is still so very necessary. We all need to recharge, and we shouldn’t feel guilty about it!

Having said all that, here’s my book signing schedule leading up to the Holidays. LOL! I’ll send more detailed info closer to each one.

NOVEMBER 1-3 - Rhode Island Comic Con

NOVEMBER 4 at 6:30 pm - Signing at the Tapped Apple (rescheduled from 10/17)

NOVEMBER 17 - Books and Beer, Signing at Canned Heat

DECEMBER 7 - The RI Author Expo

DECEMBER 14 - Signing at Inkfish Books

Hope to see you at one of these!

Monday Musings 10-14-19

At the end of every class, one of my yoga instructors leaves a notecard by our mats. The card contains a tidbit of wisdom, and it’s usually just what I need to hear on that particular morning. Last week, my card said “attention begets energy.”

I’ve been thinking about that deceptively simple phrase. I wrote a blog post for Inkitt a few months ago that talked about focusing on the things we can control in our writing life rather than the things we can’t. The idea that attention begets energy, in my mind, supports this thought and adds another profound layer to it.

If we focus on the things we can impact, on process rather than outcome, on the things that are most important to us, we’ll be more satisfied in our work and personal lives.

It sounds so simple, yet we all know it isn’t. Every day, we can be sidetracked by a hundred different things, all demanding our time and attention. We can also allow ourselves to focus on the negative in ourselves or in other people. When we do this, we divert our attention from what we say is most important to us - relationships, our art, our good mental and physical health - and we put that energy somewhere else.

Sometimes we don’t have a choice about who and what gets our attention, but most times we do. If I want to write a book, I have to create the habit life to support that goal. If my friendships are important to me, I have to make space to nurture them. If I say my health is important, I have to take care of myself. Attention begets energy.

EVENT THIS WEEK!

Thursday 10/17/19 at 6:30 pm, I’ll be at the Tapped Apple Winery for a book signing and Q&A. Join me, and other local science fiction and fantasy writers for a literary salon. Try out some excellent hard cider and apple wine while your there!

Monday Musings 10-7-19

Last week on the writing blog I manage, I asked each of my authors to share their personal top five writing tips. Advice is a funny thing. We all come from different backgrounds and we’re all at different points in our careers. For me, some bits of advice had no meaning until I’d actually worked in the industry for a while. Others were helpful straight out of the gate.

When pulling my top five together, I realized once again that these reflections likely transcend the writer’s world and may be universally helpful, especially if we’re moving into a new career. So, feel free free to replace “writer” with any number of other occupations!

Finish what you start. 

When new writers ask me for one piece of advice, this is usually it. Why? Because an unfinished manuscript will never become a book. Every writer will experience a lack of momentum, a conundrum about a plot twist, or a crippling moment of insecurity sometime during the writing process. The shiny newness of writing the first few chapters will eventually wear off, and we’ll have to power through the tough days to hit the finish line. I believe it’s worth powering through even if it’s only for the sake of getting to the end. We may have to rewrite, or even trash, some of our manuscripts, but until the whole story is out, we won’t know what we’ve got.

Patience, young Padawan.

Whether you’ve dreamed of sitting down at your writing desk and cranking out a finished manuscript by month’s end, or you thought the moment your story went live, thousands of readers would flock to read it, you will come to realize that everything in the writing and publishing world takes time. Like a construction project, your writing project will probably take more time and require more resources than you thought. We’re in this for the long game.

Kill your darlings? Yikes!

Wait, kill who? This alarming bit of advice made me quite nervous when I first heard it. Would I be required to kill off a beloved main character even if they were supposed to live happily ever after? Probably not. What I’ve come understand from this little nugget is that we have to be willing to sacrifice good bits of writing in our manuscript if they don’t serve the story. I’ve had to scrap entire well-written scenes because when I started editing, I realized the story was stronger without them. The idea here is not to become so attached to a piece of your own writing that you aren’t willing to change or discard it for the sake of telling your story better.   

Recognize the things you can and can’t control.

You can’t control reader response. Not everyone will love our stories, and that’s okay. We don’t love every story we read. Variety is the spice of life after all! Let this go. We also can’t control book sales. There are many things we can do to impact our book’s visibility and accessibility, but ultimately, we have no direct control over this. We can’t force people to read our book. We can control our work ethic, professional behavior, and commitment to our craft. We will have more satisfaction and less frustration as artists if we keep our focus on the things we can impact.

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

I’ll end here with a sports metaphor that my son has posted on his bedroom wall. We’re storytellers. Likely we have some talent at it if we’re in this line of work, just like a good athlete probably has some natural talent. But at the end of the day, if we don’t work to improve our skill, commit time and energy to our projects, and meet our deadlines, we really won’t have much of a career. 

SAVE THE DATE:

I’ll be at the Tapped Apple Winery, with my friend and fellow author Mike Squatrito on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 pm for a reading, Q&A, signing, and more. This place makes amazing hard cider and apple wine. Come spend a couple of hours with us!

Monday Musings 9-30-19

iIm going to step into the classroom today for the first time in a couple of years. The sixth grade at Meadowbrook is studying Rome, and the class teacher asked if I’d like to guest teach some Latin. Last night I dusted off my books, which thankfully didn’t burn with the school building last year, and remembered what I love so much about teaching - the many things actually.

I love that I can share something I’m passionate about and something I’m relatively good at with the kids. I love seeing their expressions when something clicks in their minds. I love when they ask interesting questions. I love that they are experiencing the deep satisfaction that comes with learning.

For me, playing with languages, whether it’s our own native tongue or one that’s mostly dead, reminds me that the human mind is creative, flexible, and powerful. With all the madness happening in the world, being with the kids, watching them solve problems together and have those a-ha moments of discovery, reminds me that for all our faults, we are quite an amazing species, full of wonder, hope, curiosity, and potential.

SAVE THE DATE:

I’ll be at the Tapped Apple Winery, with my friend and fellow author Mike Squatrito on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 pm for a reading, Q&A, signing, and more. This place makes amazing hard cider and apple wine. Come spend a couple of hours with us!

Monday Musings 9-23-19

As a writer, obtaining useful feedback on my work before it’s published is a crucial part of the process. It’s also a difficult one. Any artist in any field wants their work to be well-received, and we’re particularly vulnerable when we put it out there. But, to improve our craft, we have to figure this part out.

I’ve come up with some strategies for managing feedback. Just like the article I wrote on working through writer’s block, I think these tips might be helpful to folks outside the writer’s world too.

Ask for what you need.

When I’m looking for feedback on a manuscript, I give my beta readers (those peeps willing to read my document and take the time to share their responses) specific instructions. For example, I want to know if they’re confused at any point, if they find themselves flipping pages from boredom, if they’re responding to characters the way I intend. Asking for the type of feedback I need helps direct the process. If not, it can become somewhat of a free-for-all because everyone has personal preferences.

Trust the experts.

If I’ve hired a reputable free-lance editor, or I’m working with the publisher’s professional editor, I listen to them. They’re job is to make my story stronger. Ninety-nine percent of the time I pay attention when my editor says something needs work. On the rare occasion I disagree, we talk about it.

Pay attention to the things you hear more than once.

If I hear a similar thread in the criticism, I pay attention. With my first novel, enough readers complained that everything worked out too easily for my characters. I recognized the truth in this. I’m uncomfortable making my characters too uncomfortable. In my next novel, I focused on creating more tension for them, and I backed them into some really difficult corners. That book had more emotional depth, a more interesting plot, and got better reviews overall.

Don’t ignore your instincts.

This is still our story and we should be true to it. Even so, if enough people have a problem with a certain section, it’s worth asking why. Is there a way to address their concerns without changing the vision? For example, I had one of my main characters commit an ethically challenging act of violence. In his mind, it was the only way to assure the mission’s success and his team’s safety. The end justified the means for him in this case. It bothered some of my readers because he’s set up as a heroic figure. I believed this scene illustrated one of the terrible costs of war – the fact that good people sometimes have to make terrible decisions. Instead of changing his decision, I added more scenes showing fallout from that choice, mostly the cost to his mental health.

Do ignore the nasty.

Or better yet, find a way to laugh about it. One reader said that my first book was as boring as a bowl of tepid oatmeal. My story may be a lot of things, but it’s a multiple award-winning space opera with battles, spaceships, and evil villains. It’s not boring. I know this. Still, I fixated on that comment for a while, alternating between anger and self-doubt. Now, I joke that I’m going to have t-shirts printed with my worst reviews. Have some perspective. A couple of nasty comments aren’t going to make or break your writing career.

Criticism is hard, but necessary! At the end of the day, I hope every subsequent book I write is better than the last.

And on another note…

I’ll be at the Greenwich Hotel this Wednesday, September 25th, 6:30-8:00 pm for LIVELY LITERATI!

It's sci-fi/fantasy night at the Greenwich Hotel! Join us for a 'lively' evening of literature featuring Tabitha Lord and Mike Squatrito. Our host Guy Natelli will ask embarrassing questions, we'll read from our newest releases, and there will be time for an open mic. FREE ADMISSION, but sadly, no Romulan Ale! Hope to see you there!

Monday Musings 9-16-19

Good morning from sunny SoCal. I’m recovering from a three-day music festival, and since I am no spring chicken, this will likely take the better part of the week! It’s worth it to see so much good music though.

I appreciate live music so much more now than I did when going to concerts as a teenager. I think it’s because I understand how much talent, hard work, and perseverance it takes to maintain a career in the arts. The bands that have lasted, the ones who continue to put out great music year after year, are so freaking impressive to me.

Another fun thing about concerts is that I can show up as just a fan. Because I’m a writer, when I’m reading a book, there’s always this little part of me that’s either critiquing or coveting. I carry none of that baggage when I see a musician performing. It’s pure appreciation on my part for their art, and it’s fun!

Anyway…. since my brain is rather pickled, I’ll take this opportunity to share my schedule for the fall. I hope you can make it to one of these events. They’re all different and all really fun in their own way.

Lively Literati

Wednesday September 25, 2019 from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Greenwich Hotel

It's sci-fi/fantasy night! Join us for a 'lively' evening of literature featuring authors Tabitha Lord Jorgensen and Mike Squatrito. Our host Guy Natelli will ask embarrassing questions, we'll read from our newest releases, and there will be time for an open mic. FREE ADMISSION, but sadly, no Romulan Ale! Hope to see you there! Here’s the link to the FB invite: Lively Literati

The Tapped Apple

Thursday October 17, 2019 at 6:30 pm

Books, hard cider, and wine! Come on down for a reading, signing, and author Q&A. Tapped Apple Winery

RI Comic Con

November 1-3

Of course, we’ll be there! Panels, signings, and shenanigans. More info to come. RI Comic Con

Monday Musings 9-9-19

One of the top questions I get asked by readers and new writers alike is how to overcome writer’s block. Even if you aren’t a writer, you’re probably familiar with the idea of writer’s block. Before writing became my career, I pictured some poor soul locked in a study, up all night, staring at a blank page. In my mind, said writer looked a bit like Einstein, with all that crazy hair sticking up and a slightly manic look on his face. For some, this may actually be what writer’s block looks like, but not for me. No, for me it’s a little more subtle, but no less debilitating.

My experience with writer’s block has never been a lack of ideas, it’s been dealing with moments when I feel like I’ve lost my way. Usually, I’m stuck somewhere in my story and can’t see my way to a solution. This experience incites crippling self-doubt, and I think, “I really have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just posing. This project is going to be an utter failure, if I ever finish it all.”

Honestly, we don’t need to be writers to feel this way. I’ve been stuck, confused, overwhelmed, and lost in other areas of my life - in relationships, in my previous career, many times as a parent. We all have. Some of the practices I’ve learned to overcome my writer’s block definitely translate elsewhere. Here are some of my favorite tricks to get through the sticky stuff…

• Work anyway. Keep to your schedule, even if it turns out that any writing you do has to be tossed the next day. I often find the more I write, the more the ideas flow. Except when they don’t.

• So, take a break. This is the exact opposite of my first suggestion, but sometimes it really is necessary to step away and gain some perspective. Maybe you’ll only need a walk to clear your head. But maybe you need a real break from the pressure of a daily word count goal. Stay focused on your story, but use your writing time to brainstorm instead. Keep a notebook with you and capture the ideas when they come.  

•  Go somewhere that inspires you. I’d once committed to writing a short story for an anthology - the prompts were an old photograph from the 1800s, an event, and a name. It was a speculative fiction collection, and I immediately wanted to write a ghost story. I had a great story idea, as usual, but unfortunately, very little substance to go with it. With the deadline fast approaching, I started to panic. During a weekend getaway, I had the chance to visit an old New England village, well preserved and complete with actors in period dress. Strolling up creaky old stairs and surrounded by real artifacts from the nineteenth century, I allowed my imagination to flow, and the pieces of my story finally fell into place.

•  Talk it through with another writer. Sometimes, when you talk about it, you realize your story is more well-developed than you thought. Brainstorming with a creative friend might also help you see things from a fresh perspective.

•  If there’s a scene that excites you, write it. Sometimes, you’ll have a very clear, pivotal scene worked out in your mind, but it isn’t happening in the book for a while yet. You don’t have to write in order. If focusing on that scene gets the words flowing and reminds you that writing can be fun, go for it!

This musing was mostly for those writers I’ve met who’ve asked for help breaking through a block, but feel free to exchange the word “write” for any project that’s got you spinning in circles!