HERE COMES AUGUST...AND THERE GOES SUMMER!

 by Judy Ann Davis

“August rain: the best of the summer gone, 

and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time. 

                                                                                                     ~Sylvia Plath 

 

Here she come comes…August and her last days of summer. I don’t know how those days flew by so fast. My husband saw some sumac changing to red on one of his many jaunts around the area. For many, myself included, it’s one of the harbingers of fall.

 

And who doesn’t think summer is sliding to an end when our local Clearfield County Fair gets underway? If you are anywhere in the vicinity of the fairgrounds during fair week, you can smell its presence. The sweet smell of cotton candy and waffles dunked in sugar wafts in the air with the flavored smoke of hamburgers, hotdogs, beef, and hot sausage cooking on burners under the concession stands. Anyone who owns land near the fairgrounds have lawns and driveways that look like parking lots. Children gather in groups to lose their money on games of chance or to ride any fast moving mechanical apparatus that swings its riders high into the air and twirls them around and around.                                                                                                             

Speaking of lawns in Central Pennsylvania, they are morphing into shades of light brown—which means less mowing, less gasoline consumed, and less work. Scott is not heartbroken over this occurrence, even though he agrees a thunder storm once in a while is a welcome relief from the heat we’ve been having. 

 

August is the month of reaping what we sow. Tomato plants, scattered around in my flowerbeds, are dressed in bunches of still green tomatoes. But if you’re lucky, you can find a handful of small red cherry ones to whet your appetite or to use for a treat on your salad. Why do the flavor of fresh juicy tomatoes from the garden taste better than any you can buy at a store?

 

This year, we tried a bucket garden again, concentrating on spices. We now have parsley, lemon thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, along with two buckets of marigolds and a bucket of lettuce. I also have chives in a bed and a container of basil on our patio. What get used the most? Ironically, it’s the chives that come up each year without fuss or coaxing. 

 

For some odd reason, instead of writing, my wandering mind and body heads off to do other chores that need my attention. I think it’s called procrastination. It’s one of my many talents. Do you have an activity or special summer chore you put off despite the nagging of a little voice inside your head? 

 

I’m always curious to hear how others enjoy the end of the summer season. Drop me a line in the comment section below. And, let’s enjoy August as summertime in all her sunny glory abdicates and autumn splendor ascends the throne next. 

 

                              VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE FOR ALL MY BOOKS 

 

 

FINISHING WHAT I STARTED - A New Year's Resolution

                                             by Judy Ann Davis

There is a Polish proverb that says, “It’s better not to begin, than having begun, to leave unfinished.”

My New Year’s writing resolution is to try to embrace that proverb. I found that this last year, I concocted all kinds of ways to procrastinate and not finish writing some stories I started and later abandoned. Was it the pandemic mood or did I just need an excuse?  I have to admit, I had plenty of time to write while my husband and I were keeping ourselves safe at home. And, I sure didn’t enjoy cleaning my closets.

So why do I write? I think it’s more than just having something to say. I’m a daydreamer. I’ll admit it. I often have a story to tell. I like to create, and my mind is always churning out scenarios. Writers have ideas that won’t leave them alone. Or more personally, I have characters stomping around in my head who won’t leave me alone. They go to sleep with me and wake up with me in the morning. 

I also have found when I write, I enjoy the research, and I try to incorporate something unique in my manuscripts. My current work has one of the characters losing one of her mother’s Edwardian aquamarine earrings from 1910, with the stones originating from Santa Maria, Brazil. The earrings are unique and irreplaceable. What a great time I had looking at old jewelry. (Do you see any possible procrastination in that activity?)

There’s a mistaken notion from the public that our writing just flows out—into a perfect flawless story, just ready for print. Oh, how I wish it were so. Writing is work. But like other occupations, it can be enjoyable and gratifying.

I only have one New Year’s “writing resolution” for 2021. Like the proverb above, I plan to finish what I start. (Now on to the edit phase of a current work-in-progress!)

Did you make any resolutions this year? If so, will you share?

 Coming soon: VALENTINE'S DAY!

"Can one sweet kiss revive an old romance?" 

SWEET KISS

Procrastinate? Never! by Paty Jager

I am always 15 minutes or more early for everything. I don't like to be late for appointments or publishing books. But lately...I feel like I am constantly behind. I HATE this feeling.

When I'm late or behind, acid boils in my stomach and my right eyelid twitches. Lately both have been happening more and more often. And it doesn't help having hubby say,  "I thought you wrote for fun."

I do write for fun. I love coming up with characters and building stories around them. That is the fun part. The not so fun part is promoting and trying to keep new books out in front of the readers so they don't forget my characters or me. So they are ready to buy the next book I put out.

But lately...I made a decision to stick to one genre for a while. Which I am ecstatic to stick with mystery. It is my first genre love! LOL  But it seems as if since I decided to do that instead of getting books out faster, I'm slower.

Of course the last month I spent 12 of the 30 days traveling and the days before traveling getting ready for traveling. However, that doesn't mean a thing since I am back at my desk. Haha to me! I may be back at my desk but I'm not jumping in with both feet and getting the book I have half written going or getting rewrites from my Critique Partner on another project out to the next reader.

No. Instead I spent half of today finding a system that worked for me to keep track of what happens each day in the work in progress.  After printing and discarding several different calendar pages, I realized I wanted something I could put sticky notes on. As I go through the WIP to get reacquainted with it, I wanted to make notes.

I came up with this:

I can read along, make a note on a sticky, and place it on the board under the day something happened. So much easier than scribbling everything that happens that day on a 1" by 1" square.

After making my board I did get through more chapters in my WIP.

While sitting at the computer and not really writing, because I was thinking about the next book I'm going to write- yes it's a curse. I can't just have one book in my head at a time. I have the one I finished the one I'm working on and at least one to two books that are coming in each series in my head. The day I am only thinking about one book will be the day I decide to stop writing.

As I was whining, I was thinking about the next book in another series and how I really need to write it now while the area I visited was still fresh in my mind. Even though it is a book that will come down the road in the line up in the series. As I was thinking about it I googled what I needed to look up to get the premise and plot of the book rolling and *POW*  the perfect event for my character to attend is a huge thing in the country where he will be going. I love it when all the factors of making a book fall into place.

I'm still behind, but slowly pulling out of the procrastination and looking forward to the next 6 books flashing in and out of my brain at any given time during the day and night.

Are you a procrastinator? Or do you get ill when your are late or behind?

blog / website /  Facebook / Paty's Posse / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest   / Bookbub

PROCRASTINATION 101

By Bea Tifton

Hello, my name is Bea Tifton, and I am a procrastinator. But we’ll get to that later.

Procrastination is a big problem with some people. They put off things that are absolutely necessary for life or adulting in general. Why? I read several articles on the Internet, so now I’m a certified expert. Just kidding. But they basically said the same things.

Woman Daydreaming
Photo by Nathan Dumlao for Unsplach

1.      Feeling overwhelmed. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you didn’t know where to start? I just try to think of that saying, and the article even cites it, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” (I’m a vegetarian. No elephants were harmed in the writing of this blog post.) Break things into smaller tasks and give deadlines for each.

2.      Bad timing. Boy, is this a big one for me. I have two autoimmune diseases and a heart problem, so there are times when just getting the trash and the recycling out that week are major accomplishments. (No, really. I text my mother and my best friend to brag about it.) I’ve learned to do what I can at my peak times, late afternoon to evening, and to work more on my good days. It takes planning, but I give myself permission to take care of my health and my body on my bad days, too.  The experts suggest you choose your best times and do the task then.

Working In The Afternoon
Photo by rawpixel for Unsplash

3.      Hating the task. Yes, even though I love cleaning out the litter boxes and mopping up the occasional accident from the “I’m not going out there to poop today. Have you seen how hard it’s raining?” syndrome, I must admit I would love to put it off. One solution is to reward yourself when you’ve finished your onerous to do list.

4.       Lacking focus. This one would be so easy for me. I’ve had to retire from education much earlier than planned, and it would be so easy to fall into the trap of wandering around, watching Brit Box and reading all day. That’s what some people think I do, I‘m sure. But there’s that one little snafu. Trying to keep the lights on and the fridge full takes income.  I’ve read that setting goals is the key. I have to do so myself. I even put them on my calendar as little reminders so the notifications pop up, keeping me accountable.

5.      Being afraid of failure. This one is the reason I always heard for procrastination. I am a type A personality and a perfectionist, despite the modifications I’ve had to make to my lifestyle. If I don’t turn it in, it’s not going to be rejected. That’s when I have to employ the, “What’s the worst that could happen” scenario. As a writer, I can come up with some very entertaining ones, but then I get down to a more mundane reality and realize that it’s not that big a deal, but that not turning something in or completing something around the house would make me feel far worse.

Does knowing why I’m doing something make it all better? Why, of course it does. In a perfect world. No, of course not, but it does make my overly analytical mind think, “Okay, this is why I’m doing this. Now STOP IT!” I can give myself that mental kick. 

What about you? Do you ever procrastinate? What helps you?

Sources Cited:

Frankton, James. “The 4 Main Causes of Procrastination Revealed.” Motivation Grid, June 29,     2014.

White, Doug and Polly. “4 Reasons people Procrastinate and a Cure of Each One.”           Entrepreneur,             May 16, 2017.

PANTSERS, PLOTTERS AND PROCRASTINATORS

I have been blessed with wonderful critique partners. They have put up with my bad habit of dragging my feet when it comes to my work in progress. Yes, my name is Brenda and I am a procrastinator.

So many times, the plotter of my group has sat with me and gone chapter by chapter in plotting out a story. I've tried. Really, really tried. The problem is, my characters do things that have nothing to do with the plot. New characters pop up. A situation we never discussed  messes up my neatly plotted out grid.

The pantser (you notice I don't name names.) is fantastic at sitting down and pumping out a few thousand words every day. She doesn't worry about spelling, grammar or obsessing over making it perfect the first time.  Ok. I've tried that and came up with gibberish. Let's face it, she made a deal with the devil.

Then, there's little old me, the procrastinator. I have to mull over my characters' motivations, goals

and an interesting plot. I'm never satisfied with forging ahead and worrying about the technical stuff later.

How do other writers  do it? I never even know what my subject will be when working on this blog. Which is due tomorrow.

I've met other well established authors who never get out of pajamas and lock their office door for days. No distractions, no hesitation. I admire their dedication. Also hate them, but it works for them.

So, my work in  progress lingers on my aging computer waiting to be finished. My critique partners give me the stink eye and drum their fingers.

I'm working. Yeah, I know it looks like I'm malingering, but in my brain, the book is almost finished.

PROCRASTINATION 'R US

By Caroline Clemmons

I am probably the world’s champion procrastinator. One of the reasons (or so I like to think) is that I’m basically a perfectionist. If I can’t do it well, I postpone it. Another of the reasons is that I have too much on my plate and simply can’t manage everything, so I do what I like best—write. When I sit down to write, though, what do I do?

You have it—I check my email, check blogs, Facebook, HootSuite, and my Amazon sales. Writing those first sentences each day is painful. I mean really painful. Can I do this well? Will the words come? Will the RIGHT words come? Will my family be proud of me? Will my fans like this book? What if I fail?

Imagine my petty delight recently when I learned that one of my all-time favorite authors, Loretta Chase, suffers from a procrastination problem. She is so successful that it never occurred to me she would have doubts. I often use her classic LORD  PERFECT when I teach online classes or give a workshop. Her descriptions are superb, her plots delightful. She never misses the mark.

My wise friend and author extraordinaire Jacquie Rogers says, "Don't compare, don't compete, and don't keep score." Yes, I know we are not supposed do any of those or to gloat over the misfortunes of others. I confess—I have sinned. Not that I wish Ms Chase anything but the very best, you understand. On the contrary, I hope she continues writing her wonderful books forever.

 

But I had pictured her blithely sitting down and painlessly pounding out her intriguing stories. When I learned differently, I shamefully reveled in the fact that she, too, has difficulty. If someone like her has trouble, then maybe I’m not as doomed and dithery as I thought.

I once heard Barbra Streisand in an interview say she still throws up before a concert. Imagine! Nora Roberts supposedly said she always wonders before each book if she can do it again. Who would suspect either of them having doubts?

The point of this is that all us so-called creative types have insecurities. When you read a book, keep in mind that the words on the page or e-reader involved sweat, fear, and desperation as well as creativity. The book represents an author’s heart and guts. Not all of us can be a Loretta Chase or Nora Roberts or Jacquie Rogers, but each of us authors is doing his or her best to entertain you. We love readers and we want you to love us in return.

We authors pour our hearts out for you readers, hoping against hope that you will love what we’ve written. Be gentle in your comments. Be kind in your reviews. And please DO leave reviews.

Sigh, maybe now I can write a few pages on my work in progress.  

Caroline

P. S.  You can read Loretta Chase’s interesting interview here