Being a Prolific Writer

The word 'prolific' is one I'd love to be labelled with... Oh look, she's turned out another bestseller book! What a prolific writer she is...

I've aimed at ridiculous wordcounts per day, I've pantsed and plotted and settled into a happy combination of both. I've changed my sleeping habits, tried NaNoWriMo, read a ton of blogs from writers I love and respect and so on and so on. 

The sad, dismal truth fact I'm currently facing, is that if you give me an hour a day, or a few uninterrupted hours in a day, my output will probably be about the same.

Maybe that will change, I live in hope.

In the meantime, I'm borrowing a lesson from my middle child's induction ceremony into High School a few years back. They start the event with a single torch burning on stage. All the new Grade 8's lead in in the dark. As you can see from the gallery above, the prefects start by lighting their candles and passing on the flame. The transition from a deeply dark hall to one lit by many individual lights was moving to say the least. The message was clear - your individual contribution counts.

How does that make me a more prolific writer? It doesn't. But what it does do, is make me value each word that willingly joins the ranks of the little army of words that make up my story. I only need 75 000 of them to show up at the the right time, and I'm done. 

Do I cringe at 500 word days? Nope. Do I cringe at the 23 words I manage to string together before I'm called to go see my 10's handstand against the cupboard / latest cartwheel / back bend  - AGAIN? Not any more.

All that matters is that I'm adding words. I will not waste energy on beating myself up for not being prolific. Maybe, just maybe... prolificacy (yes, I did just make that up) will creep up on me as I quietly grow my word count. Until then, I'll soldier on, adding each precious word as it shows up.

If you have found any magic formula for upping your daily count, I'd love to hear about it. It probably won't work on me, but go ahead and share anyway!

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She is writing a three book YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Harbourlight. Affinity (book 1), releases on the 8th of June 2018.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

He Sees You - Devotional

Last night was my 10yo’s school play. It is a South African adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk so instead of a beanstalk, we have a coral tree and instead of Jack, we have Jacobus. 

My girl has been cast as a skinny kitchen rat and her name is Thin-Thin. To make it all more exciting, they are dancing to the old UB40 song There’s a Rat in My Kitchen. As a mom and a UB40 fan, it just doesn’t get better than this. Their first show was last night, we’ve got tickets for tonight. I can’t wait! (That's why there are no pictures of her, just this generic coral tree.)

It was my turn to play taxi and do the after show pick up last night. My girl can be superbly slow at changing when you catch her on an off day so I hung around in the parking lot with the other parents for some time.

As the kids started dribbling out of their classrooms to find their families, I watched a tiny girl who wasn’t cast as a lead, but showed up anyway, and played her part as a soup ingredient or something. She may, or may not have been one of a bunch of carrots. 

This is not that little girl --->

The kid ran up to her mom and asked, “Did you see me?” The mom wrapped her in an enormous hug and responded, “I did! You were awesome!”

I stood there waiting for mine and watching this scene play out over and over.

Did you see me?

I did, you were amazing! 

Awesome! 

Incredible!

The Holy Spirit whispered quietly to my heart, so quietly that I heard it above all the excited noise...

I see you. You are amazing.

This is the beautiful truth I pass on to you today. It doesn’t matter where you’re at or why. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the top of your game, nailing your goals and achieving, or just surviving one day (one hour) at a time and not giving up. It doesn't matter if your dreams are tucked away in the back corner of your heart gathering dust, or if you are chasing after them so hard that your heart may explode.

He sees you.

And to Him, you are amazing.

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12 v 7.

Rest in that today. You are loved by the God of the universe. More than just loved, He thinks you're amazing! I think that's enough, don't you?

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She is writing a three book YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed, book 1, Affinity, releasing soonish.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Deadlines looming? No sleep ahead for you? Read this.

 

If you are a writer with a day job, a family, a life (or any combination of the three) you will find that deadlines have a way of ganging up on you. For those times when you’re faced with multiple due dates in the same week and feel no sleep is the only answer, here are some tips to get through with your sanity and relationships intact.

Before: Prepare

1. Recruit your support team.

Or at the very least, warn those at home! The people you live with are the ones who will be seeing less of you, picking up the slack on the jobs you normally do and putting up with your sleep-deprived mood-swings. If you can, give them a start and finish date so that they know for how long life will be weird. Plan a special catch up treat for all of you on the other side. Help them understand why meeting these deadlines will not only be good for you, but for them too.

2. Postpone and plan.

Put off anything that is not essential until after you’ve met the crunch. Make a list of all the things you won’t be getting to and keep it in a safe place. This is an important step! Use this time to get to know your natural rhythms. What time of day are you most productive? When does your energy lag? Pay close attention, and learn the patterns so that you can make the most of them while clobbering your deadlines.

3. Organize your environment.

Now is a good time to throw out unnecessary clutter, tidy your desk drawers, and pack away anything that you won’t need. A cluttered work area can be overwhelming when you are tired, but keeping your space tidy during your deadline crunch will help your mind to feel ordered and function more efficiently.

It is a proven fact that our brains don’t operate at 100% when we haven’t had sufficient sleep, but there are ways to work around this. Build in backup plans. An easy example is to have a specific place to always hang your car keys. This will save you hours of frustrated searching when your fuzzy brain can’t quite remember. If you are normally a messy person, train yourself to live tidily. It may seem like a small thing, but the point is to make your life as simple as possible while you focus on your deadlines. Living tidily means being able to find your stuff without spending precious working time hunting through piles of clutter.

During: Persevere

A single all-nighter is a sprint, but an extended period of sleep-deprivation is a marathon and needs to be handled differently. Pace yourself, listen to your body, and split up your work into smaller, manageable sections. You will achieve more in short, focused sessions, with breaks in between, than longer sessions that cause you to fall asleep sitting up, drooling on your keyboard. Pay attention to the following.

1. Refuel your body.

Just as your car won’t run on water, your body needs proper fuel. Avoid junk food: chips, sweets, and energy drinks. Instead, opt for healthy options: seeds & nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables, and healthy, light, regular meals. Choose water over fizzy drinks.

2. No sleep? Take naps instead.

If you can’t afford a full night’s sleep, never underestimate the power of the humble nap. Your productivity will suffer if you keep working for too long without any sleep at all. If you struggle to wake up afterwards, take a quick shower, walk outside in the fresh air, and splash your face with some water; you’ll soon get to know what works best for you.

3. Get up and move.

Stretch to de-tangle your muscles and ease stiffness from sitting in the same position for hours. Get your heart rate up by running in place, skipping or doing jumping jacks. This gets the blood flowing to deliver fresh oxygen to your whole body and mind. If it makes you feel daft, don’t worry—we all feel silly leaping around by ourselves at three in the morning. Ignore your ego; your body will love you for it, and it will bring you closer to conquering your deadlines.

4. Include motivators.

What makes your brain buzz? Play music that gets your feet tapping, or let your favorite tv show run in the background. If that is too distracting, line up the (healthy!) rewards at the end of each section. Find those things that switch you on and shamelessly bribe yourself.

5. Avoid driving.

Any pill that makes you drowsy comes with a warning for you not to drive or operate dangerous machinery while you are under the influence of that medication. Deadline crunching on no sleep can be just as lethal. Organize a carpool, or take the bus or a train. You might even be able to sneak in some z's while travelling—bliss!

After: Recover

1. Take time off.

Schedule time off to find yourself again. Get some decent sleep, and reward yourself for your hard work. Give your brain time to recuperate. Don’t be shocked if you find yourself feeling completely demotivated, directionless or even slightly depressed. Be gentle on yourself as you recover; give yourself plenty space to regroup and recharge. Beating yourself up will only delay your recovery. It won’t take long to find your groove again.

2. Prioritize time with loved ones.

Make reconnecting with your support crew your chief priority. Spend time catching up on all the tiny details that you may have missed. Give them your focused attention. Turn off your cell phone, and leave the laptop shut. Go for long walks, cook meals together, do all the things that you said no to while meeting your deadlines.

3. Take out your “postponed” list.

With a brain that is still in recovery, you will be grateful that you made a list of all the things that you postponed. By now, some of them will need your attention. As you feel up to it, find your list and work your way through it one item at a time. Having a list in hand will help you get out of the post-deadline-slump in small, easy steps.

Does your family still love you? Did you meet your deadlines? Congratulations! You successfully faked it 'til you made it while running on no sleep!

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She has just signed a three book contract for a YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Visiting my Writing World (and eBook giveaway)

by Marion Ueckermann

In two weeks, I’ll be heading for the airport to catch a Qatar flight to Doha, and then on to Edinburgh, Scotland. I can’t wait for this overseas trip for many reasons. I’ll be seeing my brother, Lenny, and sister-in-law, Hanlie, who immigrated in September last year. Hubby’s coming with which is great because we both need a good holiday after an exhausting year—plus, I think my brother needs some male company for the 17 days we’re there because my sister is also going with us to Scotland, as are her two crazy daughters (no, they’re not literally crazy, but it is definitely going to be a barrel of laughs from beginning to end with them around). I’ve booked the seats in front of them on the plane for Noel and I, and have warned them that if they misbehave, I’ll recline my seat as far back as I can the entire way. Jokes aside, I can’t wait to show my sister and nieces the land of our ancestors. I’ve been to Scotland twice and loved it.

My brother lives in Falkirk now, about an hour from Edinburgh (one of my favorite cities), and an hour from Glasgow. Below are pics of The Kelpies close to his home. Aren’t they magnificent works of art?

Care to join me for a minute and take a look at what I’ll be experiencing and seeing? Click here. I promise, it’ll be a minute well spent.

This brings me to the second reason for my excitement for this trip. Have a look at the photo below to see what’s waiting for me at my brother’s house. Because postage is cheaper and safer to Europe than to South Africa, I’ve sent my book shipments there. I’m certainly glad my hubby, sister and nieces are there to help me lug the 26kg of my books back home. I’ve already claimed 5kg baggage from each of them (think I deserve some recompense for booking the tickets and sorting out the visas, don’t you?)

And here’s just one more good reason why I can’t wait for this trip. Glasgow Grace, my third Passport to Romance novella published by Pelican Book Group, releases on July 22nd, and I cannot wait to visit the places I researched and wrote into this story. Places like The Clyde Auditorium, also known as The Armadillo—a concert and public event venue in Glasgow (remind you of another opera house down under?); Buchanan Mall; Anderston Quay; and all the bridges that cross the River Clyde—Bell’s Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and Clyde Arc or The Squinty Bridge. Here are two photies of Lenny and Hanlie’s recent trip to Glasgow. Doesn’t it look like such an interesting city?

I found two photos of The Armadillo on Wikimedia Commons to share with you (no guesses why it got that nickname).

I cannot wait to get to Scotland and see all the above. We're also spending four days beside Loch Ness...I wonder what Scottish stories my mind will conjure up during this time. 

To get you as excited as I am, here’s the cover and blurb for Glasgow Grace. As soon as this novella releases next month, I’ll give away a free eCopy to one lucky reader who leaves a comment on this blog. 

Opera singer, Skye Hunter, returns to the land of her birth as leading lady in Phantom of the Opera. This is her first trip back to bonnie Scotland since her mother whisked her away to Australia after Skye’s father died sixteen years ago.

When Skye decides to have dinner at McGuire’s, she’s not going there only for Mary McGuire’s shepherd’s pie. Her first and only love, Callum McGuire, still plays his guitar and sings at the family-owned tavern. 

Callum has never stopped loving Skye. Desperate to know if she’s changed under her mother’s influence, he keeps his real profession hidden. Would she want him if he was still a singer in a pub? But when Skye’s worst nightmare comes true, Callum reveals his secret to save the woman he loves.

Can Skye and Callum rekindle what they lost, or will her mother threaten their future together once again?

MARION UECKERMANN's passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. She now lives in South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.

Confessions of a Writing Mom + Giveaway

(Just to clarify, I'm giving away a book, not one of my adorable kids - sorry to disappoint!)

 I was recently musing on an old blog post I wrote about two years ago with this title. I had just started writing again after four years. I was now a wife and mother. I had two children at the time and this was my "confession":

~~~

I sit down and grab my laptop. My ten month old is sleeping and my two year old seems to be having fun with his cars.  Of course toys are everywhere, my kitchen is covered with random crumbs- both floor and counter-top, and the laundry is piling up. I probably should have done that yesterday. But here I am with fingers glued to keyboard, not caring what I write, so long as I'm writing!

As I write, a pile of clean diapers is forming beside me. Soon they cover the couch. I know I will have to deal with it at some point but at the moment all I can think is, "Good, he's happy!"

Then I smell "it" and I realize my time is up... in one minute, and I try to squeeze a few last epic words onto the page. Then, setting the computer aside before I get distracted again, I grab my kid, one of the many diapers - which may or may not be his - and head to his bedroom to find some wet-wipes.

By the time I finish with my lectures on the usefulness of the invention called a toilet - and how spider-man underwear is cooler than a diaper - I realize my daughter could wake up any moment! There is no time to spare. I race back to the laptop, talk Liam into listening to the "Piano Guys" without watching the accompanying video, remind him that it's still mommy's turn, open my word document, think about where I left off and what I need to say next, lay my fingers on the keyboard and begin to type. One word- two word-

Baby is awake.

It's cuddle time and play time. Diaper time, too. The clock soon reads somewhere between four and five. Within the next hour or so I walk around the house singing "A Spoonful of Sugar" all the time wondering how Mary Poppins got the toys to put themselves away!

No such luck.

If it's a normal day, dinner will be on the table and the house neat and somewhat orderly  by the time my sponsor/editor walks in the door. If it's a good day my hair is brushed and I'm wearing real clothes (as opposed to comfortable, fuzzy, super baggy "non real" clothes).

Either way, if a wrote something, it is a great day!

~~~

I probably enjoyed that flashback much more than any of you. Especially when I look at my present day. I now have 3 kids: a five-year-old, a three-year-old, and again, a ten-month-old. It's mid afternoon and baby boy is down for his nap! The other two are potty trained so I'm off diaper duty until he wakes up. Meanwhile, a pile of children's books form beside me - their to-read "list". We went to the Library this morning and usually come home with around twenty books. They spend the next hour or so looking at pictures and deciding what they want me to read.
Unlike two years ago, I need to do more than just write to make it a good day. I have a critique group and submissions to edit and get out to them. I have a manuscript due my publisher in a few months. More edits. More rewrites. I'm in a box-set this spring with other authors, so I also need my novella scrubbed and polished while learning the basics of indie-publishing. That's not mentioning the manuscript I want to get ready to pitch to agents this year!

How do I make it work? I'm not sure, but the following helps:

1. Put try to put God first. I try to read my scriptures first thing in the morning, and then picture book scriptures to the kids before I open my laptop. 
2. Put family next. In the evening, my husband. During the day, my kids. They come before writing, and I try to remind myself that constantly.   
3. Make time for living. In the summer, I set the goal to go to the playground with the kids every day. It didn't mean I couldn't plot, or even read a book, but making sure we get out of the house and have fun as a family is important. Right now we try to go to the zoo and library at least once a week. It gives me less time to write, but it's a greater investment. 
4. During the day if I'm not spending time with the kids, I am writing. Naps, when they are happily playing, while they are pouring over the books we just brought from the library, whether 10 minutes, or 30, I try to write or critique. The hard part is, I don't get to lock myself away in a quiet room to write. Kids are playing, asking questions, getting into mischief, and, in short, I've had to learn how to multitask.
5. This one just reiterates the last point. I don't clean during the day, or when the kids are in bed. So when do I clean? Same as two years ago, the hour before my husband gets home, I get dinner on the stove, dishes in the sink and the kids picking up their toys out of the big pile I just swept into the middle of the floor. Other than that, if it's not gross, a choking hazard, or going to be tracked all over the house, I don't pick it up until cleaning time and then I try to involve the kids as much as possible. 
6. No "TV" for the kids on an average day. The truth is, they could sit happily in front of the computer watching Curious George for hours, and it would be wonderful to use all that time for writing...but neither a monkey or a talking blue train get to raise my kids. The temptation is there, and I'm not giving in to it even a little because that track is too slippery. 
7. Making time for service and church. The Sabbath is great for this. Sabbath is about God and people. Church and service there. Family time. Time to recenter myself. As a general rule, I don't write.
   

When I first started writing again, I needed large chunks of time, and I was often too tired in the evenings. With the Lord's help, every ten minutes at my computer can count for something and I can be productive even when I'm exhausted. All in all, so far so good. My writing is getting done, deadlines are being met, and most importantly, my children and husband aren't getting neglected...too much. ;) We'll see how things go in the fall when I add homeschooling into the mix!

What have you found works for balancing your life and writing?

Leave a comment for an e-copy of the anthology, Dancing up a Storm, which includes my short

story "When I am Gone".

“When I'm Gone” by Angela K. Couch 
First Place Romance 
Summer 1942. Just before the competition that could launch their careers as professional ballroom dancers, Elaine Mathews’s partner, James Larson, gets drafted into the army. Now, with her dreams and the man she loves hanging in the balance, Elaine must acknowledge what she’s most afraid to lose. 

3 Cats, 1 Mom and God

We have three cats. They are sisters, so they share genes. They’ve grown up in the same home – ours – and we’ve done our best to make sure they get equal rights, privileges and love. In spite of that, their personalities are completely unique.

This is Gwinny. Short for Guinevere. She is a complete lady, secure in her charms. Having perfected the art of the flop, she can melt hearts in 2 seconds flat. All she needs to do is run across the room with the purring-meow thing she does, flop on your lap (your book, your work, your laptop … the effect is the same) and you are hooked. Smitten. Stuck until she moves. She is the fluffiest of the three and somehow commandeered the soft fur genes.

The beauty on the right is Ginger. Her fur is more coarse and from day one, she has been less open to being loved.

The third is Sleepy and she doesn’t feature in today’s thought. Sorry Sleepy.

Back to the other two – I love cats. In spite of hideous cat allergies, they make a house a home and add so much life and love. But here’s the thing that struck me – Gwinny lets me love her. When I bend down to rub her head, she purrs and pushes against my hand. Ginger cringes and pulls away. Not all the time, but mostly.

Guess who gets the most evidence of my love...

I love each cat just as much as the other two, but that’s not what it looks like to someone who doesn’t know me. That got me thinking about God and His love for us. When He draws close to show us how much He loves us, do we press into His hand, secure in His love, enjoying His attention? Or do we pull away?

There are many reasons to hold back, to be wary of opening up to Him. I know that. But I also know that not one of those reasons comes from His heart.

Interesting thought, hey?

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, 

because fear has to do with punishment. 

The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 

We love because he first loved us. 

1 John 4:18-19

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Gratitude

I’ve recently been reading Deeper Places Experiencing God in the Psalms. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16234349-deeper-places. This book is written by Matthew Jacoby, pastor at a Baptist church in Victoria and singer with the band Sons of Korah, http://www.sonsofkorah.com/ whose music is based on the psalms. I have greatly enjoyed it and found lots of helpful insights. One that was not new but is one I think we often need to be reminded of is about the attitude of gratitude and thankfulness for all God has done and continues to do for us each day. So this is a list of some of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful to God for the many years my husband and I have had together and look forward to more to come. It’s a great blessing to be walking with God together, starting each day with prayer and learning from God’s Word together.

One of the things would have to be the area where we live. It is a beautiful area. Each day my husband and I give thanks that God has brought us here.  But on Christmas morning as well as remembering the gift of the birth of Jesus, God sent us this sunrise.

 

It felt like a special gift from God for that day.

I am also thankful for having family all together between Christmas and New Year. Yes, it was noisy, filled with laughter and chatter with all the grandchildren and six adults in our not so large house but it was also a lot of fun. I praise God too that our son and daughter are walking with the Lord and teaching their children His ways. What a blessing that is!

I am thankful for the church God called us to, a church where God’s word is faithfully preached and where we were made to feel welcome from the moment we set foot in the door on that first day. This year will see some big changes for our church in some areas and that is a little daunting but also exciting to see what God will do.

I am thankful for the beach close by and opportunities to go and walk along the beach and swim.

I have been swimming more since we moved here than ever in my life before.

I am thankful for good and lasting friendships from years ago that survive despite distance between us and also for those who have spring up and bloomed since we moved here. I’m thankful for writerly friends who are always prepared to help each other with knowledge and advice.

I praise God for the gift of music. My music taste is pretty eclectic and runs the gamut from 60s rock to opera, ballads from the 1940sand 1950s, jazz, gospel, hymns old and modern and a whole heap more. Just about anything that has words I can sing along with.

I am thankful for the colour blue. Of all God’s colours and I love colour, blue is my favourite. I love the changing blues of the sea which is sometimes a greenish blue or turquoise, and other times a greyish blue, the blue of the sky, and the blue of flowers.

No surprise to learn my study is blue and so are other walls in our house.  It’s a colour I wear a lot, in all shades but teal is a particular favourite.  Red and purple, pink and black are other favourite colours.

I am thankful to God for my eyesight and being able to see the wonders of God’s creation as well as being able to read the Bible and so many other books. I could keep going as there are so many things to be grateful to God for. After all I wouldn’t even be able to draw the next breath if it weren’t for God. I’m thankful that He guides, protects, and enables me in tasks He has called me to do and that He is with me each day.

So at the start of this New Year what are some of the things that you are thankful for and that make you especially grateful to God? Please share them with us.