Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A Change of Plans {aka Focus Erin!}

I'm a bit impulsive {And forgetful*}

And when I got thinking about the picture book marathon  I thought, "Why not?" Then I thought, "I could post about picture books all month!"

But does anyone remember This Post about my Big Plans?I got thinking about it while in the shower this morning. And then I felt like a flake.

Ack! Why do I always leap before I look? Why am I always running from one thing to the next?

I think it's because it's easier to do fun things. And dreaming up picture books and chatting about picture books is fun. And it's easier than trying to figure out the novel business. And while I can tell myself I will do both....um...yeah, if I somehow did manage to do it all, I wouldn't do it well. And I probably wouldn't feed my family all month.

So, I've come up with a new idea. A better idea. Something to help me along here.

I'm declaring this month....

Get My Life In Order So I Focus On Being a Middle Grade Novelist Month

Hmmmmm....that's a bit long, eh? And, oy...that would be some acronym....How about...

Focus, Wrap-Up and Organize Month? FWOM?

Alright, now you may be wondering what this will entail... I'm not completely sure. But I have some ideas.

*Some of it will be mental. I need to convince myself that all the time I'm putting into this isn't a waste. If I can convince myself of that, if I can really believe that I am going to figure this out, that I will be able to perfect my craft enough to have a career as a novelist, then it will be easier for me to actually spend more time doing it and therefore.....make myself right. (and write....heh heh...I couldn't resist.)

*I'm going to need to finish up some sewing projects that have been kicking around undone and taking up space in my house and brain. I need to clear them out. Because while I may focus on writing....I can't help sneaking in the crafting projects. However. I need to reign myself in and be more selective about the crafty things I choose to spend time on instead of doing everything I think of. I think spending less time on Pinterest will help. Not to mention it will free up writing time! Sheesh. We're our own worst enemies, right?

*Also, I need to get some things done in my house. Some major organization needs to occur around here. If I can get myself better organized I know I'll be able to use my time more efficiently.

And I'm sure there are other things that will need to occur. But I know this is the path I want. I want to be a novelist. I want to figure out how to write really really great middle grade books (and maybe YA...we'll see....I have an idea for a quirky book with magic and romance....) I have notebooks full of ideas, full of books I want to write. And I want to finish the stories. I want to get the stories out of my head, onto the page and into the world so then I can write the next one.

So, here I am....trying to make myself focus. Again.

Anyone else have this problem? Being too impulsive? Too easily distracted?  And does anyone else want to join me for FWOM, Focus, Wrap-Up and Organize Month?

Come on people! Look! I even made a button!







Grab your own, post it on your blog and get your life in order this month! (But I can't figure out how to make it bigger so when it's added to your blog it's not super tiny! So....if you know anything about making widgets and buttons and grab boxes, let me know!)

And by the way... I've wasted so much time trying to figure how to make buttons work!!! Which is ironic....since this is a post about getting things done so I can Focus On Writing.....urgh.


Now maybe I'll waste the rest of the day trying to add a linky blog hop thing, too....

*I forgot all about today being The Insecure Writers Support Group posting day! But....I think this post speaks pretty well to my insecurities and failings, no?

4 comments:

  1. You can do it. I love a bit of time to get organized. Google calendar saved my sanity.

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  2. YOU CAN DO IT!! :D I honestly find picture books more daunting than novels, LOL. I hear you on telling yourself the time spent isn't a waste. It's hours and hours and HOURS of writing, editing, rewriting, editing, writing, wash, rinse, repeat. I spent the last week and a half doing final edits/tweaks to one of my books, finalizing the blurb, and prepping it for publication this month...and when I think about how all of these hours and sleepless nights getting all of this done is only the tiniest fraction of the two years I've spent on this book...well, let's just say writers really have to love what they do!

    I 'll join you in the focus, wrap up, and organize month! I'll wrap up the formatting for publishing my book, organize my file for the second book, and focus on getting back to writing. I'm soooo ready to get back to the writing stage! :D

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  3. lol I totally get this... Sometimes I feel like I have so many balls up in the air, so many things I want to DO. But... actually, I wrote to someone the other day, talking about writing in particular, and I said that sometimes in my efforts to catch EVERYTHING that's in my head, I miss catching the most important things. Maybe the same thing applies here. Sometimes we have to stop and figure out what the IMPORTANT TO US things are first before we can go about chasing after those things. Otherwise, we're just eternally running around in circles, keeping the balls afloat.

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  4. You and your random, crazy, impulsiveness makes me giggle. You can do it! And never think that what you're doing is a waste of time, especially when you're being creative! Whether you're crafting or writing or whatever, that creative outlet is so good for you! A little organization goes a long way, but it's definitely hard getting started!

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