L.M. Sherwin's Blog, page 8

Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Authors

We all have them…”the Greats” in our lives. As a writer, it sometimes becomes impossiblenot to compare yourself to other authors. To some extent, this comparison can help you to grow, to thrive, and to see the things in your own work that need some fine-tuning. But most times? Comparing yourself to other authors can be more of a hindrance than a help.I’ve been there. Lots of thoughts roll around in my head like…

>>I don’t write as quickly as _____________________.

>>I’ve only sold _____________...

WIP Progress Update!

Happy Friday, everyone! I thought it would be fun today to update you guys with my progress on my current work-in-progress (WIP)! I like to do fun memes from time to time and I figured I could tag a few folks and make it a party! Want to see what writing I’ve been up to lately? Ready? Set? Let’s dive in!

1. What is the name of your current WIP?

The Uncanny Disappearance of Gerhardt Flandersen

2. Ready to do a cover reveal?

No

3. How many words are you into it?

Roughly 88,000

4. Goal word count by th...

Making Time to Write on Crazy Busy Days

Today is “one of those days”. You know, the days where your to-do list is forty miles long and there doesn’t seem enough time in the day to get it all done? Yeah, I thought you did. We all have them. On days like this, it’s easy to focus on getting those “essentials” done and letting writing fall to the wayside. Well, if you’re serious about your books and future (or current) “authordom”, folks, thenwriting is an essential to your workday. Even if you can only plink out 500 words amid all the...

Wednesday Wanderment

I thought this was a fun picture from the vacation my hubby and I took this past weekend! I just love all the greenery! Spring is GREAT! The mornings have been a little chilly, but that’s alright. I am excited to finally have some sunshine and to be able to walk outside underneath lots and lots of green leaves. Well, I suppose I’ll get onto what you came for. Wednesday Wanderment! GO!

Favorite Blog of the Week:

>> Gettin’ Pretty— *WARNING: shameless self-promotion…* If you’re interested in heal...

TOO Many Books!!

That’s pretty much how I feel right now!! I’m trying to read five-ish books at a time and it’s hard to juggle them all! How do you mult-tasking-readers do it? In all seriousness, do you ever get those seasons where you just have to read at least 3 things at a time? For the most part, I’m pretty good about picking one book, reading it until the end, andthen moving on to another tome. Lately, though, I’ve been juggling several at a time. And you know what? I LIKE it. I like having several thing...

Pomodoro for Productivity!

Now that I’m back from vacation, I’m looking to amp up my productivity and get some serious work done–not only on my books, Maiedae tasks, and blogs, but also in my home and during my life! I’m an avid reader of Ann Voskamp’s blog and recently, I stumbled across her praise of the Pomodoro technique for working and staying productive. I am SO excited to share it with you today!

Essentially, the Pomodoro Technique for productivity looks like this:

>> For 25 minutes, work onone task alone. No dist...

What You Might Have Missed

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there! We appreciate all you do and your hard work, sacrifice, and love!! What a whirlwind May has been so far. I’m honestly in shock as to how quickly this month is flying by. *Shakes head* Time just never stops does it? If you have been as busy as I’ve been lately, no doubt you’ve missed some of your blog reading. Well, here is everything you might have missed while living life this week:

>> Why I took an Extended Writing Break (and Maybe You Should...

Vacation Reads: Mists of Avalon

So while on vacation this weekend, I brought along a book.The Mists of Avalon. I’m a bit ambitious and figured I’d finish it during the 3.5 days we were gone (harr harr), but either way, I knew I’d enjoy a good read. I’ll be sure to let you know if I finished it and what I thought of it when I come back.

This is a controversial book. Some LOVE it. A lot hate it. It has been on my to-read list since I was a high schooler, so I just had to break down and find out my own opinion about it. Probabl...

Interview: Authors of Shadow War, C. Nault and M. Findley

Today on the blog, I am thrilled to be able to bring you a terrific interview with authors C. Nault and M. Findley! Their new 5-star rated novel,Shadow War, was recently released and they’re here today to talk about their work! Take it away, ladies!

1. Tell me about about yourselves! Who are the authors behind Shadow War?

CN Catherine here, from snowy Quebec, Canada. Well, alright, I’ll admit it’s straight on summer right now, but for a while it seemed like winter would never end. I’m a librari...

Leaves Talk: Spring? Really?

They’re BACK! So, I’ll admit, I was toying with the idea of nixing the whole “Leaves Talk” feature, but I had requests that they return, so since it’s springtime (can you believe it?) they’re back for the leafy seasons of of the year! It has been very cold and rainy this week. I’ve been working in my fluffiest (i.e. warmest) clothing and have had my foot warmer turned on most days.

I like spring weather like this, though. As I get older, I love the cold weather more and more! I love the winter...