Something in the Air...
Scary or energizing? You decide.
I love this time of year. Many people dread the thought of colder and darker days just ahead—but I love it.
When it’s hot out, I’m kinda like this:
In contrast, cooler weather energizes me. I move more briskly and frequently, sleep better at night, and accomplish more during the day. And that’s a good thing, because a lot is happening right now.
What If We Create? (But What If It’s Scary?)
I’m deep into the second draft of my next novel, a 1930s mystery set partially in Denver and partially in a fictional mountain town. Like Anyone But Her, this novel features elements beyond our physical realm…as well as locales and characters that will be familiar to Anyone But Her readers.
More on that to come—but from a craft perspective, let’s talk about our (sometimes scary) goals.
During the past several months, I had a relatively modest 500-word-a-day goal, with the overall goal of, by the end of October, completing the first draft that I’d partially written last year. I exceeded that goal—yay!
Here comes the scary part: For the past few weeks, things have shifted, and I’ve struggled to meet my writing goals.
Setting up a chapter-based schedule seemed logical: by X date, revise through this chapter; by Y date, revise through that chapter. But it’s proving more difficult than I’d expected.
What I needed, I realized, was a goal based on time spent working. In order to revise the planned chapters by the planned dates, I also must devote a specific amount of time each day to revision.
Be Your Own Client
This is exactly what I do for my editing and ghostwriting clients. I set daily goals not only for what I’ll accomplish, but also how long I’ll work on each client’s project.
Taking a step back, I asked myself—why don’t I do that with my own writing?
I’m not the only creative who struggles with this. Most of us have multiple priorities clamoring for our time and attention, taking it away from creativity. With everything else we have going on, who has time to be creative?
When that happens, we feel haunted—not by ghosts but by discouragement.
No Shortcuts
Remedying this requires a mindset shift. The reality is, creative work, like all work, only happens when we put in the time. There are no shortcuts. (None that result in quality work, anyway.) You have to simply do it. Writers often refer to this as BICHOK: butt in chair, hands on keyboard.
Whether you’re BICHOK, standing at an easel, seated with guitar in hand, or engaged in other creative work, it takes time and dedication. For me, setting measurable goals helps.
I know it’s a challenge, but I urge to to give yourself the gift of prioritizing your creativity. See it as a gift not only to yourself but to everyone.
The world needs art in all forms. Be a part of it!
What If We Step Out?
I’m loving the opportunities to chat with readers about Anyone But Her. My events to-date have brought up great questions and generated fantastic discussions. Thank you to my hosts, The Bookies Bookstore and Arapahoe Libraries—and to everyone who has attended an event.
Next up, I’ll be at Second Star to the Right bookstore (Pearl St., Denver) on Sunday 10/27, in conversation with Mathangi Subramanian (be sure to check out her Substack, Moon Rabbit Reader).
This is followed by Reading Den (Fort Greene Bar) on Wednesday 10/30 along with Rachel Dempsey, Shastri Akella, Angela Sylvaine, and Mimi Hayes.
I hope to see you at these or other upcoming events! Details and a full list are here.
As a reminder, if your book club is reading Anyone But Her or another of my books, please let me know. I’m happy to discuss the possibility of an in-person or Zoom chat with your group. More info is here.
What If We Vote?
Election Day in the U.S. is only two weeks away! In Colorado, we have access to early, mail-in/drop-off voting. After spending last Saturday evening discussing the ballot and issues with my family—something we enjoy doing together as we cast our votes—I dropped off my completed ballot yesterday.
I’m proud to say I’ve cast my vote for Kamala Harris to be the 47th President of the United States. She represents the inclusion, forward-thinking, intelligence, and positivity we need.
For all my fellow U.S. citizens, if you haven’t already done so, I hope you plan to exercise your constitutional rights and cast your ballot. Be sure to vote for down-ticket candidates and issues, too—these, also, are vital for ensuring our nation, states, and municipalities flourish.
I hope the season energizes you—and doesn’t scare you too much! Make yourself some comfort food, curl up with a good book—and please VOTE!
Many thanks for the 'treat yourself like a client' reminder! I'm terrible at prioritizing my own stuff, but when it comes to doing quite the same for a client, suddenly there's no problem. Hah! Writing this now, I catch myself being sidetracked by the play of the autumn sun on next-door's roof and the bright vapor trail of a plane cutting across the clear sky ... and the call of a long walk through the forests ... and maybe another cup of coffee ... OK OK, BICHOK it is :-)