Are you a Summer Slacker?

I don't know about you all, but my summer months here on the farm are ridiculously busy. Add in the kids' activities and all of the fun to be had, and you get late nights, early mornings, tired children and exhausted parents.

And that is why this Motivational Monday blog is not only coming to you late, it's gonna be short and sweet!

Yesterday my friend, author Stacey Kade (YA Author of The Ghost and the Goth Series - @StaceyKade), retweeted a great quote posted by @Quotes4Writers:

"Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend to them than inspiration." --Ralph Keyes

 

It's a great quote, and so true! And it made me think about my routine.

 

Even though I feel like I've been a total slacker lately, I realized I am keeping a routine. I still write or edit daily, unless I'm camping, even if it's only a few hundred words. I'm still setting goals for myself - both daily and weekly - but I've been careful to set my goals within a distance I can easily reach. And when things like wheat harvest pop up a week earlier than normal, I know I have to take a step back and refine my goals in order to stay sane.

 

So how about you? Have you maintained a routine this summer? Or have you been a slacker?

 

My only challenge for you this month is to have a fun (and safe!) July, while maintaining some sort of a (reasonable) writing routine. Even if it's only 100 words a few days a week, just do it to keep yourself in the game!

 

And if you don't, you have to write "SLACKER" across your forehead with eyeliner and post your picture on this blog :-)

 

Happy Writing!

 

--Kim

Looking to the Future

A couple of weekends ago, I attended my college graduation ceremony. I sat in the very back row, behind two very tall people. Even with my two inch heels, I stand no more than 5 feet 2 inches. Needless to say, I didn’t see much.

Luckily for me, the ceremony was short. (No pun intended.)

And the lack of visibility gave me time to reflect on the past three years in which I attended college, babysat full time, began my writing career, raised two children and helped my husband farm.

When I first began school, my plan was to double major, get a great job, and work full time once my children were both school age.

Things sure have changed since then.

About halfway through school, I realized writing is what I really wanted to do. I took a look at the classes I’d taken and figured out which degree I was closest to completing so I could be done with school and focus on writing.

It seemed like a waste, for a small amount of time. But I realized that I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now if I wouldn’t have gone to school. My first re-acquaintance with writing came when I had to take a children’s literature class.

I also wouldn’t be as self-disciplined as I am now if I hadn’t been forced to study. Because really, who wants to spend hours upon hours a week memorizing medical terms and parts of the nervous system?

The bottom line is – my time at school molded me into who I am today.

My motivation to return to school was not only earning a degree so I could be more competitive in the job market – I also wanted to be able to tell my children, “I went to college, so can you.”

When it came to the decision to quit college and focus on my writing…Well, needless to say, that was a tough decision. The writing industry is tough. I knew going in I may never sell my novel. I may never be published.

But I was more motivated to follow my dream than I was to work in a stuffy office for the rest of my life.

So, what motivates you to write? Why did you choose to start your novel?

In the grand scheme of things, are you where you’d thought you’d be by now? Where do you think you’ll be in a year from now?

And as for the short term…What are your goals for this wonderful Motivational Monday?

My challenge for you is twofold.

First, I want you to make a plan. Write down where you want to be next month, in three months, in six months, in a year. Put that paper somewhere you’ll see it every day – on your bathroom mirror, in your planner, on your desk or your fridge.

I want you to know it’s okay if plans change because life is always changing.

I also want you to keep your dreams in sight.

Second, set your goal for the day. And remember it’s the first step toward the big picture.

And if you don’t make your MoMo goal?

Well…the picture shows you what you’ll be suffering – lipstick smeared across your face the next time you go to the grocery. And no, you can’t just run in, get one item, and run out. You must be in there for at least 30 minutes.

So go forth and plan for the future!

~Kim

Or Suffer the Consequences

Welcome one and all to the Motivational Monday launch party!

           

(Cue fireworks, confetti, and marching band.)

            We’re so glad you could join us and we can’t wait for the festivities to begin.

            But first…

A trip to the dentist. *groan*

            Everyone HATES going to the dentist. It’s scary, annoying, and possibly excruciating. So we all put it off for as long as we can, but in the end, we put on our grown up panties and head to the office fearful yet determined.

            And what happens if you don’t go?

            Cavities. Tooth decay. Gingivitis. Funk mouth.

            None of which are pleasant and all of which might involve public humiliation.

            (Cue Motivational Monday tie-in.)

            Sometimes getting wotp can be just as uncomfortable and easy to put off. There’s that ever-growing pile of laundry and/or dishes, the moldy contents of your fridge to contend with, those pesky cobwebs hanging from the ceiling that desperately need your attention, and of course those hours upon hours of [insert your current TV obsession] that must be watched pronto.

            And what happens when you put all of those things ahead of writing?

            You don’t write at all. Which is almost as bad as having Funk Mouth.

            So, for our inaugural MoMo challenge, you need to set a writing goal and reach it. Make it tough, but attainable.

            And if you don’t make your goal?

            *snicker*

            You must black out one of your front teeth with eyeliner, take a picture of yourself, and post the picture as your profile pic in your choice of online public forums. Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you don’t have one of those profiles (You’re not on facebook?! Hello, it’s 2011!), then you must wear your blacked out tooth to run an errand where people will see your toothless grin.

Here's a fine example:

           

Post your goal in the comments section and share us with your friends. We will offer encouragement…

           

            Wait, who am I kidding? We’re not going to offer you any rosy, warm and fuzzy encouragement. That’s not our style.

            We’re going to shove you, push you, and prod you until you meet your goal because it’s what friends do for each other J

            Now, put on the grown up underwear and get to writing!

XOXO,

Vivien

The Reading Problem

You've all heard it before.
If you don't have time to read, you don't have time to write.
To be a better writer, you have to be a better reader.
All writers were readers first.
Writers *must* read, read, READ!
Ok! Shut up already. I get it.
But what happens when you give in to the advice (or compulsion) to read when you should be writing?
I'll tell you what happens.
You pick up a book.
You read.
You like the book.
You discover, thanks to the handy e-reader, that the author has four more books in the series.
"Oh," you say."I must look at those too."
And you do.
And you like them.
And then, the inevitable conclusion, you read them.
You might hear a tiny, meek voice inside your head at this point.
It's soft and barely discernible.
But it's there.
And it says, "Shouldn't you be writing?"
Well, maybe you will, but you just want to finish the chapter you're reading.
(1-2 hours and several chapters later)
"I'll just finish this book and then I'll sit down with my WIP and really get some work done."
(3-4 hours later, part way through the next book)
"What time is it? Darn. I read all the way through my scheduled writing time. Oh well. I'll just work on it tomorrow."
Hey, guess what?
That author also has another trilogy and I've heard it's REALLY good.
*snicker*
The point?
Stop reading!
I don't mean all together, just put the delicious book down for now.
I know, I know. It's really good and I'm sure that author is your favorite and she's amazing and her characters are so awesome and she is a master pacer and she--
STOP READING!
Here's the deal.
If you get 500 wotp (in MoMo vernacular that's "words on the page") you can read another chapter.
If you get 1000 wotp, you can read five more chapters.
See how it works?
Then the reading becomes a reward.
Like a cookie when you're mired in yet another diet.
The writing is your diet, the reading is a triple chocolate chip mocha fudge cookie the size of your head.
Now, place the book gently on the shelf, tell it you will see it again soon, and GET TO WORK!
And if you say, "Let me finish this chapter first," I will reach through this screen and snatch the book out of your hand and bash you on the head with it.
All my love,
Vivien

It’s Monday. And the only thing you want to do is crawl back in bed and sleep the morning away.

But the kids are hungry. The dog needs let outside.

Oh, yeah, and you have work to do.

For writers in any stage of their career, getting words on the page can be a difficult thing. There is no one looking over your shoulder, with pompoms in hand, screaming your name. No one threatening to fire you for not making our quota.

Most of us have other jobs – you know, because you need money to live. Others are solely committed to writing, maybe because they already have been published, or maybe because they’re just lucky. Or living in their car and eating out of dumpsters.

No matter where you’re at in your writing career, let’s face it. We all need a push. Or shove. Or a stiletto in the back side.

This is why we bring Motivational Monday to you.

Trust us; this isn’t for the faint of heart. We are ruthless, humiliating and downright evil.

The two of us – Vivien Easton and Kimberly Meyer – are here to help you as you wind your way down the steep, rocky, mountainside path to completing a novel.

We’ve set up this blog to help you through the tough times. To bring fellow authors together. To motivate you.

Don't expect flowery words of encouragement here or understanding when you don't live up to your potential.

You may find yourself wearing a prom dress to the grocery, walking through the mall with a piece of toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe, or going on a dinner date with your pants on backwards.

Is that motivation or what?

So what do you have to do?

On the first Monday of each month, we will post a highly effective motivation in the form of public humiliation (like the above mentioned scenarios) on our blog. Your job is to set a goal each and every Monday morning and stick to it. It can be a daily, weekly, or monthly goal. You can set it by word count, chapter, or scene.

Post your goal to the comments section of the blog. Make it reasonable, and be honest with yourself. If you don’t make your goal, you must carry out the punishment assigned at the beginning of the month.

Our first post will be Monday, May 2^nd and we look forward to seeing your goals.

And please, spread the word! We want to torture help as many people as we can. We assure you, you will never look at Monday the same way.

We’re on twitter: @momowrite