Writers and New Year Resolutions

By Patricia Bates

The holidays have come and gone and in their wake is a renewed sense of dedication or perhaps desperation. 2013 for me was a good year, professionally speaking. I had out multiple books, had a couple of really nice royalty checks and took a leap of faith into a new work project. The going was fast paced, but now things are slowing down and I'm re-evaluating.

So often we as humans, make resolutions at New Years, put in goals and aspirations which sound great at the time. But are they realistic? Can we, with our busy lives, our deadlines, and the speedbumps and road blocks which pop up really expect those plans to become reality? If you're like me, I'm the kind of person who needs at least 36 hours in a day, simply because I have a lot going on...perhaps its a stretch.  I've tried the schedule everything right down to the moment and it feels well, fake to me. You can schedule some things, but how can you schedule life?

So this year I made a resolution I think I can manage. One which with persistence, with dedication I can actually make work. No its not make a million this year or even write ten books and sell them all...this year my plans are far simpler, and far more complex. 2014 is the year I'm going to reorganize not only my writing, by my publishing, my time management....and ultimately my brain.

Simple, you're saying? Uh you must not understand the word simple because that's nearly impossibly you can't reoganize your brain. Not in the literal sense, but I'm working on baby steps. Daily goals, word count quotas, focusing on spending the time I allot myself at the computer to write...on writing. This may mean turning off the internet on my laptop, or plugging myself into my tunes so I don't hear the phone. It will not be an easy task, but the rewards I think will be worth it.

I narrowed down the goals I want to accomplish as an author – three full length novels and two novellas to be finished by the end of the year. Finished – not submitted unless I feel they're ready but that's not really a part of the plan.

Garner more submissions for my publishing house – work on getting at least two contractable submissions in a month. May seem a small goal but if I get more it would be even better! Small goals perhaps but there are times when small goals are the best.  With each goal met, each milestone passed I've designed a reward system and if I can fulfil this years professional resolutions...this time next year perhaps I'll be riding my horse in preparation for the show season! But that's a thought for another day...

So, what's your resolutions? What do you want to accomplish this year? Big or small every goal we set is another step in the right direction and I'd love to hear your plans and goals for 2014.

Recharging Your Batteries

The Preacher's Outlaw available HERE

By Patricia Bates

As a writer one thing there never seems to be enough of is time... Time to write, to edit...to spend with my family. Time is a very expensive commodity, made even more so when you're working full time outside of the home, building a new business up and trying to meet deadlines for your own writing. A running joke I have with several of my friends is there needs to be 36 hours in one day.

Not something which will every happen in my lifetime – thank goodness lol but its true. The more time I have the less it seems I get caught up. I'm constantly adding things to my To Do List, for every one thing I cross off I add two more. Bad habit? I think its just my brain's way of saying you can rest later LOL.

Writing, editing, promoting its a full time job and one must face  we have to step back and take some 'us' time to recharge our batteries. Finding that time is harder to do than anyone could imagine.

When I get asked what's the one thing I want for my birthday...its not hard to decide what I'd like. Its nice when I get it as well. Of course even though I'm facing deadlines my day is strictly my day...which means I get to catch up on my reading, get to recharge those batteries which are running low and I can get caught up on the things I've missed doing for some time. 

Misconceptions Abound

Buy The Preacher's Outlaw HERE!

by Patricia Bates

When I first began to seriously think of writing a manuscript to sell, which is much different than writing a manuscript I have no intention of anyone from a publishing house seeing, I had a gross misconception.

As I've said before, I've written for years in all lengths, formats, and categories. It was natural for me to have this idea in my head, after all how hard could it be really? I mean, a saleable manuscript is easy...hehehe...sure it is. I found out that it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and time. You don't just sit down, write a hundred thousand words and send it off.

Nope, you have to be sure that what you're getting out of your work is what you're putting into it. It didn't take long to get 100,000 words, but were they good ones? Did they help the story or just bog it down? Is your story active and intense, will it draw in a reader? Or more importantly will it hook the editor so it can be polished to draw in the reader lol?

You can type up a story in a month...is it ready for publication? No, not in my humble opinion. Regardless of your experience, an author can't assume anything. Misconceptions have a way of hampering and even disabling a writer because they get so tied to an idea. You have to be flexible, willing to work through those conceptions and see where it takes you.

I'm nearly finished with this manuscript. I'm still polishing it, tweaking, twisting words so its tight, fast-paced, and captures the reader's imagination. Have I learned anything? You bet I have, but that's a tale for another day.

So I'll leave you with this thought -

Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers." Hans Christian Anderson

My Writing Spot

By Patricia Bates

As an author one place that I think we can all agree on is where that magical place is we'd love to claim as our own. Different people see it differently, what is a wondrous place for one person may be nothing more than drudgery for another.

Buy The Preacher's Outlaw HERE

For me, it’s about being surrounded by the smell of books, of ink, and the warmth of sunlight falling on my shoulders. High windows opened to let the scent of roses fill my office. Hardwood polished to a shine, shelves full of books. Behind my ornate desk filled with top of the line computers and jars of pens with an endless supply of paper, a hand carved filing cabinet with delicate drawer handles.  All lend themselves to the peace and tranquility of my writing time...broken only by the low throb of music in the backgrounds.

Fantasy? For me it’s not about a fantasy - it’s a goal. Something I can use to drive me when my writing is stumped or I have need of a boost. We all deserve to have that dream, the aim of something more. Be it a tiny moss covered cottage on the hillside, or a castle overlooking the rocky shores, its part of us. Being a writer isn't just about creating worlds and characters for others but creating a very special place for ourselves where dreams can become reality and the muse is always content...but never bored.

The Preacher's Outlaw blurb:

Escaped convict Abigail Murphy’s on the run while plotting revenge on the man responsible for her imprisonment and the deaths of her parents. When she gets to Freewill, Wyoming, she gets lost in the bustle until she comes face to face with Daniel Yuleman, a man who could ruin everything.

Daniel is a man wearing two hats. Preacher and lawman, he’s been in Freewill for a couple of months waiting to pick up the trail of two killers when Abigail arrives. Told to watch her, he’s drawn by the shadows in her eyes. The closer he gets to her, the more dangerous it becomes. As her secrets come out, he finds himself fighting to keep her and their burgeoning love alive.

Can an outlaw capture the heart of a preacher turned lawman, or will they both end up on the run?

Fact or Fiction

By Patricia Bates

Do you remember the thrill you got the first time you picked up a pen? The butterflies in your gut, the dry mouth, sweaty palms? Remember the tremble in your fingers as you stared at the page before you?

If you've answered yes to any of these questions than you're on the right track. Regardless of whether you've written a year or ten years, if you're dedicated to your craft but don't feel any emotions when you begin to right something is wrong.

I've been writing for years, and I still get butterflies every time I start a new project. Does that mean that I'm a green-horn with no skill? Does that mean it takes me weeks to come up with a plot that's believable? No. Not even a novice is like that. It simply means that writing is for me as much of a rush as bungee jumping for the next guy/gal.

I was talking to a friend of mine recently who asked a lot of questions and it got me to thinking. What does it mean to be a novice? How do we as writers develop our skills? Some say practice, others say our work writes itself. But while neither is right, neither is wrong.

Despite my experience writing I consider myself relatively new to the front of the publishing world, but I've been around for a few years. Why you ask? Because unlike authors like Heather Graham or Judy Garwood or even Louis L'amour - I haven't been around the world and back again. There are authors out there that spend years researching for a book. They travel the route their characters are bound to take, they experience their hero/heroine's life for themselves (within reason - you can't experience being a vampire or a ghost) before they ever put their thoughts on paper or feel confident enough to submit it.

For each of us, learning to write a good novel or novella  is a matter of baby steps. No one has ever sat down and said, "here's the equation for writing that NY Best Seller." Write what moves you. Write about love or hate, passion or boredom. Fact or Fiction has to be who you are.

If you've got an idea then write it down. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk, and walk before you can run. I believe everyone who has a soul can be a writer - and I hope that those who read this article come to learn this.