A Day in the Life of Ralene

Last week, we discussed the steps anyone who wants to be a writer should take. One of the suggestions was to make time in your schedule to write. After all, how will you ever be a writer if you don't get to write?

Now, I know in this day and age we have so much to keep us busy. If you're anything like me, you have everything from work to family to house to writing. Oy! It all adds up!

People keep asking me, both on the blog and in real life, how I do it all. Honestly, I'm bewildered because I definitely don't think I have it all together. There are days when I am stressed beyond belief. Still, I thought I'd give you a peak at "A Day in the Life of Ralene". Then, on Wednesday, I'll offer tips and tricks for carving out a schedule that works for YOU (not me, YOU).


A Day in the Life of Ralene:

5:45-Alarm goes off

5:45-6:45-Quiet time and morning rountine

6:45-8:00-Emails/Blogs/Social Media
7:00-Wake up kids (if they aren't already)
7:30-Breakfast (yes, I'm a horrible mother, I check my emails during breakfast)

8:00-9:00-Misc, sometimes I clean, sometimes I finish up emails, sometimes I help the kids get ready for the day

9:00-11:30-School
9:00-Baby goes down for nap

11:30-1:00-Lunch and cleaning

1:00-3:00-Kids rest time, me writing blogs/reviews

3:00-5:00-Free time to hang with kids/watch a TV show/read

5:00-Start on dinner, we usually eat about 5:45/6

7:00-Hubby takes over with kids, writing for me

8:00-Bedtime for kids

10:00-Reading

10:30-Lights out for me


For me, this is a good balance. It offers time for the things that need to be done (housework, school) with the things I like to do (writing, spend time with family).

Of course, this is an ideal day. I have to keep myself flexible for the needs of those in my life--family, friends, church family. Sometimes I'll have a week that needs to be more writing focused (like when I am prepping for a contest), or one that is more family dependant (like when I have a sick kid or there's a holiday).

The first thing that suffers if things get out of whack is the houskeeping. It's my least favorite, so I have absolutely no qualms with putting off dusting until tomorrow...or the next day, or the next. If that goes on for too long though, I go into cleaning overdrive!

So, that's a glimpse at my day and what goes on. Stay tuned because on Wednesday, I'll offer tips and tricks for making your schedule work for you.

In the meantime, what about you? What do you do to get it all done?

So You Wanna Be a Writer? (Pt 2)

So You Wanna Be a Writer…Pt 2

On Monday, we discussed what comes next after you decide that you are, in fact, a writer. As a quick refresher:
10. Start to Budget for extras.
9. Join national/local groups for writers.
8. BICHOK
7. Start small, dream big.
6. Join a critique group.
5. Adjust your schedule to allow time to write.
4. Don’t give up on reading!
3. Write, write, write!
2. Read every book on the craft you can get your hands on.

And now for the ugly truth.

The number one thing that a new writer has to do is…

LET GO OF YOUR ILLUSIONS.

I know, I know—“But, Ralene, I don’t have any illusions. I don’t expect to be the next “insert name of famous author here”.” (Did I even punctuate that right? Oy!)

Trust me…that’s not the only myths that new writers (and some not so new writers as well). I could start a whole different Top 10 for that, and maybe I will someday, but not now. Instead, I just want to let you in on a few little secrets.

Writing isn’t easy.

That’s the biggie. You may have cranked out 70-200K words blindfolded with one hand behind your back. Sorry—it ain’t that easy. Some of the best times for a writer are when they are creating a new story. They get to live vicariously through their characters and experience things they may not otherwise (or possibly re-experience something they already went through). It’s fun to discover new people, places, and ideas.

It’s also hard work and little immediate return. When you commit to writing, something always gets sacrificed. For some it’s time with family, others it’s their social life, and still others (like me) it’s stuff like housekeeping, hobbies, etc. For some, it’s all of the above. Writing can be a very lonely profession. (And people wonder why we’re obsessed with Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and other social media!)

Sometimes, though, we just want to give in. Give in to that TV show, give in to that date with the girls, give in to that voice in the back of our head telling us we’ll never amount to anything so crawl under a rock and hide. Writer’s block hits and we’re ready to throw in the towel—is it really worth it?

Inside we discover a strength we didn’t know we had, and we push through and move on. We do what we do because it’s our passion, our heart, our lifeblood.

Just so you know, the publication process is slow.

The average wait time for a novel to go from contract to book shelf is about 12 months. Sometimes shorter, often times longer. And that’s AFTER it’s been contracted. No one told me that it can take up to 2 months to hear back about a stinkin’ query letter…IF I hear back from them at all. Or that, even though the agent/editor sounded SO excited in their request for a full manuscript that it could be anywhere from 1 month to 6 before I hear a yay or nay.

The joys of writing.

All that to say…writing is tough. Not just anyone can write, and write well. That’s not to discourage anyone…but to reveal the ugly truth. Let go of your illusions, roll up your sleeves, and dig in for the long haul.

Here’s just a few fun quotes from fellow writers:

Diane M Graham: “One of the best parts of being a writer is creating a world and characters. One of the worst parts of being a writer is the responsibility of that world and its characters.”

Kimchi Lya McMahon Blow: “The worst thing and best thing...the creative "voice" in me never shuts up!:) Sometimes that's bad and sometimes it's good!”

Katie Ganshert: “The best thing about writing is writing. The worst thing about writing is writing.”

Do you see a trend in those quotes?

NaNo No-No

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) seems to be the question of the week. Of course, it would be since NaNo starts next Monday. A month dedicated to writing 50,000 words on a new writing project. Why they chose the month that begins the holiday season, I have no idea, but still it continues to grow in popularity.

I’ve participated twice in the past. Both times, something major came up that kept me from completing the novel—or even the 50,000. I was planning on giving it another go this year, but in light of a big move in December, the absence of my husband for 18 days, and not having completed the edits on Dividing Spirits, it’s just not going to happen (again).

I do, however, plan to devote as much time as I can to editing. I want the first round of edits, and possibly another once over, done by the time the movers come to pack up my house.

My pom-poms are out though. I’m ready to cheer on my friends. I know that this coming month will be full of pressure and fun, rough spots and excitement—and for those who survive, a sense of accomplishment and a neat little certificate.

Write on!

It is Finished!

Okay, folks...prepare yourselves for big news.

The first draft of Dividing Spirits is officially completed.

EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!

Last Friday, I finally typed those infamous words--"The End".

What a feeling! I mean, this is techically my third completed novel, and still, the feeling never changes. The whole "I can't believe I actually did it--again." I breathed a sigh of relief and was high all weekend.

Of course, along with the floating on the clouds feeling came the mind-numbing doubt. DS needs a lot of work, and I know that. Yet, I always get that nagging in the back of my mind. It'll never be good enough. Who would want to read this? Why are you investing so much time in something that will never go beyond a select few friends and family?

Yeah...I get that a lot.

This being my third attempt, though, I've learned how to push those doubts aside and put my trust in the Lord. It's true--this manuscript may never go beyond my crit partners, and the few family members and friends that enjoy reading my work. Being that Dividing Spirits is a supernatural suspense, it may not find a place in the market right now. But you know what? God allowed this experience to run its course for a reason. I may not know it...I may not even ever see it, but I know there is a reason.

A great way to take my mind off of my fears is to set goals. You all know how important I think they are. So, here's my goals for the next few months.

1. I will finish my first couple rounds of edits by August 31st. Writing time will be scarce, so I'm not sure how I'll do this, but we'll see.

2. I will send my first few chapters to friend and editor, Salley Bradley (check out her website). While she has those, I'll prepare my query letter and synopsis.

3. When I get back her suggestions, I'll do another round of edits. Then I will prepare the manuscript for submission. I have a couple of agents/editors that I know I want to query, but I'm also going to submit to the CWG First Novel Contest.

So what now?

I dust off my keyboard, pull out the notebook full of notes, and sit down. I pop open my Diet Coke, and open that first chapter once more.

Time to edit.

Up and Coming!

I got that bug again.

Yep.

I have to write. Something. Anything. And I want to share with my friends!

So, starting in August, it is my goal to post Monday thru Friday on my blog. I’ve designed a layout of sorts that will hopefully keep me on track. This way I’ll be able to get my blogs done quickly and still have fun with them. After all, what’s the point if I’m not having fun, right? Or, more importantly, if YOU’re not having fun?

Why August? Why not now?

Two reasons. The major one being that I want to give myself a little more time to “adjust” to having three children, one of them being a newborn. The other being that I have a lot going on this month.

My parents and sisters will be here this weekend—which is great because hubby will be leaving on another work trip next Monday. My family is staying for a week and then they are going to visit some other relatives and taking my girls with them! So the following week, being with only the baby, I hope to have a writing intensive week in which I will finish Dividing Spirits. Yep—that’s the goal. The last week in July, my girls will be back, so I’ll be getting used to taking care of all three kids all by myself. I’m grateful that I get to kind of “ease” into it.

Back to the blog—

I have some fun new things planned, posts which include Friend of the Week, Websites/Blogs to see, Product Reviews…and some more of the old favorites: Let’s Share!, Verse of the Week, and lots on the life and craft of writing.

For the rest of July, I still plan to update as much as I can. But more likely they will be life/family related…although, there may be lots of complaining and moaning and cheering during the writing intensive week.

I considered going offline for writing intensive week, but I think the only way I’ll stay sane is to continue to connect with my online friends. I’ll just restrict my time to early in the morning and late at night with maybe a brief venture in the middle of the afternoon. We’ll see…

So, I hope you’ll continue on this journey with me. What’s new in your life? What changes are in your future?

Abundance

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I have been going through some family stuff and my writing time is suffering a bit. I hope everything is well with you all! Here is today's post:

Okay, I have a question for you all. How many of you suffer with an abundance of ideas for novels? How many of you seem to conveniently get one idea at a time?

When I first started writing a couple of years ago, I fell into the latter category. When focused on my first two novels, I didn’t even think about what else I “might” write. The novels consumed my thoughts, the character’s voices were loud enough to drown out most everything else in my writing world.

Over the past year, though, I find my mind wandering.

Now, being a stay-at-home mom with two toddlers, my days are beyond busy and finding a moment to myself is rare. When I do manage some time alone, or when my husband lets me go upstairs to write, my focus is on my current WIP. But sometimes…sometimes I get distracted.

Novel ideas and obnoxiously loud characters have begun filling my head. They come pouring out of the woodwork and dance in the window on sunbeams. The world of stories in my head is wonderful. I am fascinated by the characters, enamored with story ideas, and often find myself daydreaming.

And I’m supposed to be working on my novel.

I’m down to approximately thirty days until my WIP needs to be finished, at least the first draft. I want to pitch it at the ACFW conference at the end of September. But how will I get it done when these other stories and characters are vying for my attention?

I’ve started allowing myself a few minutes with each story or character to get them written down. A general outline, a back cover blurb, or a character sketch—and sometimes, if they are loud enough, a couple pages of a first chapter or random scene. This seems to appease them long enough for me to focus on my WIP.

What about you? How do you handle the constant din taking over your mind? What do you do to help train your focus?