I finished my next round of revisions early in the month, and to be honest, I felt a jumble of things: relief, excitement, anxiety, gratitude. I also felt blazingly aware of my inability to judge my own work. I am too close to it now, after two and a half years, to be able to tell if it’s good or bad, working or not. I have a general idea that the majority of it is good, but I’m just too immersed to be objective. I pray to God that my editor (and future readers) will love it.
This month, I also made a list of 17 long-term goals. (Has anyone around here noticed that I’m very goal-oriented?) Among these long-term goals were finishing my second novel and beginning to dream about my third. It’s been fun to start playing around with characters and ideas again and to be doing so early enough that I don’t have to force anything or press myself time-wise.
Another of my goals was to create a budget and get a better handle on my finances. My friend Cindy recommended that I try Mint.com, and I’m loving it so far! It’s fascinating to be able to cull all of one’s financial information into one spot.
This month, I went to my favorite six-year-old’s dance recital, visited my regular doctor about my wrists (typing on a laptop all day at work and all night for my novel = wrists destroyed from overuse), visited my psychiatrist about OCD meds (not rocking that boat), went to an Emerging Artists Collective gathering (where the brilliant Judy Hougen discussed the importance of beauty), and went to The Fault in Our Stars in my local theater (a wonderful adaptation of one of my favorite books!). I babysat my favorite girlies, saw a lot of friends, enjoyed the Minnesota rain. I also am working with Leah Kirkwood, a wonderful young graphic designer, so be prepared for a new look to this blog … coming soon!
How was your June? Has it felt about a million years long to anyone else?
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 
For June I participate in a 50k in 30 day challenge (my first) organised by the Romance Writers Of Australia and I was writing like crazy all month. I worked out a solid routine that worked for me and learnt how to ignore the internet until I’ve started writing. Before I was really hopeless and would let the internet chew into my writing time, now I’ve found a good balance and it feels great.
It’s like a romance nanowrimo! ronanowrimo? 😉 So, what’s your solution, Rochelle? How do you keep from letting the internet gobble up your writing time?
My method is totally impractical for a lot of people because they will be at work, but I’m a stay at home mum and only work on Saturdays so I have my days free since both kids are now at school.
I am a terribly unorganized person but I crave routine so I rely heavily on lists to keep me on track. The night before, I break my day down into one hour slots, covering from when I wake up to when I go to bed. I then fill in the slots with EVERYTHING I have to do for the day, chores, writing and reading etc. So after I get the kids off to school, and do a quick tidy up, I write for an hour while the washing is on. I then hang it out, put another load on and write for another hour. Have lunch after hanging the washing out and then check my email accounts while I’m having lunch, giving myself 30 minutes only. I then write for another hour, do a bit more house work. I then have to pick up the kids, do some heavier house work, cook etc and then I am free from about 8pm to do my blog post if one is due that day, read the emails I didn’t get to during lunch, check other social media, read or write some more if I feel like it.
So basically I just look at what’s in my day and make sure I schedule writing, reading and internet time into it and then stick to the times I’ve scheduled. It’s working really well for me so far. Juggling everything is hard and I desperately needed to find balance, which I think I now have.
God has so many more books for you to write. People of all ages of will love your books. People will be buying your books as quick as they hit the shelves. This book, and futures books you write will become Best Sellers.
Thank you, Russell! You’re so kind!
Great to hear of your progress.
I know what you mean about being too close to your work. I pray you find the process with an editor’s review as liberating and affirming as I did.