Michele Venne's Blog, page 8

Maybe Progress

This has been a week where I wonder, did I make any progress? I understand baby steps and focusing on a project until it’s done and clearing tasks from a list… and even if those things are done, but there are still steps to take and more projects to do and the list of tasks continues to have items added… has there been progress made? I published a book! But I made an unfixable error.

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Finishing Energy

Joanna Penn, a successful indie author from the UK talks about beginning energy and finishing energy. She does a ton of research before she writes her thriller novels. All that builds up to support her writing the story. When she gets her manuscript back from the editor, she talks about finishing energy. She completes the edits/rewrites then publishes the book. I understand beginning energy.

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A Break

For the first time in 5 months, I get a workday off! Actually, it’s mostly 3 days. And, of course, I promptly filled the time. Today, I splurged on some self-care. Tomorrow, I’ll connect with people I haven’t seen for a while. Two of them are going through tough times, and our point of connection is gone. I likely won’t see them for a long time. I’m braving downtown on Sunday for Fan Fusion.

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Being in the Moment

I got an opportunity this week to do something I haven’t done in years. I was excited to pull out materials stored in the garage, flip through the pages, and reacquaint myself with one of the loves of my first career: teaching language arts. I’m comfortable with designing a math lesson, as I’ve been doing it for the last 20 years. But I find so many aspects of teaching language exciting and…

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A Moving Finish Line

In my last newsletter, I wrote about seasons. The times of the year when more things are happening and when there is room to relax. I see the space for, if not relaxation, at least for catching up. Part of that getting caught up is with my writing projects. I’ve been filling every available minute between client sessions with work on a math book. I’m very close to being done. Of course…

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Allowing

Just as the rocks allow the plants to grow and the water allows the rocks to contain it, life may go a little smoother if we allow (certain) changes. I agreed to change my work schedule. That means I need to allow priorities to shift. Who I help in my day job is temporary. When those hours are thick, I know I have to shift time from leisure reading and working on my writing projects.

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Filling the Well

What’s better than a writing conference with people you like? Having it be ten minutes from your house. Last weekend, I attended the regular monthly meeting and mini-retreat of the writer’s group I joined last year. An informal networking gathering on Friday evening, writing sprints and brainstorming on Saturday morning, meeting on Saturday afternoon, then more writing sprints and networking…

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One or Many?

Yesterday, I had chunks of time to devote to my writing projects. I spent a little time on the note card workbook, a little time on the vocabulary workbook, a little time on MV2. Then I realized what so many already know: to make significant progress, focus energy on one project at a time. I’ve always been able to switch hats quickly, be flexible, and have several projects open and ongoing…

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Corralling Creativity

I realized this week that I have more projects started than I planned. With The Found Gift published, I thought I could move on to completing the 10 flash fiction stories for MV2, get that out by the end of April, then continue with the first draft of The Syndicate. However, not one to balk when the muse serves up ideas, I started making notes. I remembered that a colleague mentioned they did…

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New Release

The Found Gift is published and available on my website! Right to the end, this title had dips and curves on its path into the wild. I’m pleased with the story, even if I missed my deadline by three and a half months. Here’s the description: What happens when a tropical storm and a kidnapping take place on an island days before Christmas? Tyler Henderson, owner of top-ranked Henderson…

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