STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

I’m grateful for the journey so far even if it was not all a series of success. Life is like that, the key is to always learn.

So here is what I learned so far:

1- Every writer have her own journey. Make sure you follow what you really want to do, what your own goal is, not what someone else is doing. Keep your effort focused on your own path and try not to be distracted by what everyone else is doing.

2- While it is great to try to do what established authors you admire are doing, know that you will make your own way towards your goal. Don’t feel defeated if your path is different. Just keep at it. Work hard towards your goal without comparing yourself to others.

3- Protect the work at all cost. Writing the book, then the next, then the next and so on, is the most important thing to do for your writing career. Promotion, social networking, writers loops, reading and writing blogs, writing classes are all great but they do not replace actual words on an actual page. Those other things can be very distracting and worse, take away some of your creativity that would be better used in your writing.

4- If you want a career in writing, learn to be consistent in your production. Even if your are slow, it’s better to be consistently slow ( a little every day ) then tell yourself you will write a whole book on your holiday when you have more time. Life happens, all the time. Books don’t get written if you keep waiting for ‘more time’. Develop good consistent writing habits now and it will serve you for your whole career.

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

I was kind of feeling sorry for myself but when I asked online today what was people’s writing goal, I realize that I was not alone out there fighting with myself to get this done.

So many people struggle, suffer, try to make it. I don’t rejoice in other people’s misery but I see that in numbers there is strength.

I’m not alone writing in the wee hours in the morning. Tons of other writers are also doing it and that… is comforting.

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

Wishing good writing days to all writers out there!

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

Strangely, the three of us are the only ones in our extended family that really like fantasy.

In fact, it’s because of them that I realized that I had to write it. For me there is nothing more magical than escape the real world with stories of wizards, dragons and knights of old. I buried this when I got older thinking that I had to put my old childhood passion away. But they showed me how getting old doesn’t mean changing who you are.

My oldest read the entire Chronicles of Narnia before he turned eight and my youngest is a big fan of manga and has been playing Magic the Gathering extensively since he was seven.

Between us we talk this strange language of spells, damage, attacks and otherworldly creature.

Tonight was one of those nights where we just curled up and watched The Spiderwick Chronicles. We love this movie. It’s been a long while since we’ve seen it and I’m so glad I had a chance to spend a little more magical time with my sons.

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

This is my third. On it, I record my word count or editing time, along with writing milestones such as finish editing a chapter or finish writing the first draft of a novel.

I’ve kept all my calendars and now after two years, they stand as an easy record of my writing progress. They are really useful to check at the end of the year in order to see exactly what I have done (or not).

And since I write paranormal, I found Tony Mauro’s work really inspiring since he designs the best paranormal romance cover such as Anya Bast and Yasmine Galenorn’s work.

I just love looking at it, be inspired and see my progress.

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

(image: Tony Mauro)

But wait a minute. No it’s not that it’s done. Seriously, it’s never done.

But the actual checklist itself is a pretty awesome tool. I’m using it more and more, both on paper and on my phone. The great thing about the list is that tasks are finite. They get done, they get crossed out.

It’s really useful for me because I can easily run around all day working and not feel that I have done anything at all. Now I check things off as I go along, and finally I am successful!

Even better when I write down tasks aligned with my goal!

I’m so glad I started that habit!

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

This year I have very small specific end writing goals. I need to finish things and more specifically I need to (1) finish editing and submit my steampunk novel, (2) finish editing my contemporary romance and on a whim, I decided that I also want to (3) submit a sexy paranormal romance novella that I have hanging around to an e-press that I would love to work with.

I’ve been hiding in my cave too long and it’s time to come out out out!

3 small goals… But my biggest one has nothing to do with completion. I want to focus on learning how to stay consistent with my writing production. I think the amount for now is not important (with school I’d be crazy to think beyond 1/2 hour a day) but I need to prove to myself that I can write every day and keep up a steady production. I need to learn to finish those project. Become that little engine that could (petit train va loin)

That’s what happens when you get a publishing contract in NY on the first book you write, you learn the lesson that writing is a stop and go endeavor. You bypass the steady hard work, the rejections and all that and you miss a lot of essential lessons along the way!

So my four Ps for 2012:

Positive, practice, persistence and patience!

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

So here’s a challenge, how to stay and see the positive in a bad review of your work.

It hurts, that has to be acknowledge. We all want everyone to love our work. But… this reader bought the book, took the time to read it all and write a comprehensive review. That in a way is pretty cool.

I know that she doesn’t have a personal vendetta against me, it’s just that my story was not what she likes in her reading and she chose to express that to her friends.

That’s all there is to it.

I’m still thrilled I published a book. I still love it because it was my vision, my story and the best I could write at the time. It was my first and I know that the more I practice my craft, the better I will become.

I looked back at my goals last night after reading the review and nowhere did I say that I wanted the world to love me.

I want to have books written published, that’s my goal. And reviews are part of that.

So I’m grateful someone took the time to review my work.

STAY AWESOME,
M-C xoxox

Perfect with back sweater tights, Oxfords and a black wool cardigan! Fun for my laid back neighborhood New Year party
and $6 only