Selena Blake's Blog, page 6

I Took The Weekend Off

Captain’s Log:

We took the weekend off. Unplugged.

We don’t watch the news anyway, but it was really nice to stay away from social media for a few days and work around the house. Happy to report that the yard is shaping up for spring.

We’ve detailed out our list of projects we want to work on. Since we’re keeping our distance from our friends and neighbors, it seems like a good time to weed some flower beds, build my compost bins, paint the upstairs bathroom. Basically… finish projects.

As soon as it stops raining, I’ll grab some shots of what’s blooming in my yard. If you share what’s blooming in your yard on social media, tag me. I’d love to see. I’ll be popping in and out a few times a week. Otherwise, I hope to be here on my blog, sharing what I’m up to, providing a safe soothing space.

What did you do over the weekend?

Writers: Do This, Not That

Photo by  Suzy Hazelwood  from  Pexels

Last year I realized how much time I spent spinning my wheels.

Things like checking Instagram or scrolling Facebook really add up. And sometimes, that sort of mindless vegetation is good, needed.

But I wanted to come up with alternatives I reached for instead. So I wrote out a list. I visited it again today because I think it’s a good idea to touch base with your goals and desires occasionally.

Maybe these will help you.

Instead of surfing IG, read a resource book. Highlight the good stuff.Instead of scrolling FB, make notes on an upcoming story.Instead of tooling around Pinterest, pin photos that inspire upcoming places, plots and characters.Instead of checking email, brainstorm newsletter ideas and write down 3-5 topics to talk about.Instead of checking Messenger, write to an author colleague. Ask a question, establish a dialog.Instead of listening to music, listen to a podcast. Take notes.

Do You Know What You Did?

Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

Do you know what you did, dear writer?

Have you ever gotten to the end of the week, or the month, or even the end of a year and wondered what you spent all your time on?

I have.

Way too many times.

It’s disheartening. Sometimes crippling.

I know I spent my time doing productive things. But how productive and what were they?

Sometimes it’s hard to remember and feel proud of your accomplishments. Especially with as many steps and details as indie publishing can require.

I’ve started using a section in my digital planner to track the things I got done each day. Now I have missed many days, but overall, this has been going well and I really like doing it.

One reason is that I’ll have a running list that I can look back to at the end of the year. I mean, I’ll have to click from day to day, but that’s okay.

Tracking works better than planning for me some days. Most days.

Tracking what I’ve gotten done grounds me in a way and I don’t get overwhelmed by everything I need to get done.

Today alone I formatted two different books. One for a giveaway (I always put Giveaway Copy on the copyright page.) And the other for a review (I put Review Copy on the copyright page.)

Then I realized the book I’d formatted for review wasn’t available on several vendors. So I added it.

The list goes on and on. And it’s little things like that that add up. Both in terms of the time it takes each day but also, building your catalog and career.

So consider taking a section of your planner, or create a file on your computer, and jotting down a few notes about what you got done each day.

Maybe tracking will help you.

If you feel like a digital planner might be in order, check out ArtfulAgenda. And if you decide it’s for you, tell them I sent you (referral code: RS11913)

Re-examining My Why

Photo by  Ylanite Koppens  from  Pexels

I tell you, there are some days where I just want to close my computer and be done with this writing business.

But I’m stubborn.

And yet, it feels, more often than not, like an uphill trudge through quicksand with an epileptic elephant on my back. Blindfolded.

Between book pirates and certain vendors constantly swapping out book categories willy-nilly, well, is it any wonder so many authors are throwing up their hands or silently backing away from the publishing world?

No. I don’t think that should surprise anyone.

All I know is that every day, I show up. I sit my ass in a chair or on this couch (if the dog will allow.)

I open my laptop. I write. I edit. I promote.

I market my books to the best of my abilities.

Until my eyeballs hurt because they’ve been open and staring way too long.

And then there are days where I cannot help but wonder why in the world I put myself through this madness. It is madness. I can think of no other business that requires utter focus and creativity one moment and then the business mind of a Harvard prodigy the next, all while working for peanuts.

And there’s only one answer I can genuinely claim.

The feeling I got when I was walking through my first reader conference and a woman was standing in a big long line. She glanced over and read my name tag.

And promptly screamed my name.

Her excitement and enthusiasm at meeting me is something I will never forget.

That is why I write.

That’s why I’ll continue to write.

Stuff Your eReader

I know you appreciate a deal.

Run, don’t walk to http://romancefreereads.com/ and find your next book.

Happy Reading!

PS. When you’re done reading Seduced by a Cajun Werewolf and Falling for His Fake Fiancee, finish reading the series. Links below.

The Cajun Werewolf’s Captive
Bitten in the Bayou
Seduced by a Cajun Werewolf
Mated to a Cajun Werewolf
Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf
A Cajun Werewolf Christmas

Stormy Weather Collector’s Edition
The Stormy Weather 5-in-1 Bundle

Fangs, Fur & Mistletoe
A Werewolf to Call Her Own
Games Demons Play
Pursued by a Werewolf
Bound to the Vampire

Mystic Isle (5-in-1 Bundle)

Deep Space Encounters

Reclaiming Iris
Rescuing Natacha
The Virgin Princess’s Rebellion
Deep Space Encounters (3-in-1 Bundle)

Or Gillian Blakely’s contemporary romances (available on BN, Kobo, etc):

Scoring with the Football Star (Book 1, Girls’ Night Trilogy) Falling for His Fake Fiancee(Book 2, Girls’ Night Trilogy) Saved by the Reluctant Bodyguard (Book 3, Girls’ Night Trilogy) At Her SEAL’s CommandToying With Her SEALSecond Chance with Her SEALJust a Little TasteSurprising Darcy

New Mailing List Service in Use – Watch Your Inbox

A quick heads up, Wolfpack. I’ve recently switched services for my mailing list.

You’ll be getting an email from me soon, if you haven’t already. Never fear. It is from me.

I wish I had better news than “hey, we’ve moved!” but better to do it now than right before new books hit the shelves. Right?

There should be a link in there to update your profile. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get all of the old profile data to move with us. I will however be putting together a fun giveaway soon for those who have updated their profiles. *hint* *hint*

Taking a Breather

Photo by energepic.com from Pexels

I set some pretty high goals for January.

And as I rolled up on the end of the month, I put in some extra hours, extra brain power.

And as I knocked through my to do list, I found myself burning out one afternoon. It was 5 o’clock already? No way.

Rather than pushing through, I decided to give myself a little grace.

Take a break. Eat dinner. Relax.

Sometimes writing is about knowing when to give yourself a moment of rest so that you can come back to it the next day.

So if you’re wondering when to take a break, if you need permission to rest… here is your sign. Take the break.

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What to do when you’re too close to your work

Do you ever feel like you’re too close to your work?

*Hugs my manuscript*

No. Not like that.

What I mean is, do you feel like your work isn’t as good as you want it to be? Like you’ve written and rewritten it to the point where you don’t know if you’ve polished out the spark or made it shine?

I feel like this a lot these days.

Sometimes, it’s just a matter of my natural process (which changes fairly frequently and that’s annoying.) Sometimes when I get to the middle, I get unsure of or frustrated with a book.

In the paranormal romance I’m writing I’m unsure of my hero. He wants the heroine, but he’s denying it. To himself, to her, to others. I’m not sure if that’s working for the story.

I’m in the middle of the book. I’ve been working on the story for a while. So it could be my process. It could be the saggy middle syndrome. Or it could be that I’m too close to the book.

For me, one of the most beautiful parts of my process is when I let a book rest.

This is my tip.

When you’re too close to your work, let it rest.

For me, a week is the minimum I need.

And the longer the work, the longer it needs to rest.

So for the short story I just revised, I let it rest a week. It is 2,000 words.

For a novel, it needs to rest a month. Maybe two.

Further, I might need to let a story rest more than once. Perhaps in between writing and revising and revising again.

My point is, time away from your story allows you something you can’t get any other way. Fresh eyes.

This reminds me of when I’m working on a graphic design project. I’ll often highlight the text I’m working with and then scroll through various fonts, which means the text changes from typeface to typeface. And after a while, my eyes glaze over and I legit forget how to spell the most basic words. Sad but true.

This is the same after you’d ready your manuscript one too many times.

Give your eyes a break. Give your brain a rest. Let the manuscript sit for a bit.

Mark a date in your calendar to pick it back up and then leave it alone until that date.

Give it a try and see if this method works for you.

What I’m Reading: Princess Ballot

This week I’m reading Princess Ballot by Tate James and Jaymin Even. It’s the futuristic story of an Academy where the wealthiest college students go, including the royals. Because the world is now divided into kingdoms.

Every five years they hold a lottery and offer a scholarship and this time, Violet won.

What intrigued me about this story is the push/pull between Violet, who is not a shrinking violet, and the royals who find her intriguing and hate her.

I’m only a quarter of the way in, but it’s looking like I’ll finish it.

Princess Ballot is available in Kindle Unlimited.

Writing Tip: Stream of Consciousness List

Sometimes when I’m struggling with a scene and the words won’t come, I write a list of words associated with the scene.

It could be a feeling I want to invoke, an emotion of a character, something about the setting, anything goes.

What I love about this is that rather than trying to craft a section of the story with full sentences and coherent dialog and all the things that make a book, I just concentrate on individual words and they come to me. I’ve never sat down to write one of these lists and not had words show up for me.

That’s really handy when you’re feeling blocked, at least for me.

Sometimes it feels like I can’t get any words written because I can’t figure out that first word.

But with this method, I’ve already written a dozen or two dozen, sometimes more. And often, those words show up in my prose.

So if you’re struggling to find the words, open a blank document or grab a scrap sheet of paper and list some words. What do the characters see? What colors? What do they smell? What are they feeling? Hearing? Thinking? What is the mood in the room? How do you want the character to come across? What do other characters think of them?

Here’s a peek at the list I came up with this afternoon for my WIP:

Dungeon

Dark

Manic

Maniac

Unstable

Strong

Courageous

Soul

Injured

Have you ever tried this method? How’d it go?