mistedwords

[mistedwords]

It’s close to a year since I made any posts on this blog.

I was going along quite well with my WiP, and then some really bad news hit me at the beginning of May. That wiped me out for writing until the beginning of August, and just as I was starting to pick up the threads of my writing again, more4 bad news swamped me.

It’s taken until now for me to get my head together enough to really focus and seriously turn my attention back to my writing. I’ve come to the conclusion that the potential plot hole I was trying to darn together was just too implausible, so I’ve spent some time this month nutting out ways to come at the plot differently without completely changing the story, and I’ve done that. But in doing so, I’ve changed enough that I need to rewrite the work I hd done at the beginning of last year.

In a way, that’s good because I have to go back and start writing again, which gives me a run up to keep going when I get to the point where I broke off before. But on the other hand, that’s 16K words I have to scrape together again! Ah, well. Nothing written is ever wasted. It’s all training!

I’m also having a slight dilemma in that I may want to “rebrand” myself. My life has changed so drastically in the past nine months that I’m not the person I used to be. I think I want to put a new stamp on myself to help me feel like I’m focusing on my future and standing strong as I come out of 2021.

[mistedwords]

Handmade Wooden Wall Art by arboree

x / x

[mistedwords]

[mistedwords]

“When books are run out of school classrooms and libraries, I’m never much disturbed. Not as a citizen, not as a writer, not even as a schoolteacher, which I used to be. What I tell kids is, don’t get mad, get even. Don’t spend time waving signs or carrying petitions around the neighborhood. Instead, run, don’t walk, to the nearest non-school library or the local bookstore and get whatever it was that they banned. Read whatever they’re trying to keep out of your eyes and your brain, because that’s exactly what you need to know.”

— Stephen King

[mistedwords]

Figuring out my primary character’s backstory and there’s one part that I’m just not sure on yet. 

I need to figure out why one character acted the way they did towards Primary Character, but not Primary Character’s half-siblings. Part of it is the other parent in the scenario, but there’s more to it and I need to figure out what.

That said, in typing out my thoughts here, I just realised that I’m not going to use one of the options because the trope grates with me because of my own life experience, so that’s helpful! Now I just need to go back to my notes and knuckle down to work out *why* there’s the particular resentment there for the Primary Character!

[mistedwords]

It's been a while, friends, but I'm back, and it's Smashwords Read An Ebook Week!

Both my books are available for the whole week for 50% off - just use the coupon code EBW50 at the checkout. 

Lucky Seventh --- Never Let Go

And remember, you can buy in multiple formats, to suit your e-reader of choice!

[mistedwords]

Life has been rather stressful and exhausting in recent times, so the energy for working on my writing hasn't been in great supply. I bought myself a workbook to help me with plotting and outlining, and I'm finally making some progress sorting out the ideas that have been sitting in a lump in my head! Huzzah!!Now to keep this up for another 20-30 chapters' worth... 😅

[mistedwords]

How to be a Successful Author

How to be a Successful Author

I don’t know how many blog posts and books there are that promise to reveal the secrets to that elusive goal – that long-held dream of so many: to be a Successful Author.

But it’s such a nebulous thing. And I’ve come up with my own personal take on it.

Decide what success means to me.

Ignore the 735 steps that books I read insisted I have to take to build my audience, and instead focus on what’s…

[mistedwords]

Hello friends! Let's catch up on what I've been doing lately - not enough writing, for starters. But my local walking group has started up again, and today visited a restored boat shed which is 170 years old and was well worth saving! Pictures also of the view of Freycinet Peninsula and the nearby coastline. I have also been awaiting, with nervous excitement, the hatching of six fertile silkie eggs I had set under my hen Delphinium. Two little peepers appeared on Tuesday, and have been named Khione and Tempest, in line with their winter hatchday. A third chick started to hatch, but didn't make it. 😔 Apart from that, I've been hanging out with my backyard chickens, trying to get back into routines, and resting up because I have been exhausted and life has been rather stressful. B12 injection next week will hopefully give me a kick start. Slow work and some planning is happening for my next novel, and slow progress is still progress! LoveLove! 😘 https://www.instagram.com/p/CBkXs5-B5B1/?igshid=btlquq5kc30p

[mistedwords]

Out and about today, trying to get myself into a good routine but the days seem to be getting the better of me. I always keep on keeping on though. 😊

[mistedwords]

I need a quiet day today so I'm getting some planning in on my #WiP. And breaking up the brainwork with @inkmaster because looking at @oliverpecker and Dave Navarro is a great reward for creating a shit-ton of people from my own mind. 👍 #amplanningwriting #writer #writersofinstagram #independentauthor #chronicallyillauthor #spoonieauthor #somanydeadcharacters #thatshowiroll https://www.instagram.com/p/CA1tJWyBW37/?igshid=owhcj5epokvh

[mistedwords]

Short walk with my partner and our dogs today - have to get back into my exercise routines as well to get those creative juices flowing! #tasmania #tasmanianbush #author https://www.instagram.com/p/CAt1dkdh3dN/?igshid=1a43p7h4m6jgm

[mistedwords]

serenity-made-visible replied to your post “I have monumentally missed my writing goals for May. I didn’t just...”

I blame the chickens.

In the chickens’ defence, there was a lot of driving around for other people that I wasn’t expecting in the past month. Which was a drain on time and energy, but on the up-side, they did keep throwing money at us, so... 🤷‍♀️

[mistedwords]

Hello all! It's been a while. I'm planning to bring some regular content back to my social media, and get my writing brain in gear to get the two novels I've been working on finished and out there for people to read! Hope you're all doing well! 💖 #mistedwords #author #selfpublishedwriter #chronicallyillwriter #spooniewriter #tasmanianauthor #indieauthor #independentauthor #selfpublishing #writersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CAthXz-BiOP/?igshid=sjb4qg9uqgdy

[mistedwords]

I have monumentally missed my writing goals for May. I didn’t just miss the goals, I wasn’t even playing in the right stadium... 🙄

So, although it’s not quite the end of May yet, time to wipe that ol’ slate clean (I’ll still be going for a strong finish though!), and use the same set of goals for June. A month during which I will stop faffing about and put my Daily Author Tasks on my checklist so I’m reminded of them and I’m not just relying on my memory...

[mistedwords]

May Author Goals

I’m working on routines at the moment. I used to be good at routines, back in the days BCI (Before Chronic Illness), but now I find sticking to routines incredibly difficult. I have set up some easy ones for myself with daily tasks, and now I want to incorporate Authorly ones as well.

I set up my writing space this week, after not having a dedicated area for a while, and it’s a new month today, so those two things coming together seem like the perfect conjunction to put some goals out into the ether - and more importantly, into my brain and planner!

Write three days per week

Writing planning and development session once a week

Use writing tumblr for casual blogging at least weekly

Post to writing instagram at least weekly

Post to writing twitter at least weekly

Post on author Facebook page twice a week

Serious Author Blog Post once a month

They aren’t particularly lofty goals, but I’ve learned (finally) that I need to limit my goals, because my illnesses limit me.

[mistedwords]

Yep, that's just as convenient, Gaia! https://www.instagram.com/p/B9-zVi1Br04/?igshid=jiqzsy062i9q