Follow that dream...plan your trip

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We survived yet another NaNoWriMo, a doomsday prophecy, Christmas with the family and snowcation. That can only mean one thing...it is time to get back to setting up those writing goals for the New Year.

I am a huge fan of creating list, so goal and resolutions are a yearly favorite.  Somethings to keep in mind as you start to come up with your own list...

• Time is ticking.  Be honest with yourself and the restrictions you have on your day. By setting up a clear regular schedule you are preparing your brain for writing. The same time everyday the process becomes easier and you can slip into the flow of it faster.  
• Re-writing takes time.  It is the beautiful stage where your lump of clay becomes refined with an artistic hand.  Make sure that serious time is given for this process, it is not one that can be rushed.
• Final edits are important.  There is nothing more frustrating then reading a book and tripping over the text because of grammar and spelling issues. If you feel it is at the stage where it is time to pass it on don't be cheap, pay someone else you trust to look it over and weed out the problems.  I have been on the receiving end of this before...please make sure that you have given it an honest attempt to fit within the commonly acceptable guidelines of our English language before expecting your poor friend to fix your pile of random words.   
• Publishing is a business for a reason.  All artist want their art shared. The process to getting it out there is scary, heartbreaking and requires just as much and sometimes much more research than writing your sweet labor of love. It is important to give this time but to also remember to keep writing. Don't let yourself get swallowed alive and stop the creating that you love. 

I have a huge favor to ask....please take my survey.  I will not track your name, or anything like that I just need information to better serve you, dear reader.  

Thank you.

Art feeds the soul

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Day 4-6...no really I'm not cheating

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I am learning a great lesson this week.  When you want something to happen get moving and seek your blessings.  You have to reach for them that is when the magic happens.  

In the process to better define my writing company I have had more writing opportunities come to me...or maybe I went to them. I have been researching, writing, rewriting and editing for the last 4 days.  From when I wake till I go to bed.  I love it!! 

A contract that I started prior to the challenge has resulted in a flood of work the last few days not to mention an article that I wrote in May needed further editing. In between all of that...I have stayed strong and continued my personal growth experience. 

My novel- I write and write and write...then had to erase 2k words the last few days.  I got rid of one of my favorite chapters.  It didn't work with the plan.  I love the writing and lovingly copied and pasted it in another document but it won't work for this book so it is out of there.  I have been putting that off for a while but not any more time to get this done. 

My blog- I have started the rearranging of the blog. (As you may have noticed.) Moving to the two columns gives me more possibilities and I can start setting up for sponsors and add a more uniform method for my dear readers to follow me and my misadventures.  Who doesn't want to do that?

I also have been working on marketing and branding.  So far the focus is on social avenues.  I think this will be the easiest to start with because of the low entry cost.  I am excited. When I wonder away from my social networks I forget about all the incredible people you meet this way.    

My business- Thankfully my contracting work has been prolific.  I am still working on the business plan...which is a little behind schedule for me.. But it will get done.  In the meantime as I work on it I am doing it.  I have contacted a few freelance groups and am looking forward to getting more work.  

My growth- Again...this part is continual. Everyday I open up my WIP and trudge through that business plan I feel validated in my growth.  I know that when I get that feeling that I am intimidated to submit something or contact someone for possible work I am growing again.  

This process is interesting.  To my family it looks like I am chilling on the sofa.  Meanwhile, I am emailing, writing, researching my butt off.  I have noticed a strange cramp starting in my right hand..pointer finger.  Pretty sure it is the early signs of carpal tunnel.  All athletes get injuries.  Maybe I need to start stretching.  

Write on folks.  

How are your challenges going?  What kind of progress are you seeing?  Any suggestions of stretching to ward off carpal tunnel? 

PSP Challenge: Day 3

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The adventure continues.  I have found that I am enjoying the structure to the day. I did get one day off because of unexpected "life" stuff but am back on it.  

My Novel:  For the last three days I have added 1k words to my WIP.  The restructure has really helped me to focus what I have and to shape it into a stronger story line.  I am happy with it.

My Blog: Well...I know how I want it set up but when I study html it makes my head spin and eyes cross.  I will have to keep working on this.  Lucky for me I have a few more days in the challenge.

My Business:  Found a great posting on this subject...well, besides the amazing ones I have been putting out there. The blog is The Self-Publisher's Notebook and he has a pretty extensive list that completely matches what I have been finding as I have been going through this process.  Swing over and check out what he has put together.

I have been researching...a ton on this.  And have more questions as I go.

My Growth: Next week will be better.  I am focusing on (this sounds redundant but...) focus.  I don't know about you when I am writing it is a full spurt of writing that blast out 200-400 words then a good twenty minutes piddling on the interwebs bouncing back and fourth between Facebook, Pinterest and what ever my ADD clings to. Then I wonder back to my writing. It is a wonder I have been getting my word counts.  Next week I am closing out all of the tabs and all of the documents and focusing on one, just one. 

P2P Challenge Day two: Refocus

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Aw now that is it!  You know it is funny the minute you set your mind to achieving great things is when a million other things come up to distract you.  That was my day 3.

A previous article I wrote needed some immediate fixes before it could go to print. Another piece I did needed to be edited and sent to the publisher. Then there was regular life. I know sounds like a list of excuses. But the thing is..it wasn't I stayed up a little late but I persisted. 

The week is set on the theme of "refocusing" regardless of the things that are thrown in front of you, one must choose.  Is it the path that others want for you or do you want to be the one that determines your fate.  

I like being in control.  

Day 2: 

My Novel- I continued working on reshaping my wip.  It was one hot mess, but now is pretty exciting.  I can't wait to see what it is by the end of day 30.  After reshaping it I have to go through and make sure that the chapters I have all contribute to the plot progression and story structure. It will take a few days to get it fleshed out and refigured into the stronger form.  It sounds overwhelming to reshape 30k words to fit the new structure but I am thrilled to be doing it. 

My Blog- I really felt like I needed to do research.  It seems stupid, I read blogs all the time but not looking for structure and the purpose of the blog. It was really interesting.  I have the blog mapped out...mostly. It is a work in progress. 

My Business- I am really enjoying writing my business plan..I know I am a sicko. It is all about pricing, goal setting and really "seeing" your business how you envision it being.  I reached the pricing section. It is all about market research.  You guys know how I love some research. :)  

My Growth- This has been my stumbling block.  Ironic.  Today I was supposed to set up my metrics for growth. I do this all the time for students. But that is easy...it is them not me. I will keep working on this today.  Grrr.   

P2P Challenge: Day One, Refocus

P2P Challenge

The challenge, Personal 2 Professional, officially kicked off yesterday. The challenge is to dedicate 4 hours of your day five days a week for the next 6 weeks (Monday through Friday) to your writing.  Each hour will focus on a different area of your writing life. For me I chose: my novel, my blog, my business, my growth.I challenge you to share this journey with me and begin your own challenge. I suggest creating your own 30 schedule.  Once it is laid out it become a process of checking the list for the day and getting started.

Challenge rules: 

1. Commit 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks to your growth in writing. 
2. Share your experience on your blog.
3. Grab our button and post it to your blog.
4. Put your name and link your blog to the linky thing below. 
5. Visit as many of us on the challenge as you can daily and share the encouragement. 

<a href=http://www.cubbybunnyiesink.blogspot.com" target="_blank"</a>

Day one: focus

Day one for me is building the challenge and determining how I want to grow over the next 30 days.  Each area required me to develop essential questions that I would need to answer as I go through this process.

My Novel

It meant really defining what the true story is that I want to tell.  I have had a picture in my head of this small town with all of these people.  Every single person has a unique story and in this single story they have been chiming in to get their story told too.  As I was writing I knew something was amiss but could not put my finger on it.  As part of my epiphany for this challenge I found an article, 'How to Create a Story Structure to Die For,' on the blog Write to done. The article discussed a model of story structure where there are really two stories in every novel.  The first story is the all of the action leading to the disillusionment of the hero. The second is everything the hero does once he has waken up from the dream. All I had was story one...my poor hero was wondering around and all this bad stuff was happening to him and he wasn't having that big moment.  

My Blogs

I didn't start blogging thinking I was providing a product.  I was writing and if someone read it and liked it, cool.  As I invested more time into my blog I started really rethinking it. What if I did make money by blogging then I wouldn't have to have that scary second job teaching students to drive... intriguing.  To make the transition I had to ask what is the product and how am I selling it?  

I decided that the product is writing...duh. I then had to decide how I wanted to position myself to make this product something that is useful to other writers.  I have mapped out several ideas.  Over the next 30 days I plan on writing a book that follows this challenge with all of the data, additional templates that the readers can use, and stories of my experience.  Some of that I will be sharing with you through my daily postings.  I also will be creating a writing program to teach on weekends to fellow starting writers that are looking to "go pro." Over the next 30 days I will be restructuring the blogs to better fit my goals and products. I look forward to hearing your advice as I proceed.

My Business

I didn't realize I owned a business till last summer.  Till then I wrote but it was a hobby. I found an article on The Guardian, 'Live Q & A: How to become a freelance writer.' The article had some great links (I love those) and it was through there that I found a template for a business plan. This week I am asking how do I defining my business and the goals I have for it? The business I have decided is multifaceted, because I like more than one pile of money and it insures I will always have something going on. I decided that Chubby Bunny's Ink has three departments: epublishing, contract writing and education. Over the next 30 days I will be more clearly defining each of these departments, their mission, goals, structures and processes.

My Growth

I needed to figure out what areas I believe I need to improve. This part was tough.  I think it was the hardest. Thinking about it I asked myself, how can I improve as a writer and business woman?  This is probably a pretty extensive list overall.  However, I decided for this 30 days I would focus on increasing my technical skill, character development, story structuring, community reach and consistency. Now I understand as a writer my life goal is to continually build my skill with all of these areas and that I will not master them in 30 days. But my goal is to improve them through steady focus for the next 6 weeks.

I look forward to hearing about everyone's journey and changes.  Please link below and start you challenge too.

30 days from now...from personal to professional writer

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Ever find a blog post that gives you a spark?  There is some kind of magical mix with what is going on with you and something clicks? It is a powerful time.  I got the chance to experience that last night. I was suppose to be in bed...it was 3 in the morning. I had stumbled from one blog to another and then locked in and could not stop reading. When I finally pulled myself from the postings I laid in bed and couldn't stop thinking what it meant. 

Funny thing is I saw this blog, Write to Done, last year and didn't think anything of it. The student has to be ready for the lesson to be learned.  

After reading and thinking I came to the conclusion it is time for a 30 day challenge:  

For the next 30 days I will focus 4 hours a day, 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks to my business of writing.  Each hour has a different purpose: my novel, my blog, my business and my growth.  I have spent the day mapping it out and cannot wait to share with you as I go through this learning experience. 

I encourage you to take the challenge with me. As a community we can create the change in ourselves that we want and need to move forward.